UKSPA Conference at Wolverhampton Science Park

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UKSPA Conference at Wolverhampton Science Park

• Procurement and Funding of
• Science Parks

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• Partnerships for Science Parks - the
  participants, their roles and capacities - Clive
  Read
• Project planning - some points on site assembly,
  design and development Paul Mountain
• State aid and science parks - the EU perspective
  on public funding support Geraldine Tickle

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Partnerships for Science Parks - the
participants, their roles and capacities Clive
Read
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What is a Science Park?

• A long and complex history - diverse settings,
  parties and drivers
• European Union 1990 - New SMEs in a limited
  space improve survival through modular
  building/common facilities
• IASP 2004 - specialized professionals whose main
  aim is to increase the wealth of its community
  through promotion of innovation and
  competitiveness via
• stimulation/management of knowledge/technology
  between universities, RD businesses, knowledge
  based institutions
• facilities creation/growth of innovation based
  companies through incubation/spin -offs
• provides added value services and high quality
  space/facilities

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What this means

• Provision of physical space is important but
• Facilitating scientific knowledge and transfer of
  that knowledge into innovative commercial
  applications is absolutely vital

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Three principal aspects of a Science Park

• Physical location is allied to a university
• High tech business is a core business
• Specialist management function assists start ups

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• The triple helix (Etzkowitz and Leydesdorf 2000)
  - science parks - central institution between
  universities and business to provide new
  collaborations in order to boost the transfer of
  technology and application of scientific
  knowledge in the interest of economic growth

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Players involved in UK Science Parks

• Universities 71
• RDAs 31
• Local authorities 23
• Other public bodies 19
• Corporates 10
• Developers 7
• Financial institutions 3

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Why the parties come together

• Catalyst for research/knowledge transfer and
  exploitation
• Inward investment to a region
• Physical regeneration
• Performance outputs SMEs/jobs/skills development
• Improvements to regional GVA
• Financial returns/incentives
•  
• All designed to maintain UKs global expertise

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Key requirements

• Land
• Siting at or a near a university
• Widespread support of stakeholders
• Remediation?
• Finance
• RDA grants
• Loans
• Direct money
• Collaborative partnerships
• End users

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 How the parties come together

• Constitutional duties and powers
• Convergence of
• Land availability
• University knowledge transfer
• Economic development and returns

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How the parties come together

• Partners
• Collaborative partnership
• Joint initiative
• Joint venture
• Stakeholders
• Shareholders
• Limited liability company

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Land issues

• Freehold ownership
• Long leaseholds 99 years upwards
• Institutional leases 21/25 years but now 10/15
  years
• Occupational leases - fixed terms 1 - 5 years
• Short term licences - up to 12 months
• All to make the science park an attractive place
  to do business

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Some challenges

• Attracting inward investment - BRIC
• Maintaining a competitive edge - the Science City
  model?
• Financial models
• Regionally bringing partners together
• Legislative issues
• Empty Rates
• Planning Reform (again)
• CIL

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Project planning - some points on site assembly,
design and development Paul Mountain
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Overview of themes

• Contractual Engagement
• Planning and Planning Policy
• Environmental Statements
• Compulsory Purchase

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Contractual Engagement

• Science Park Co (SPC) may contract under a
  development partnership (with local
  authority/RDA) for
• RDA/local authority to provide land
• Local authority to use CPO to assemble site
• RDA to fund acquisition and site reclamation
  costs
• SPC to source funding and engage designers and
  works contractors to develop the Park
• SPC to devise and implement lettings policy,
  operation and maintenance and PR /marketing

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Planning and Planning Policy

• Is local planning policy on the side of SPCs
  development? Consult the Local Plan or
  equivalent
• If local authority is a stakeholder, planning
  policy is likely to be sympathetic
• To ensure due process, need to maintain
  separation of the local authoritys roles as
• planning authority/development regulator
• economic development authority/development
  promoter

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Environmental Statements

• Directive 85/337 (in force in UK 1988)
  Environmental Statement (ES) for any major
  project likely to have significant environmental
  effects before planning permission is obtained
• Major Urban Scheme may include Science Park
• Role of the Local Authority - Screening Opinions
• Required format and content
• Risk of legal challenge if ES is defective

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Compulsory Purchase

• The role of the local authority in site assembly
  through CPO
• Relevant grounds upon which CPOs may be made
• Making and publicising the case
• Consulting affected owners and wider public
• Objections and legal challenges
• Valuation advice and provision for compensation

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State aid and science parks - the EU perspective
on public funding support Geraldine
Tickle Partner
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• AID

• Any form
• By or through state resources
• Distorts competition or threatens to
• Impact on intra-community trade

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AID

• Requires prior authorisation of EC
• Intensity thresholds
• Unlawful and recoverable from recipient
• for 10 years plus interest
• Some limited amounts allowed under de minimis 3
  years - sectors
• Block exemptions
• Special rules on land

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AID

• R D BER
• Framework
• New BER
• Focus on innovation
• Larger firms

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Dont Forget (1) Merger Control

• UK turnover/supply test
• EU large turnover in more than 1 member state

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Dont Forget (2)
Public Procurement

• Purchasing
• Thresholds
• Notices
• Processes

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Geraldine TicklePartnerT 44(0)870 763 1529E
geraldine.tickle_at_martjohn.com
Clive ReadPartnerT 44(0)870 763 1439E
clive.read_at_martjohn.com
Paul MountainPartnerT 44(0)870 763 1344E
paul.mountain_at_martjohn.com