Kent Science Park
The South East regional winner of Enterprising Britain 2006 competition was Kent Science Park.
Kent Science Park has successfully encouraged and supported people to develop their business ideas and stimulated an entrepreneurial culture in Sittingbourne, Kent.
Kent Science Park's measure of success is demonstrated by its transformation from an empty, high security agrochemical research facility formerly dedicated to one multi-national company, into a dynamic cluster of over 80 businesses, employing more than 1000 people - and growing.
The 54 acre site was once owned by a major plc but in 1996 it vacated the site and over 850 jobs were lost to the area leaving 40 ageing buildings and 550,000 sq ft of laboratories empty.
The economic impact on Swale was devastating in terms of the loss of jobs, impact on local prosperity and opportunities.
In 1997, the site was sold and the subsequent vision was to turn the desolate site into a research park that would give the area much needed employment, prosperity and enterprise. In recent years it was decided that the old research facility would need to implement a number of innovative changes if it wanted to encourage enterprise and achieve the goal of being an successful cluster for the knowledge economy and a specialist Science and Technology Park.
In order to achieve this, Kent Science Park adopted an innovative approach and a gateway policy to ensure that the site became successful by attracting start-ups, early stage businesses or established companies whose core activity was in the knowledge-based economy, science, technology, environmental, ICT and other such related activities to locate at the park.
In order to attract entrepreneurial initiatives with good growth potential, the Park developed a policy of offering flexible tenancy agreements and low rents for pioneering knowledge-based businesses. This allowed new initiatives that would not have previously had the means to get started with the opportunity to grow. Moreover, the Science Park then assisted these businesses to expand into a bigger space with equally flexible arrangements. In the process, the Park provided fledgling businesses with access to free business support to help commercialise their ideas.
The Science Park also created impressive conference centre and meeting rooms for the benefit of businesses in the area whilst offering start-up or early stage tenants designated rooms and access to state-of -the-art facilities free of charge. The Park also developed broadband on site and is now a node on the national Ethernet network providing unrivalled connectivity for its businesses.
Alongside the business support it nurtures innovation and enterprise in budding entrepreneurs of all ages by playing an integral role with its partners in initiatives such as The Kent Innovation Challenge and Kent Creates.
The Kent Innovative Challenge is a competition that searches the region for the brightest entrepreneur. A £25,000 cash prize plus an impressive business support package, including 12 months free space at Kent Science Park, is offered to the winner. Seven winners over four years have benefited from the support, including SO Broadband, a company who now employ more than 25 people from start-up 18 months ago and are growing into more space at Kent Science Park at an impressive rate.
At the younger end of the age scale, Kent Creates is a radio competition used to inspire creativity and enterprise in 14-16 year olds, using local radio stations to promote ideas creation and enterprising behaviour. In total nearly 500,000 people, including 88 per cent of all 11-16 year olds heard about Kent Creates. The winning announcement at Kent Science Park was combined with a business clinic for the five finalists, where business experts helped the finalists to develop action plans.
Initiatives such as The Kent Innovative Challenge and Kent Creates really demonstrate how Kent Science Park is encouraging and supporting enterprise in the local community, going further than just supplying the area with employment opportunities. Since the Kent Science Park began it has created an inspiring environment in which enterprise, business growth, job opportunities, education and skills initiatives are born, nurtured and allowed to flourish - turning a tired and empty site into a source of both employment and inspiration.