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£25 million project to boost Plymouth’s position as a
global leader in science, innovation and marine
research
18 March 2010
Plymouth’s position as a global centre of excellence for
science, innovation and marine energy research is receiving a major
boost with the announcement today of a £25 million investment plan.
This will build new facilities and to transform the way
world-leading research in the city is turned into commercial
success.
The Plymouth Science and Innovation Programme (PSIP) has been
created by a partnership led by the South West RDA (Regional
Development Agency), University of Plymouth and Plymouth City
Council. It will put in place a city-wide strategy aimed at
creating jobs, businesses and economic success from science and
innovation related activities in marine renewables, engineering,
marine science and other technologies.
A new £18 million marine building will be developed by the
University of Plymouth on its city campus, housing state-of-the-art
research facilities including new wave tank testing equipment that
will be unique in the UK.
This and other world-leading research will be supported by a
completely new structure to be set up in the city to encourage
innovation and enterprise and help turn research into business
opportunities. Centred on the Tamar Science Park it will provide
incubation and support services to help fledgling companies with
good ideas to thrive and grow to become the high-value employers
needed for Plymouth’s future economic growth.
Overall responsibility for coordinating the PSIP’s strategy and
ensuring it is delivered on the ground will be taken by a newly
created PSI Council, which will bring together key stakeholders,
education and research institutes, investors and innovative
businesses.
A package of regional and national funding was today confirmed
for the Plymouth Science and Innovation Programme:
- £7 million from the South West RDA
- £4 million from the Department of Business Innovation and
Skills (BIS) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change
(DECC)
- £11.8 million from the University of Plymouth
- £1.5 million from Plymouth City Council
The RDA has previously announced £1.2 million funding for the
wave tank as part of the Agency’s three-year £7.3 million
investment in the Peninsula Research Institute for Marine Renewable
Energy (PRIMaRE), led by the Universities of Plymouth and
Exeter.
Today’s announcement coincides with the national launch of the
Marine Investment Strategic Framework. The investment from BIS and
DECC is part of £19.5 million pledged to South West England last
summer to deliver the Low Carbon Economic Area initiative.
Ian Lucas, Business Minister, said: “I am delighted that today
we have announced £4m of support for a new marine building on the
University of Plymouth campus. This cross-government funding
will help enable collaborations between academics and industry to
drive this sector forward. The Building will house new wave tank
facilities as part of the Peninsula Research Institute for Marine
Renewable Energy (PRIMaRE) project, which will provide a unique UK
capability for this sector. It will also help to further strengthen
the South West as a Low Carbon Economic Area for marine energy.
”
Jim Knight, Minister for the South West, said: “Plymouth has a
fantastic maritime heritage and I am delighted the city will be the
home of a centre of excellence for science and innovation. This
project will make Plymouth a global leader in science, innovation
and marine research and create new jobs and more opportunities for
our young people.”
Stephen Peacock, Enterprise and Innovation Director for the
South West RDA said: “This project is about investing in the future
economic growth plans of Plymouth and the wider region,
capitalising on the city’s strengths in marine science and
engineering and building upon the South West’s position as the UK's
first Low Carbon Economic Area.
“It puts Plymouth at the forefront of research into low carbon
technologies and developing a world class marine renewables sector.
More than that, it sets a long term framework for turning knowledge
and innovation, in marine and other areas of research, into
commercially viable business opportunities.”
Professor Wendy Purcell, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of
the University of Plymouth, said: “Our marine and maritime research
has now achieved world-class recognition and status, so it is
fitting that Plymouth should be the location for this world-leading
facility. The plans will create valuable opportunities to support
the marine sector and the economy; attracting people to the area to
work alongside our leading researchers, encouraging people to stay
to build new jobs and businesses and creating opportunities for our
young people to further our underpinning maritime heritage.”
Tamar Science Park will work closely with the University of
Plymouth and take the lead in the City in creating a thriving
innovation network and dealing with enterprising firms, business
advisors and investors. It will become the main provider of
business incubation support in the City, working alongside the
University, and will have extra resources to allow it to work
seamlessly with businesses to help them fulfil their potential.
Councillor Ted Fry, Plymouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for
Economic Development, said: "I am delighted that Plymouth City
Council has been able to support this major investment which we
hope will ultimately result in the creation of significant numbers
of new high value jobs in emerging sectors of the economy such as
marine renewable energy and low carbon technologies. This
investment is not only in world class infrastructure with the Wave
Tank but is also about how the City supports and nurtures
enterprise and innovation building on the unique resource we have
in the Tamar Science Park. It is increasingly important that
Plymouth's economy continues to diversify and PSIP will establish
the city nationally as a centre of excellence for science and
innovation.”
Nick Buckland, Chairman of Tamar Science Park, said: “Tamar
Science Park is an established and successful science park and we
welcome the enhanced role for the Park within the Plymouth Science
and Innovation Programme.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. The South West RDA works for and
promotes a modern, stronger and more resilient economy across South
West England. Our work involves creating better jobs, successful
businesses, more prosperous cities, towns and villages within an
economy that uses less carbon and will still be thriving in 20, 50
and 100 years time. Find out more at www.southwestrda.org.uk
2. PRIMaRE is a £12.6 million project set up two
years ago by the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter, with funding
from the South West RDA.
3. It boasts 15 world-class academic staff and 60 researchers
dedicated to the support and development of the marine renewable
energy sector. PRIMaRE, and the wave tank facility, support and
complement the South West RDA's pioneering £42 million Wave Hub
project, which will create the world's largest wave energy test
site 10 miles of the Cornish coast and will be commissioned next
year.
4. Low Carbon Economic Area: South West England
was designated the UK’s first Low Carbon Economic Area by Business
Secretary Lord Mandelson in July of last year in recognition of its
expertise in marine renewable energy. It included a Government
investment of £20 million to support the development of marine
renewables in the region. Almost half that money, £9.5 million, was
earmarked for the RDA’s Wave Hub project in Cornwall, with the
remainder made available for the RDA to support other marine energy
projects in the South West in consultation with industry and
partners. Today’s announcement is the first of those
projects.
5. About the University of Plymouth: Consistently
ranked one of the top modern universities in the UK, Plymouth has a
strong record of excellence, enterprise and innovation across
its teaching and research activities and is distinguished by its
long-term engagement with employers.
With around 30,000 students, including those studying at its
partner FE colleges throughout the South West, the university is
one of largest in the UK. With four government-funded Centres for
Excellence in Teaching & Learning, the maximum awarded to any
single institution, the university enjoys a high rate of graduate
employment and has recently invested more than £110 million in
state-of-the-art facilities to enhance the student experience.
Plymouth is ranked in the top 50 research universities in the
UK*. The results of the Research Assessment Exercise 2008 showed
the majority of areas submitted by the university included
world-leading research, achieving the highest rating possible,
scoring 4 stars. Overall, 80% of the research was judged as
being of international repute.
As the enterprise university, the University of Plymouth
delivers outstanding economic, social and cultural return for
business, the professions, the public sector and its wider
community. For further information go to www.plymouth.ac.uk.
Contact:
John Casey
Deborah Clark and Associates
01208 77900 or 07796 615864
john.casey@dca-pr.co.uk