NORWICH, England, February 24, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The Norwich Research Park (NRP) in Norfolk is poised to boost its world-class reputation as one of the UK's leading centres for scientific research, with the start of work on a GBP5 million extension to the innovation and incubation facilities there. The development is the first stage of a plan to create up to 5,000 new jobs in science and scientific research at the NRP by 2021.

The new facility will attract start-up and growing businesses from all over the world involved in science, scientific research and innovation. Over 30 office and laboratory units are being constructed and fitted out in a totally refurbished and customised 4,215 sq m (43,000 sq ft) three storey building, located adjacent to the Institute of Food Research on the NRP.

The facility will be the first of a number of new buildings to be erected at the NRP to accommodate the growing community of world-class scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs being attracted to Norfolk and the NRP.

The new facilities will be fully operational as early as July 2010.

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the John Innes Centre (JIC), the Institute of Food Research (IFR) and the University of East Anglia are involved with the management of the facility, which will be controlled by a new joint venture company, Colney Innovations Ltd (CIL).

David Parfrey, BBSRC Director of Finance and director of CIL said: Norfolk is a world-class location and this new and exciting development reflects Norfolk's growing status on the world stage. The office and laboratory suites will provide unrivalled facilities for new and expanding research businesses attracted to the cluster of science facilities at the NRP.

Within one kilometre of this facility, there are today no fewer than 2,700 research scientists focussed on health, food and environmental sciences: a unique resource in this country.

Funding for the development is coming from the Greater Norwich Development Partnership, which will provide GBP1 million, the East of England Development Agency, which will provide GBP1.4 million, the University of East Anglia, which will provide a further GBP500,000, and the BBSRC, which will also provide GBP500,000 of funding, plus the land and buildings to host the new facilities, with the balance of the funding coming from the NRP partners.

The Norwich Research Park is an international centre for research on plants, micro-organisms, food, environment, health and ICT. The NRP partners are the University of East Anglia, JIC, IFR, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, The Genome Analysis Centre and the Sainsbury Laboratory.

The new offices and laboratories will provide the opportunity to expand the number of companies setting up at or moving to the Norwich Research Park and provide follow-on space for existing bio-tech and other science related companies that need to expand. It will also provide room for further start-ups.

SOURCE: Colney Innovations Ltd (CIL)

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