Guest Articles
Levelling up requires an end to policy churn
Stronger links between civil servants and R&D would help local economies, says Patrick Bonnett No-one could argue with the profound need to level up the UK. We are one of the most geographically unequal major economies in the world, and inequality has worsened...
Levelling Up White Paper and Life Sciences
The UK Government’s recently released “Levelling up White Paper” makes for interesting reading in the context of the life sciences sector. In advance of a more in-depth review, here are some of the key points and my thoughts, focusing on two of the main areas of...
Becoming a ‘Science and Technology Superpower’ requires HMG to keep its foot on the R&D accelerator
The autumn saw the Chancellor unveil the Budget and Spending Review 2021, critical for resourcing and implementing the government’s Innovation Strategy which was launched in July and signalled the government’s intention to place science, technology and innovation...
Making innovation in business accessible
In order for innovation to be successful, it needs to be a collaborative, open process where the tools are available to everyone. Joanna Birch – Director of Innovation, Enterprise and Employability at Birmingham City University – explains how the University is taking...
A whole different IT environment: adapting science parks for a new way of working
Richard Fowler, Technical Sales & Account Manager of RA Information systems, UKSPA Partner Member, provides an overview of the main tech areas that have changed and advanced over the last two years and offers some insight in to how sector operators have had to...
Budget will not meet ambitions of Innovation Strategy
Authors: Patrick Bonnett, Steve Yianni and Jane Gate Slowing investment will make science superpower status less likely, say Patrick Bonnett and colleagues The budget was a chance to begin implementing the government’s Innovation Strategy. Launching the strategy...
Avison Young releases Ten Trends for a Zero Carbon World
Avison Young has released its Ten Trends for a Zero Carbon World, a look at how actions to address climate change are impacting the development, investment and occupation of real estate. A key component of the wider Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) debate,...
Discovery Park CEO comments on today’s spending review announcement
Mayer Schreiber, CEO of Discovery Park in Kent, one of the UK’s fastest-growing communities of life science business, including Pfizer, Viatris and Concept Life Sciences. He said: “I am delighted by the Chancellor’s announcement of £1.4Billion of funding into the new...
How the 2021 Spending Review can make the UK a ‘science superpower’
Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) Assistant Director Daniel Rathbone sets out the key asks from the 2021 Spending Review and the rationale behind them. We now know that the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) we have all been waiting for will conclude...
How we turned the STC from a hunch into a reality – Roz Bird, Chair, Silverstone Technology Cluster
It’s five years since the independent research house, SQW, published the report that revealed the Silverstone Technology Cluster (STC). The report confirmed the earlier suspicions of MEPC and Barclays who then became the prime movers behind the STC organisation that...
Taking a lease on a science park? How to overcome financial pitfalls. The last in the series of blogs from Giorgia Clements, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
In our third blog addressing potential financial pitfalls in leases, we addressed the dangers of exercising your break right incorrectly or changing your mind after exercising it. To culminate our series of blogs, here we will consider business rates and the dangers...
Taking a lease on a science park? How to overcome financial pitfalls. The third blog in the series from Giorgia Clements, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
In our previous blogs looking at financial pitfalls in leases we explored financial traps for tenants resulting from the rent review process, service charge liability, and dilapidations claims. In this third blog, we explore the lesser considered financial liability...
Taking a lease on a science park? How to overcome financial pitfalls. The second blog in the series from Giorgia Clements, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
In our first blog addressing financial pitfalls in leases, we focused on rent review. Here we will explore two more common areas within commercial leases that contain potential pitfalls: service charge and dilapidations liability. Service charge When letting only part...
Where are the UK’s most powerful Innovation Districts and Hubs? Bruntwood SciTech delve into where these innovation hubs and districts are, why they’re so important
Innovation Districts: ‘’Geographic areas where leading-edge anchor institutions and companies cluster and connect with start-ups, business incubators and accelerators. These innovation hubs are physically compact, transit-accessible, and technically-wired and...
Taking a lease on a science park? How to overcome financial pitfalls
If you have or are about to take a lease at a science park, your mind will no doubt be focussed on the financial impact of that lease, especially around headline rent and service charge. But leases contain a plethora of lesser-known financial obligations or pitfalls....