Research and Innovation – A Winning Combination

Future Growth

Currently Surrey county’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is worth £44 billion: that’s 14% of the South East’s economy and remains on target to increase by 10% in 2025. A major factor to this success is the high-skills workforce attracted to areas of innovation such as the Surrey Research Park.

The county’s working population has risen 10% in the past decade. With improved connectivity, we should see a 4% growth over the next five years according to the international group BNP Paribas Real Estate.

In the wake of a pandemic, these future growth predictions have greater traction when delivery is led by innovative flexible entrepreneurs who are connected to a resourceful and stable university. Indeed, the growth of the university’s research and innovation is also inextricably linked to their success. The current strategy aims to double the university’s commercialisation activities by 2022.

The BiGGAR report concludes:

Universities are key to the success of a science park, because they often form the core of the parks, acting as an anchor.

However, we should equally appreciate how science parks are key to the success of a university.