A profile of 84 of the 113 companies based at the Cheshire site has revealed substantial increases in sales growth and investment across the science and innovation campus.
The report, conducted by the campus showed that sales by campus companies in 2011 grew by 18 per cent against 2010 and have grown an average of 37 per cent/year over the past 4 years. Some two-thirds of companies meanwhile reported significant business growth.
Investment in Daresbury businesses also rose substantially last year, with companies securing a total of £75 million from a number of primarily private sources. This is a rise of £10.7 million on investment in 2010.
John Leake, Daresbury Campus business development manager, said: “This extensive survey examined a range of factors affecting businesses on campus, and we are delighted to have such positive results to report.
“Being based at the campus allows companies to connect with local and international clients and suppliers; helping smaller companies, which may not naturally have international reach, to grow and develop their businesses within Daresbury’s positive culture of collaboration and open innovation.”
Three quarters of companies at the campus are now trading, and 62 full time positions were created at the campus in 2011, 72 per cent of which are for positions which require a bachelor’s degree or above.
Campus companies are also forecasting recruitment of a further 60 people in 2012, with over half these roles targeted at specialists in software development, engineering, specialist IT or sales, and marketing and business development.
John Downes managing director of Daresbury joint venture partner, Langtree Group said: “What makes Daresbury unique isn’t just the state of the art facilities available to companies here, but the strong support network which aids the rapid growth of high-tech SMEs by promoting partnerships between high-tech businesses, universities and the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
“Companies at Daresbury are thriving despite the challenging economic climate and we are delighted with the positive results shown by the survey. Now that Daresbury has Enterprise Zone status, we hope to build on this success and witness increasing levels of growth.”
The campus, which took on Enterprise Zone status on April 1st this year, is set to expand over the next twenty years to become a ‘technology village’ which will deliver as many as 15,000 highly skilled jobs and attract new international technology businesses to the North West.