The South West RDA has published the Incubation and Science Park Strategy. This is a strategy for nurturing business growth.

Encouraging the creation and growth of new businesses is an important factor for a successful economy. This strategy follows extensive consultation and review across the region. It outlines how we can build the right environment for innovative businesses in our key regional sectors and help them to start, grow and thrive. The strategy aims to give innovative businesses easier access to professional support in the difficult early years. By creating and building more resilient companies, the South West can better exploit the wealth of the knowledge it possesses. The strategy provides a framework for all future investment in incubation and science parks and has clear definitions and case studies.

The South West RDA:

• Supports South West Science Park and Incubation Managers (SWSPIM): A practitioner led network that links all incubator and science park facilities and other centres of excellence within and outside of the region in order to share knowledge and expertise.
• Develops and Enhances Incubation Facilities The incubator approach is a proven tool to stimulate clustering amongst hi-growth start up businesses, as it provides an ideal climate for growth due to the proximity to expertise, be it Higher Education, other companies or an OEM, and integrated business support.

All incubator facilities in the region work with other centres of excellence. The key objective is to share knowledge and expertise in incubation. Currently membership of SWSPIM is a requirement of South West RDA funding. The network focuses on standards and best practice in incubation management.

Benefits of the network include:

• Sharing best practice between incubation facility managers
• Contributing to the development of the Regional Framework for incubator development
• Establishing standards in incubation to guide future development in the region
• Exploring options for sharing resources and expertise
• Joint promotional activity celebrating the success of incubation

Membership of the network is a requirement for any incubation project that has been supported by the South West RDA. It is available to all incubation facilities and any individuals, companies and organisations that work with or have an interest in this area.  
 
For further information on the strategy or existing projects that the South West RDA supports - please contact: mike.gardner@southwestrda.org.uk