The UK Science Park Association (UKSPA) has announced a new strategic partnership with Cogent Skills, the UK’s strategic skills body for the life sciences, industrial sciences, clean energy and nuclear sectors, to strengthen skills, leadership capability and workforce development across the UK’s science parks, innovation clusters and growth hubs.
As UKSPA’s strategic Skills Partner, Cogent Skills will provide specialist expertise in skills strategy, workforce development and employer engagement, helping UKSPA identify emerging workforce needs, strengthen leadership capability across its network and support the continued growth of place-based innovation clusters throughout the UK.
The collaboration will also explore the development of an accredited learning programme for current and future science park and innovation cluster managers, helping to equip leaders with the skills needed to support high-performing innovation hubs and clusters.
Fay Treloar, Head of Skills – Life Sciences at Cogent Skills, said:
“The UK’s future growth depends on strong place-based innovation clusters where businesses, educators and skills partners work together with a shared purpose. Collaboration is how we turn ambition into action.
“By partnering with UKSPA, we’re bringing together complementary expertise to help ensure science parks and innovation clusters have the leadership, skills and talent they need to drive innovation, support employers and create opportunities within the communities they serve.
“As the focus on place-based growth, regional strengths and devolved innovation continues to grow, partnerships like this will be essential in building the capability that underpins long-term economic success.”
Ruth Hall, Chief Executive of UKSPA, said:
“People are at the heart of every successful place of innovation. As our new strategy makes clear, building capability across the sector during a time of significant change is essential if we are to strengthen innovation ecosystems and support the UK’s long-term economic ambitions.
“Our partnership with Cogent Skills reflects a shared belief in the importance of skills development. From my previous work with the Sector Skills Councils, I learned first-hand that when we invest in skills, we invest in innovation, resilience and the future of our workforce.
“Working with Cogent Skills will help us better understand the changing skills needs of our sector while supporting current and future leaders across our membership. Together, we can equip places of innovation with the expertise and leadership needed to support innovation-led growth across the UK.”
The partnership reflects a shared commitment to ensuring skills development remains central to the future success of the UK’s innovation economy, creating stronger links between employers, science parks, innovation clusters and the wider skills system.
