Autumn 2014
Sandwich Town News
Two years on… Discovery Park celebrated its second anniversary on 31 July and to mark this memorable occasion, we held a special event for tenants and members of local and community groups. More than 300 people attended the event, at which we updated everyone on the progress we have made and our future plans. We also enjoyed a barbecue and a variety of entertainment in the sunshine, including live music and fun fair stalls. One of our guests was the Minister for Universities and Science, Greg Clark MP, who said “Discovery Park should be broadcast as a role model for other places.” His views were echoed by Peter Jones, Chairman of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, who commented “I really believe this is one of the greatest business opportunities in the whole of our area.” It’s nice to have friends in high places!
Foreword Paul Barber, Managing Director Many people will probably remember where they were when news came through in February 2011 of Pfizer’s intention to close its facility in Sandwich. We are delighted that Pfizer subsequently decided to retain some of its operations here and became one of our tenants when Discovery Park Ltd bought the site on 31 July 2012. What a journey we have been on since then!
Official visit by Penny Mordaunt MP Penny Mordaunt MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Communities, made a visit to Discovery Park in August to hear about its growth during the past two years and its master plan for the future. The Minister, whose remit includes responsibility for coastal communities and enterprise zones, was accompanied by Cllr Paul Watkins, Leader of Dover District Council and other guests. Following a tour of the site, the Minister was given a presentation on the enterprise zone’s future plans and its work within the local community. The Minister expressed her keen support for Discovery Park’s master plan and said: “I have been very impressed with the clear vision they have at Discovery Park and by how much they have achieved in the last two years. The Enterprise Zone is creating opportunities for businesses that will help nearby communities thrive and bring benefits far beyond the local area.”
This newsletter aims to bring you up to date on progress that’s been achieved over the past couple of years and our plans for the future. I hope you enjoy reading it. Finally, I cannot write this foreword without expressing my sincere thanks to all those in the Sandwich, and indeed East Kent area, for all the help and encouragement that the team and I have received. You have made us feel truly welcome and I hope you are pleased with how things are going.
Occupancy reaches 51% The arrival of our latest tenants to the park is particularly special as it symbolises that the park is now just over half full, with 51% of buildings occupied. DONG Energy, a world leader in offshore wind, and National Grid, an international electricity and gas company, have both joined the growing tenant community at Europe’s largest science and technology park.
New life in IVF research If you set off from Australia with a brief from your boss to find a location “anywhere in Western Europe”, where would your journey end? In Sandwich of course! That’s what happened to Kim Gilliam, a senior manager from Australia’s largest company working in human fertility research and development. Kim looked at various facilities throughout Europe, including world-famous science parks in Cambridge, but concluded that Discovery Park was the number one choice for the company. Genea is now setting up its European HQ in Sandwich and plans to employ more than 40 people once fully operational. As well as being attracted to Discovery Park’s superb laboratory and manufacturing facilities, Genea were impressed by the enthusiasm shown by our network of local support agencies, including the County and District Councils, Locate in Kent, Chambers of Commerce and many more partners. Working together, everyone gave comfort to a company based on the other side of the world that East Kent is the best place to do business.
Our site has attracted a host of companies locally, nationally and internationally in the past two years, helped by our status as the UK’s most successful Enterprise Zone. The arrival of DONG Energy and National Grid brings the number of tenants up to almost 100. Many of the companies that have located here have started to expand and employ more local people. These include Pfizer, Mylan, Reeves Accountants, Top Villas and many others. Anna Stone, Leasing Manager, commented “We are expanding our team to promote Discovery Park around the world and help create a truly world-class business environment here in East Kent. It’s wonderful to attract new companies to the area and help existing ones to grow.”
Venom specialists take lab space Some of the most deadly species of spiders, snakes and scorpions on the planet have moved into Discovery Park House, one of our main science buildings. But don’t be alarmed! They are being carefully looked after by Venomtech which extracts venom from creatures to be used in medicine discovery and development, including pain relief drugs. Their operation moved to Discovery Park as part of the company’s plan to expand. Venomtech will take advantage of the high-tech facilities, strong science community and proximity to the Continent, where 75% of their business is undertaken.
Education takes centre stage Education has taken a boost at the park over recent months with the arrival of three education organisations; East Kent College, Canterbury Christ Church University and STEMnet.
East Kent College has moved its science curriculum to our labs – initially, some 35 students will be studying Applied Science at Discovery Park, working in close proximity to scientists undertaking realworld experiments. The college has also moved its corporate services team to the park from Broadstairs. Canterbury Christ Church University has taken office space in Innovation House.
This will help them expand their range of educational events at the park for tenants, local businesses and students. Last but not least, STEM net, which stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics network”, aims to ensure that more young people choose to enter STEM related careers at all levels. They will have an office on-site and be involved in a number of
partnership science events with tenants and local children. We are particularly delighted to have these major education initiatives at Discovery Park. We believe their presence will be rewarding for our tenants and, equally important, be of great benefit to local young people who are interested in pursuing a career in science and technology.
The two-day event saw children aged 10-11 from East Kent schools learn scientific principles through innovative and exciting hands-on science experiments. Around 1,800 children from more than 50 schools travelled to Discovery Park to learn scientific techniques and facts that support the science curriculum.
Children enjoy science show The popular science event for primary school children, ‘Science Jamboree’, returned to our events centre for a second year after enjoying heightened success in 2013.
With activities covering all of the scientific disciplines of chemistry, physics and biology, some highlights included creating a witch’s cauldron, a murder-mystery style forensics test and extracting DNA from a kiwi fruit, as well as identifying Kent seashore wildlife and a ‘Water World’ show which investigated the wonders of the everyday compound, H20. Project Manager of the event, Kimberley Anderson, said:
“It was wonderful to see the excitement on all the children’s faces. The feedback from teachers, tenants and everyone who supported this event was overwhelming.”
Tenants Discover More with discount scheme Earlier this year we introduced a loyalty scheme for tenants to encourage them to shop locally, supporting local companies in return for an exclusive discount. So far, 33 local businesses including hotels, shops, restaurants and salons have joined the mutually beneficial initiative and are benefitting from increased local presence and higher customer footfall. If you are a business who has an offer or discount that could be included in the scheme please contact the Discover More team on 01622 684407 or email sarahbittorf@pillorybarn.co.uk
Isaac Newton’s link to the park To mark the beginning of term at its new centre at Discovery Park, East Kent College planted a special tree outside of our business and enterprise building, Innovation House, with the help of Thanet South MP Laura Sandys. The ‘Sir Isaac Newton tree’ is genetically identical to the one under which the influential mathematician and physicist is said to have first pondered the implications of gravity. Planting the apple tree, Laura Sandys said: “I am so pleased to be here to celebrate such a unique partnership between further education and business. This is another great move for East Kent as it is so important to nurture the skills of the workforce of the future.”
Java Bakery open to Sandwich
Our on-site artisan bakery is open to the public, so feel free to drop in and pick up a fresh loaf from Innovation House. Parking is free at our Visitor Centre which can be accessed off Monk’s Way and shuttle buses are available to the main buildings. Various breads and other goodies are baked fresh each morning, and hit the shelves at about 11am, but be quick! It is often sold-out by early afternoon.
AlgaeCytes Sixth Form project Students from Sir Roger Manwood’s School recently completed an eight-week practical learning experience in microbiology in our labs as part of their A-level courses. The project saw 14 pupils learn practical laboratory techniques including growing and monitoring algae, investigating how bacteria affects the growth of algae and conducting cell counts. Discovery Park helped set up a training laboratory for the project and provided essential equipment. The project was managed
by one of our tenants Algaecytes Ltd, an innovative science business that develops and commercialises Omega 3 oils. At the end of the course, students delivered a presentation to an audience, which included the school’s headmaster, head of science and representatives from Discovery Park, about their findings and how the experience had helped them in their studies. Several commented that they are now considering pursuing a career in laboratory science, an option they had not investigated before the programme.
#IceBucketChallenge Nine members of the Discovery Park team accepted a nomination to take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge, a fundraising craze that took the internet by storm, and raised £2,250 for charity. Accepting a nomination from Chris Musgrave, Chief Executive of Discovery Park, the all-female line-up took their place outside Innovation House and let a tractor pour a loader full of icy water over them. The team were sponsored £250 for each person that accepted the challenge and their efforts have earned a £2,250 donation to Motor Neuron Disease Association, the UK’s equivalent to the USA’s ALS charity, who are credited with starting the charitable challenge.
Planning for the Future... Dover District Council’s planning committee has conditionally approved outline plans to build a supermarket at Discovery Park. The matter has now been referred to central government and we hope to hear its decision very soon. If the decision is confirmed, the next step is to discuss the detailed layout and design of the proposed store with our partner Sainsbury’s. Further announcements will be made in the near future. We are also hoping to receive outline planning consent shortly for our master plan for Discovery Park. This features a wide range of uses, all of which combine to make the Park an exciting business location that will become financially secure. We would like to thank all our local supporters, including Sandwich Town Council and Sandwich Chamber of Commerce, for all their help and guidance.
Golf day raises £4k We recently hosted a charity golf day at Princes Golf Club, raising over £4,000 for charities in Sandwich. The money raised will go to local selected charities: Sandwich Christmas Lights Festival, Kent Wildlife Trust, Woodnesborough Junior Football Club, Phoenix Centre Youth Club in Sandwich and Kent Festival of Science. We are committed to supporting our local community as best we can.
T. 01304 614060 www.discovery-park.co.uk