ABOUT

Partners

The shareholders of Malvern Hills Science Park Ltd are:

• Malvern Hills District Council
• Worcestershire County Council
• Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Other partners involved are:

• QinetiQ

History and location

Situated in the heart of Cyber Valley, adjacent to QinetiQ and close to GCHQ, Malvern Hills Science Park (MHSP) is home to a number of growing companies working to strengthen the UK response to cyber attacks.

The Science Park opened in October 1999. Its position adjacent to QinetiQ (Malvern) provides access to the knowledge and technology of one of Europe’s largest research organisations. Malvern has a rich history of revolutionary technology including LCD displays, infrared detection, semiconductors and RADAR.

The Park was established to facilitate the spin-out of companies eager to exploit QinetiQ’s lead in technologies developed for military use but with potential commercial applications. MHSP provides excellent facilities to encourage the growth of high-tech companies, having high-quality accommodation and conference facilities in a beautiful situation nestling under the picturesque Malvern Hills.

Transport links are good, with a direct train service to Birmingham and London (Paddington). 20 minutes from the M5 at Worcester, an hour from Birmingham Airport and city centre.

Progress to Date

Companies

Existing tenants continue to grow, and new companies join the park all the time. MHSP has been noted for the creation of bespoke laboratory solutions for early-stage companies. It now has a critical mass of scientists with biology, chemistry and physics backgrounds. Companies working with advanced materials, especially at the micro and nano level, are finding MHSP a great UK base. IT companies are also well represented working in areas such as cyber defense, automotive, graphic and web design. A minority of companies retain links with military customers, both in the UK and overseas, some through relationships with QinetiQ and GCHQ.

Land

The Science Park currently has 5 buildings over a beautifully landscaped 10-acre site.

MHSP was created in 1999 as the Innovation Centre. Consisting of 23 discrete working units, ranging from 355 to 2,600 square feet. The Regional Technology Exchange (Phase 2) was completed in December 2001 and this provides a further 14,000 sq. ft of units and laboratory facilities.

In 2008 the award winning Phase 3 building was completed. 25,000 square feet of office space, laboratories, conferencing suites and the onsite café. This building was designed from the ground up with high energy efficiency performance. Heated and cooled with ground source heat pumps.

2016 saw the completion of Phase 4. This is a new chapter for the park: a 25,000 square foot building for single occupancy by a major corporate.

Most recently the site has expanded onto adjacent land creating the new Phase 5 building with additional space allocated for future development.

In partnership with Worcestershire County Council we created the Phase 5 building in August 2018. Consisting of six new grow-on units between 1700 and 2,600 sq. ft. with a total square footage of 16,500.

The building has been enhanced by a comprehensive hard and soft landscaping scheme, including a new plaza which connects the new building with Phase 1 and Reception.

Premises

Flexible and short-term leases are available, designed to create a hassle free environment for young and mature businesses to flourish. Accommodation is flexible and can be remodelled to suit the varied requirements of tenants. Most units are carpeted with a raised access floor. They share a manned reception area, kitchen facilities and on-site cafe. Access to units and the shared area is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year through an access control system. Units have network capability and there is access to high speed FTTC broadband and a managed telephone system.

Site Management Arrangements

Services available include the following:

• reception
• fax
• photocopying, binding, laminating, shredding service
• franking and collection of external mail
• telephone configuration, including voice mail box
• several conference rooms with a full range of audio visual equipment
• dining areas with drinks and snack vending machines
• Café serving barista coffee also hot and cold food
• secretarial, handyman and cleaning services available
• site security – electronic access and regular patrols

Advice and Assistance

The Science Park can provide referrals to other organisations to assist with accessing grants, technology consultants, legal, financial and business advice, and to sources of finance. It has local and global links through:

• Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce
• Malvern Hills District Council
• Worcestershire County Council
• Local Enterprise Partnership