The Surrey Research Park: A Case Study of Strategic Planning for Economic Development - Technopolis: Best Practices for Science and Technology Cities - page 312

Table 2 Strategic objectives for science parks
Stakeholder Conceptual objectives for the stakeholder

The University of Surrey To create some independent income for the

University of Surrey and create the opportunity
for academic staff to secure additional income
by working with companies established on the
park
To create an opportunity for technology transfer
from the University and other sources into the
commercial domain
To raise the profile of the University of Surrey as a
centre of excellence in technology

Guildford Borough Council and Surrey
County Council (the planning
authorities)

To assist in the process of the economic
development of the region and locality

Tenant companies To establish a business in an environment that

favours the formation, development and growth
in order to gain a competitive advantage
through access to skills and technology

The broad strategic objectives for each of these stakeholders are noted in
Table 2 .
These conceptual objectives were then translated into a series of development
objectives for the site which were based on an analysis in 1982 of the market for
suitable accommodation for small technology companies in the region. This
comprised a telephone-based survey of 100 technology companies and research
laboratories within 25 miles of the proposed park, and an assessment of the other
seven science parks that were being established in the UK in that period.
The findings from this study included:

• Access to the commercial property market at that time in the UK was a very
significant barrier to entrepreneurs wishing to establish a small technology based
company particularly where they had no trading record. All commercial prop-
erty was offered on long leases of around 25 years and occupation required
substantial rental deposits. In addition few if any small high quality units were
available for this emerging market of micro and small technology companies.
This was recognised as a significant barrier of technology based SMEs estab-
lishing an office base from which to develop their activities. The Science Park
movement pioneered short occupational leases and licences for high risk tech-
nology companies.
• The emerging personal computer revolution which significantly reduced the cost
of computing created an opportunity for small science, engineering and tech-
nology companies to establish a business without the need for access to sub-
stantial capital resources. Access to low cost versatile computing not only
supported business in existing markets but created a number of technology
enabled markets for software which has for many years and continues to drive
the ICT sector.