Grant Thornton becomes the first advisory firm at Sci-Tech Daresbury

Grant Thornton has opened a new permanent office at Sci-Tech Daresbury – becoming the first advisory firm to do so. As the location looks to build on 12 months of rapid growth, Grant Thornton will look to collaborate with the small to medium businesses at the site, leveraging its new G platform in the process.

Sci-Tech Daresbury is a science and innovation campus near the village of Daresbury in Halton, Cheshire, England. In 2012, what was previously known as Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus was handed enterprise zone status and renamed Sci-Tech Daresbury. Over 1200 people work on the campus for over 100 high tech companies, while 30 new companies arrived at the Liverpool City Region-based campus in 2017, making it home to internationally-renowned companies including IBM, Hitachi High-Technologies Europe, Perfectus Biomed and Robotik Technology.

The facility is aimed at facilitating collaboration among innovators, and a recent survey of 97 business on the site showed that companies based at Sci-Tech Daresbury received a £17.3 million boost by working together last year. There are currently 161 collaborations between them, which will likely generate £4.9 million in new sales or savings, with 78% per cent of the companies collaborating with at least one more organisation on the campus.

As it looks to tap into the innovative atmosphere and support the next generation of technological development for its clients, consultancy Grant Thornton has become the advisory firm to open a permanent office at the rapidly-growing campus. The move will see Ian Rowland, the firm’s regional Head of Innovation, and his tax team – which features a number of finance experts with technical experience, and backgrounds in engineering, science and computer software – working from the campus.

Grant Thornton’s new office will see the consulting firm provide its traditional accounting and advisory offering, alongside its newly-launched G service, aimed at supporting start-ups and solo entrepreneurs. The new platform, which was piloted in Liverpool in 2017, features a comprehensive range of services including financial advice, strategic planning, operational support, growth support and networking events.

In the North West, Grant Thornton’s tech and innovation group has a track record of supporting knowledge-intensive businesses. The move subsequently extends the working relationship between Grant Thornton and the campus, having been a Gold Partner of Sci-Tech Daresbury for the last six years, supporting a number of the 130 dynamic, high-growth companies at the site.

Ian Rowland, said, “Opening a permanent base here is a natural progression for us. We already work with a number of the site’s high-growth, established businesses and a permanent physical presence will undoubtedly facilitate these ongoing relationships. But Sci-Tech Daresbury also boasts a dynamic collective of entrepreneurial startups and solo operators.”

John Downes, Chair of the Sci-Tech Daresbury joint venture company, added, “Grant Thornton has been a very strong supporter of the Sci-Tech Daresbury community for many years. The establishment of this new base at Sci-Tech Daresbury is a fantastic addition to the campus and another important step in our vision to position ourselves as a world-leading location that places innovation and collaboration at its heart.”