Norwich Research Park goes on the road to build connections

Collaboration between campuses

CEO Roz Bird recently travelled to Nairobi in Kenya for the 41st International Association of Science Parks (IASP) Conference, where representatives from science and research campuses across the globe met to discuss the impact changing demographics can have on entrepreneurship and technology, and to explore ways to combat the global challenges the world is facing today.

IASP provides a global network for science parks and innovation districts, driving growth, internationalisation and effectiveness for its members.

Roz Bird (centre front) has been appointed as Women in IASP co-ordinator (Image: Anglia Innovation Partnership) Prior to the conference, Roz had been appointed as Women in IASP co-ordinator. Her role focuses on co-ordinating support for female members of the IASP on three levels: individual experience, the working environment and how to develop an inclusive culture at a science park campus or area of innovation. The conference provided her with the first opportunity to address and interact with members.

Roz also presented a paper on developing inclusivity on campus and engaging young people in science, as well as moderating a panel session on Youth Entrepreneurship Ecosystems.

One of the main reasons for Roz’s attendance at the conference was the opportunity to promote Norwich Research Park’s capabilities in food biotech, agribiotech, industrial biotech and medtech, and to find new partners to work with across the world in these global markets.

Roz Bird's (right) presence at the conference was an opportunity to promote Norwich Research Park’s capabilities in food biotech, agribiotech, industrial biotech and medtech (Image: Anglia Innovation Partnership) “It was a wonderful and thought-provoking experience to meet with so many other people working at science parks around the world,” said Roz. “I am more convinced now than ever that Norwich Research Park can play a hugely significant role in advancing key research and translating it into viable businesses that will deliver the solutions to some of the key challenges we face in food security, human health and the effects of climate change.

“But the important thing to take away from this conference is that there are many, many other people with the same mindset as ours who might be able to contribute to our research if we collaborate. If we do more of this collective work, we’ll get the answers quicker and more cost effectively. 

“I am now so enthused by what I have learned here and by the people that I’ve met, that I am more determined than ever to develop our capability as quickly as possible to make the most of the opportunities we have been afforded.”

Dragon fruit growing at Fundacion Cajamar Experimental Field Station (Image: Anglia Innovation Partnership)

Exploring opportunities for agritech and foodtech

Chief operating officer, Dr Nick Goodwin, took part in a trade mission to Almeria in southern Spain organised by Agri-TechE, Andalucía TRADE and the British Embassy in Madrid to better understand what the Andalucian region is doing to advance discoveries in agritech. 

The rugged hills of Andalucía are well known for their sunflower fields and olive groves, but this diverse region in the southernmost tip of Spain is also a major exporter of bell peppers, chillies, tomatoes, strawberries and tropical fruits - up to 60pc of the UK’s fresh fruit and vegetables are grown there. It’s also home to more than 50pc of Spain’s organic livestock farms. 

The trade mission included a tour of Fundacion Cajamar Experimental Field Station, which has facilities for the validation of greenhouse and controlled environment technologies, and TECNOVA Innovation Centre, which supports growers with technical developments such as post-harvest and nutritional analysis.

Dr Nick Goodwin (second from left) on a tour of TECNOVA Innovation Centre (Image: Anglia Innovation Partnership) Members of the trade mission learned about technologies used in smart irrigation, biologics and controlled environments. The hope is that the mission will help to create closer links and understanding in addressing mutual challenges faced by Spain and the UK in agriculture and provide a chance to explore the opportunities together. 

Nick also attended Future Food-Tech in London in early October, which brought together leaders from food brands, ingredient providers, pioneering entrepreneurs and investors, to address the challenges in creating foods that are nutritious, accessible and climate-smart.

Dr Nick Goodwin at the Future Food-Tech event in London (Image: Anglia Innovation Partnership) “There is a huge amount of value to be extracted from these sorts of visits,” said Nick. “Learning what industry needs to help position and promote the value of research, making new contacts and sharing intelligence means that we should be able to create solutions to some of the bigger challenges the planet faces much more quickly and effectively.

“Part of my brief for both of these visits was to promote the success we have had in translating discovery research into viable businesses that address market challenges, and the support we can offer for things like funding, laboratory and office space, a pipeline of potential employees and the collective research expertise that Norwich Research Park possesses. These two trips have been very helpful in getting our messages out.”

Dr Monika Chhetry at the World AgriTech Innovation Summit in London (Image: Anglia Innovation Partnership) Innovation from farm to fork

Dr Monika Chhetry, science collaboration manager, attended the World AgriTech Innovation Summit in London, which is Europe’s premier event for agritech and agri-food professionals. 

Delegates explored groundbreaking innovations, regulatory targets and high-level collaborations to help bring about the necessary change to develop nature-positive, resilient agriculture and food systems across the supply chain from ‘farm to fork’, through AI powered sustainable agriculture, regenerative farming and biocontrol solutions.

“The real opportunity was the number of new contacts I made who had a genuine interest in the research and the business activity happening at Norwich Research Park,” said Monika. “We are ahead of the game in so many ways, so our job is to make sure enough people know about how good our ecosystem is for translating discovery research into credible scaled up companies. 

“I came away from the event with an impressive number of enquiries to follow up on, so hopefully we’ll be busy over the next few months talking to potential new tenants.”

The founders of PfBIO, a spin out company from the John Innes Centre at Norwich Research Park, also attended the conference and participated in a start-up pitching session to potential investors, talking about its innovative microbial-based solutions that have been designed to safeguard crops and revolutionise farming without chemical compromises.

Farrel O’Keeffe and Jade Potter at the NutrEvent 2024 in France (Image: Anglia Innovation Partnership) ‘Valuable dialogue’ on nutrition and regulation

Farrel O’Keeffe, marketing communications manager, together with Jade Potter, facilities and events associate, boarded the Eurostar for Lille in France where they attended NutrEvent 2024, which showcases innovation in food, human and animal nutrition. It aims to identify industrial, scientific, commercial and financial partners for R&D projects and innovations. 

Because there are increasingly strict regulatory and scientific demands on companies that make product health and wellbeing claims, they need to show innovative scientific and clinical validation to guarantee their own credibility and that of the sector as a whole. 

Add in the increase in disorders, imbalances and pathologies in which nutrition is clearly a major causal factor, such as diabetes, obesity and cancer, and you have a situation where there is a need to create stronger business and R&D partnerships between product manufacturers, ingredients suppliers and academia to develop tomorrow’s innovative products.

“NutrEvent’s focus on innovation and science in food and nutrition meant it was a fantastic place for us to showcase Norwich Research Park and the innovative work of our researchers and businesses on campus,” said Farrel. “There were a lot of very interesting conversations about alternative proteins, ultra-processed foods and novel food products, and we learned a lot about the industry. 

“Judging by what people were saying, it seems that our sector is proving to be attractive to investors if we can get the R&D right to produce food that is healthy and affordable and can establish credible pathways through the regulatory landscapes. I came away from this event really energised about how Norwich Research Park can play a key role in this.”

Jade added: “It was a real eye-opener to see the sheer scale of this sector up close. We talked to so many people, picked up lots of contacts and came away with plenty of ideas on how Norwich Research Park can play a role in developing collaborative partnerships with other organisations across the world.

“It’s only by actually attending events like this that you get to hold the valuable dialogue that results in actionable ideas.”

More to come

Later this week, members of the team are heading to Warwick University for the 40th anniversary UK Science Parks Association (UKSPA) Conference and Awards, where Norwich Research Park has been shortlisted for the Driving an Interactive Community Award. 

The conference brings together individuals from all of the UK’s science parks to drive innovation and to showcase the latest technologies that have been developed to support ground-breaking research.