MIRA Technology Park, Europe’s leading automotive development and R&D cluster, is celebrating after winning the ‘Setting the Pace’ Award at the UK Science Park Association (UKSPA) Awards 2019.

The UKSPA Awards, which took place as part of the 35th Anniversary Conference, were presented last night (Tuesday 2nd April) in Birmingham. The event brought together UKSPA members which include the UK’s top technology and science parks, to recognise and celebrate their achievements and impact, on the wider R&D, science and innovation ecosystem in the UK. 

MIRA Technology Park (MTP) was recognised for its commitment to providing world-class facilities and exceptional R&D solutions for its tenant companies. It is developing a 2 million sq ft automotive technology cluster located in the Midlands, right in the heart of the UK’s automotive sector. MTP has achieved substantial and sustained growth driven by investment from international automotive companies establishing UK/EU R&D operations, continuing to strengthen the UK’s position as a global automotive R&D location. 

The win builds upon previous successes, in 2018 MIRA Technology Park won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of ‘International Trade’. 

Terry Spall, MIRA Technology Park’s Commercial Director, said: “It is such a great honour to be recognised by our peers in this way, it has been quite a journey for us and we are all very proud of what has been achieved. We joined UKSPA in 2012 and have participated in many of the forums they regularly hold. In receiving the ‘Setting the Pace’ award, we must recognise the learning and wisdom we have gained from the UKSPA community; it has provided much insight and clarity of understanding of what constitutes best practice in so many aspects of developing and operating a technology park.” 

He added: “We are hugely grateful to the UKSPA team for the role they play in creating and maintaining the association, and to the UKSPA community for sharing their wisdom whilst supporting and inspiring us to develop the MIRA Technology Park.”  

Jim Duvall, Executive Director at UKSPA said: “This year’s UKSPA Awards had a record number of entries and an exceptionally high standard was set by all those who took part. The Awards reflected on the many success stories from UKSPA members, their achievements in providing world-class facilities as well as exceptional innovation support, solutions and projects for their businesses. MIRA Technology Park certainly ticks all of these boxes and are very worthy winners in a highly contested category.”

Submitted on 10/04/2019