First director appointed for £14m Lincoln science park

The first director of the £14 million Lincoln Science and Innovation Park (LSIP) has started in post with a brief to drive forward Lincolnshire’s scientific and industrial legacy.

The LSIP project is led by the University of Lincoln and Lincolnshire Co-op and aims to become a focal point of innovation and investment in science and technology across the region.

The collaboration chose director Tom Bount to lead the project.

He brings experience of business development in high-tech sectors, including management of investment funds business incubation for start-ups and support for the ‘spin-out’ of academic research into commercial enterprises.

The designs for the LSIP Park on Green Lane off Tritton Road. Image: UOL

Tom Bount said: “We lead the world in some of the most important technology sectors of the 21st Century but we must work harder to ensure that the commercialisation and economic benefits of these technologies are rooted here in the UK.

“First and foremost, at the LSIP, we are creating a community where the organic exchange of ideas, skills and funding between businesses and academia will bring mutual benefits.

“It will be at the heart of a network of entrepreneurs, innovators, investors and like-minded businesses stretching across Lincolnshire and beyond. We will help to create highly skilled jobs, retain graduates, generate investment and stimulate the growth of new industries.

“The strong belief in education and self-improvement that characterised those industrial and scientific greats endures through the LSIP’s close links with the University and Lincolnshire Co-op.”

Director Tom Bount joins the project from the University of Warwick Science Park, where he has supported hundreds of technology companies to develop new products and services.

During his time there, he spearheaded scores of successful projects to commercialise breakthrough research and innovative ideas, advising on bids for funding and investment from a range of public and private sources.

Lincoln Science and Innovation Park

LSIP is currently being constructed on an eleven-acre site off Tritton Road in Lincoln with the first buildings set to open in summer 2014.

Joseph Banks Laboratory Feb 2014. Photo: UOL

The park is set to offer world-class laboratories and research facilities with centrepiece building, the Joseph Banks Laboratories.

Joseph Banks Laboratory Feb 2014. Photo: UOL

Joseph Banks Laboratories will house the University of Lincoln’s School of Pharmacy, School of Life Sciences and its new School of Chemistry, which will welcome its first students in 2014.

Chief Executive of Lincolnshire Co-op Ursula Lidbetter said: “The Lincoln Science and Innovation Park is an investment in our region’s future.

“Tom’s appointment will ensure we have the right expertise in place to make the vision of the founding partners a reality.”