B U S I N E S S I N T E RV I E W
Deb Hetherington, Head of Innovation at Bruntwood SciTech, shares the benefits of bringing organisations together by colocating in innovation clusters.
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Bruntwood SciTech is the UK’s leading property and innovation services provider dedicated to the growth of the science and technology sector. reating a network of innovation districts across the UK, Bruntwood SciTech currently owns, manages and operates 10 sector-specialist campuses including Manchester Science Park, Innovation Birmingham, Platform in Leeds and Alderley Park. In her role as Head of Innovation, Deb Hetherington is responsible for designing and delivering support to help start-up and scale-up businesses grow. Deb explains, “It is a two-pronged approach, supporting start-ups to scale, as well as large businesses struggling to come up with a roadmap for innovation.” Deb envisages that Data and AI led innovation will be at the forefront of this, and explores the potential implications these rapidly advancing technologies are likely to have on both business and society. She says, “I have a legal background, and when I was working in legal firms, I realised the importance of technology and AI. It is about utilising our data to make decisions. In the next 20 to 30 years, we will see a move towards Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), and that is when it will really start disrupting everything we do. There has been a huge increase in data collection on 3
a daily basis. The minute we look at our phones, data is being collected, and that is just our personal data. It is all being utilised by a handful of firms creating automated processes through AI, which are set to disrupt the way the world works.” Bruntwood SciTech offers a range of office and lab space for like-minded businesses to colocate in clusters within innovation districts, bringing
numerous advantages to organisations of all sizes. Deb explains, “Large tech businesses benefit from an ecosystem. With colocation, there is increased motivation because you can see what the other businesses around you are doing. We create peer-to-peer groups to meet up and discuss any barriers they wish to overcome, flesh out their problems, and learn from others in the same situation. Talent in technology is like gold dust, so support around
“Talent in technology is like gold dust, so support around bringing in young talent, particularly diverse talent and skills development, is also really important, as well as the physical aspect of being in a vibrant environment in which to learn, grow and socialise” Deb Hetherington, Head of Innovation at Bruntwood SciTech 4
food hall, and Hatch independent food, drink and retail pop-up space. A recent report by a recruitment company said if you ask employees their main objectives, 10 years ago, it would have been salary. Now the most important thing is community and feeling like you are part of a group that is achieving something. The way society is changing is really positive for me.”
Bruntwood SciTech's spaces for tech businesses across Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham offer world-class connectivity, security and infrastructure
bringing in young talent, particularly diverse talent and skills development, is also really important, as well as the physical aspect of being in a vibrant environment in which to learn, grow and socialise.” Colocation enables open innovation, the idea of collaborating to compete. But being part of a community is about more than just driving success, as Deb explains, “I thrive on the communities around me, and not just from a work perspective. Being able to go for lunch or a drink at the end of the day is hugely important. Take, for example, Circle Square in Manchester. You’re surrounded by like-minded tech, engineering and digital businesses, and then immediately outside, you have the TRIB3 fitness studio, HelloOriental pan-Asian underground
As far as tech and digital start-ups are concerned, Deb says their ability to access large tech companies and corporates through colocation and co-innovation is key. She continues, “We have a number of large, well-known corporates and professional services companies looking to innovate. Their struggle lies in the fact that their infrastructure is so archaic that they do not necessarily have a culture of knowing how to innovate. Having an ecosystem of start-ups and corporates means we can facilitate the process of coinnovation to bring benefits to both parties. The start-ups have the option to access finance and to test their technology, potentially breaking into new markets. For example, a legal tech start-up can access law firms to test their technology when located in the same cluster with us acting as facilitator. It’s a win-win!” Innovation also happens when organisations collaborate. Deb talks about the water cooler moment of striking up an informal conversation that leads to new opportunities. And according to Deb, the positives of working in an innovation district far outweigh any negatives. She says, “On a practical level, the sound levels of some coworking and shared spaces 5
can sometimes be distracting, but well-designed colocation spaces have break-out or meeting rooms for people to go to when they need to brainstorm. Fully understanding what is going on in your organisation and gaining information integral to its smooth running mean the benefits are abundant.” In terms of identifying and connecting start-ups and large organisations to work together, Bruntwood SciTech makes sure they are a good fit. Their Serendip open innovation programme at Innovation Birmingham is a good example. Deb elaborates, “We have gone to large companies, such as National Express, Balfour Beatty, Gymshark, and even the NHS, and asked them to tell us their pain points or innovation challenges. We then actively put a call out to our network of start-ups to ask if they can offer a potential digital solution. We then go on a journey of six to 12 months, providing the support and
management needed to ensure it goes well, and that solutions are successful, often finding that many start-ups get a commercial deal off the back of the programme. Corporates generally find it hard to find and engage with relevant start-ups that can benefit their business, so getting them ready to do so is key, and supporting them with this is where we can help. Equally, we provide the wraparound services to ensure start-ups have everything in place, from access to potential revenue funding sources, through to PR and marketing support, and other professional services resources, allowing the co-innovation to happen. Companies choosing not to engage and not to innovate in this way will miss out. The potential for innovation far outweighs any risk.” Deb’s passion for diversity in the science and tech sector resulted in her co-founding the community-led organisation Women in Leeds Digital (WILD), which aims to educate and
October saw the launch of the Racial Diversity in Leeds Digital report at Platform, highlighting the current state of racial diversity within the tech sector and establishing clear guidance on what needs to be done
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Like-minded communities are at the heart of Bruntwood SciTech's campuses. An immersive digital art and NFT exhibit from Manchester Tech Incubator business Known Origin at Circle Square
encourage more diverse groups into digital roles. So, how can we make sure the digital workforce is truly representative of society? Deb answers, “For me, if you can’t see it, you can’t be it. Encouraging diversity is ensuring we are hiring and using teams and services that are diverse. You cannot always see diversity – it is much bigger than that. We are in a state of change, and diversity and inclusivity need to run through every element of a business strategy and operation. It needs to be visible and considered in every action taken. Engaging with the right groups and areas of society is key, and any talk or presentation needs representation. That is the most important piece.” The diversity agenda is something that can only be achieved when everyone comes along on the journey. Deb adds, “It is a societal conversation in which we all need to be involved. It will not happen overnight at the touch of a button, but it is an ongoing piece that filters down through every part of the organisation.”
Deb is excited to see people back in the office. She says, “Our footfall is going up every day, meeting room bookings are increasing, and we are facilitating a wide range of events to bring people together. We have an AI conference coming up in Manchester, and we have launched the Leeds Beckett University Innovation Hub at Platform. Everyone is welcome to come along, utilise the support available, and find out more about what we are doing. We are also launching our retail tech accelerator at the Tech Incubator within Circle Square in Manchester early next year, providing support for new and earlystage ecommerce and retail tech businesses. It’s a good opportunity for those starting out. So, there’s a lot going on!” For further information about Bruntwood SciTech, its campuses, space available and collaboration opportunities, visit grow.bruntwood.co.uk/ bruntwood-scitech 7
grow.bruntwood.co.uk/bruntwood-scitech
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