The new North West Regional Science Park in Derry. Photo: Lorcan Doherty Photography
Derry’s new £12 million science park will be officially opened today.
Twenty-three companies have already taken up tenancy at the North West Regional Science Park (NWRCP) located at the site of former Fort George British army barracks in Pennyburn.
The development provides 50,000 sq. ft. of “flexible” workspace for specialists in software, telecoms, digital media, health and bioscience, clean tech and television production.
Anchor tenant is Derry-born 8over8, now a leader in contract risk management software for the global oil and gas industry.
The company has taken the top floor of the building which will be home to more than two thirds of its global team.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the new science park would be a “very significant site not just for the city and the North West but for the north of Ireland.”
He added: “This Science Park will cultivate and accelerate the commercialisation of science and technology businesses in the North West providing development opportunities for current and future entrepreneurs, an essential investment to build a strong economy.
“This site offers the ideal environment for our local entrepreneurial talent to realise their business aspirations.”
The Science Park is a satellite of the highly successful Northern Ireland Science Park, based at Titanic Quarter in Belfast.
Frank Hewitt NI Science Park chairman, said Derry now had the opportunity to build on the success already achieved in the Northern Ireland Science Park on Queen’s Island in Belfast.
He added: “Our collective aim now is to develop on the Fort George site a dynamic, knowledge-based centre which will both encourage the talent and creativity of companies and young people in the North West, and attract more science-based companies from around the world to invest in the area.
“We greatly appreciate the invaluable support which we have received from the wider North West community and have enjoyed the process of developing close relationships with our Science Park partners, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, and look forward to a very successful collaboration. Now we need to get started.”
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