Discovery Park & National Horizons Centre agree partnership

Collaboration connects capabilities in the life sciences sector

A partnership between Discovery Park, the Life Sciences Opportunity Zone the National Horizons Centre for ambitious companies, is promising to bring opportunities to both organisations. 

Under the partnership, the National Horizons Centre, a UK centre of excellence for the bioscience industries run by Teesside University,  and Discovery Park, a leading science park in Sandwich, Kent, will work together in several mutually beneficial ways. 

Discovery Park is growing into a world class, world leading science park, with Strategic Pillars around becoming an Innovation Hub, STEM skills, Digital & AI, and developing a Manufacturing Village. Scientific Elements include advanced therapies, agritech, neurology (e.g. ophthalmology) and biologicals. 

The National Horizons Centre is based at Central Park in Darlington and brings together industry, academia, talent and world-class facilities to drive innovation and address the technical and digital skills needs of the life sciences sector. 

This unique partnership will see the two organisations work closely, bringing together  complementary life sciences expertise and networks in the north and south of the country. 

Activities and engagement planned as part of the partnership include: 

• Identifying gaps in the market, such as research challenges and funding opportunities, and developing strategies to fill those gaps.
• Engaging stakeholders in advanced therapies.
• Promoting each other’s activities to regional stakeholders.
• Collaborating on skills to support the jobs of today and tomorrow eg the National Horizons Centre’s Continuing Professional Development portfolio

Dr Jen Vanderhoven, Director of the National Horizons Centre, said: “We are delighted to have signed this memorandum of understanding and look forward to working more closely with Discovery Park.

“This collaboration will build upon the respective strengths of our organisations, creating a synergy which is bound to lead to exciting opportunities and help grow the UK’s life sciences sector.”

Mayer Scheiber, CEO of Discovery Park, said: "The National Horizons Centre’s expertise in disease-specific research, biomanufacturing, digital analytics and machine learning is well aligned with our objectives at Discovery Park. We also share a commitment to developing the well trained workforce upon which the UK life sciences industry thrives. Discovery Park is looking forward to a productive partnership with the Centre."