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Tenant Case Studies
msp Tenant Case Study: Cascade Consulting
Starting with philosophy was somewhat unexpected, but one of the first things the MD of Cascade Consulting, Kieran Conlan, wanted to emphasise was his business philosophy: “We really believe in our philosophy: it’s not just PR. It’s the basis of all our activities and it’s how we try to differentiate ourselves”.
This philosophy embraces technical excellence, professionalism, a sense of responsibility, establishing trusting relationships – and enjoying what they do. This doesn’t sound a bad recipe for business success, and Cascade’s story underlines its effectiveness.
Kieran has a PhD in environmental science and was involved in a big engineering company. He started Cascade Consulting in 2000 because, he explains, “I got weary with the unwieldy way big business did things, and felt I could do better myself. I also wanted to get back to doing technical things.”
It was a good decision, since Cascade now have 3 UK offices (the main one being in msp) employing around 25 people. Their principal activities are in hydrology, water quality, geomorphology, ecology, environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessments.
True to their philosophy, they like to be innovative. They themselves learn from each of their contracts, constantly adding to the range of new ideas which they can then apply generally. They engage in little marketing since their customers, which include many big businesses and local authorities, come to them. They admit they are not the cheapest, but their quality enables them to win around 70% of the contracts they tender for, in a steadily expanding market.
With this activity level, Cascade has been able to grow organically, with no need to seek major investment. However, the management are currently engaged in restructuring, so they can respond to the increased demand. Their biggest problem is getting good staff – of the calibre, skill and commitment they need.
It has been important for Cascade to develop links with universities, although – perhaps disappointingly – there are no current activities linked to either of Manchester’s universities. On the other hand, their Science Park location is seen as a significant advantage. They like its flexibility: they have had to expand twice since arriving, and the Park has always been accommodating - literally so! For Cascade, msp is seen as convenient, accessible, having a good image, and ‘it’s a good environment’. From a company which has the environment at the heart of its philosophy, this sounds like a pretty good recommendation.
msp Tenant Case Study: Oxyrane
Oxyrane’s business is based on South African research, and they currently have collaborations with groups in France and Belgium. The Company is financed with help from Canadian business angels and US venture capital, and they currently employ 4 South Africans, 2 French (with 3 or 4 Belgians on the way), an Indian, a Chinese - and 3 English.
msp Tenant Case Study: Colgate-Palmolive Dental Health Unit
The other articles in this series are on new, small companies, since such firms constitute the majority of tenants on msp. But the science park operations of bigger companies are also important. The Colgate Palmolive Dental Health Unit (DHU) has been significant to msp itself, and it is not an understatement to say that it has had a major influence on dental health care in the UK and, indeed, around the world. The facts speak for themselves.
The Unit was formed almost 40 years ago, as a far-sighted collaboration between Colgate Palmolive and the University of Manchester’s Dental School. This is how it remains today, with a mixture of 8 University and 3 Colgate staff, and a Director from each organisation. Two of the University staff are post-doctoral and 3 are PhD students.
The DHU, one of msp’s first tenants, moved from the Colgate Palmolive factory in Salford in 1989. Since msp is just 200m from the University Dental School, the choice was obvious. However, the link is far more than geographical: the interchange of ideas, personnel and programmes between the Dental School and the DHU has been a model of how commercial and academic interests can interact to the benefit of both. It is something which science parks should be striving to achieve, in their role of a bridge between laboratory and marketplace.
The DHU's principal activity is to develop the methodology for clinical trials of oral care products on conditions such as plaque, caries, stain and calculus. It has undertaken hundreds of studies in these areas. The programme is not set by the Company alone, and the freedom and trust exhibited in this have played their part in the Unit’s reputation as the world’s premier research unit for dental trials.
Professor Roger Ellwood, the DHU’s Director, is understandably enthusiastic: “One of our recent successes has been the development of new methodology for trials on caries. The standard protocols involve a 3-year programme enlisting some 3,000 children as subjects, but our new methodology for trials on caries.
The standard protocols involve a 3-year programme enlisting some 3,000 children as subjects, but our new methodology employs quantitative light-induced fluorescence to give results within 3 months - and using just 300 children.
“We carry out trials globally, and are currently working in China, Columbia, India, Denmark, Latvia, France, US and Thailand. There’s a social relevance too, since we carry out our work in places where dental disease is prevalent, and are often reaching children who have never used a toothbrush.”
And the Unit’s national reputation? Perhaps it is not too surprising to learn that, over the 40 years of its existence, those who have worked in the DHU include 11 who have become Professors of Dentistry and 3 who have been appointed Chief Dental Officers.
msp Tenant Case Study: ProteinTech
The ProteinTech story began in 2001 with Dr Jianxun Li, a Tenured Associate Professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Having been involved in a number of studies over 15 years, including funded research for National Institute of Health, the American Heart Association, the Cancer Research Institute, Dr Li understood the importance of having a reliable supplier of antibodies when carrying out research. Aware of this need, Dr Li decided to set up his own company, ProteinTech Group Inc, in 2002 to develop and manufacture a wide spectrum of antibodies against all human proteins. His aim was to become a silent partner for companies and academic institutions involved in the bioresearch sector by providing every possible antibody researchers could need at a reasonable cost.
Dr Li began his enterprise with an office in the Chicago Technology Park supplemented by a laboratory in his home city of Wuhan in China. Antibodies, both monoclonal and polyclonal, are developed and produced, as are custom-made antibodies, produced to order from clone DNA. The company are also in the R&D stage of developing antibody chips, a collection of thousands of antibodies arranged in assays for quick identification and quantification of known and unknown proteins in a mixture, such as blood.
Antibodies act as a marker for proteins, enabling scientists to identify or target specific human proteins which are vital to their research. According to company founder Dr Li, antibody and anti-body related products are a huge and as yet unsaturated market in the research, biotech and clinical diagnostics sectors. Another growing market is areas such as the Human Proteome Initiative, a large-scale study aimed at identifying and profiling all human proteins, their structures and functions.
Since its foundation in 2002 ProteinTech has quickly carved out a niche for itself in the biotechnology sector, building a reputation for quality and reliability. It is now a global enterprise with offices in China, the USA, Manchester and Japan. ProteinTech first came to Manchester via the SinoVentures Project, a partnership between Manchester City Council, MIDAS (Manchester's Inward Investment Agency) and Manchester Science Park Ltd (msp), supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency. Under the scheme the City Council, MIDAS and msp work together to offer business support to Chinese high tech companies who wish to establish a presence in the UK. SinoVentures proved a perfect way for ProteinTech to successfully test the European market with a soft landing in the city and, in May 2006, the company became a permanent tenant at msp.
From their European HQ in msp's Kilburn House ProteinTech supply antibodies to many of the UK's leading universities, including Cambridge, Oxford, York, and, of course, the University of Manchester. They also sell to hundreds of universities and biotechnology companies across Europe. However, despite the success so far, the company are not resting on their laurels but are continually looking for new ways to grow and, with ambitious entrepreneur Dr Li at the helm, ProteinTech is definitely a firm to watch for the future.
msp Tenant Case Study: SPL Communications
No week is ever the same in the offices of multimedia company, SPL Communications. From filming baboons at play on an armoured truck to hitching a ride into West Africa, SPL is a company which believes in going that extra mile for their clients. It is a philosophy that has seen this long established multimedia company produce a catalogue of work as diverse as their list of clients.
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msp Tenant Case Study: Cascade Consulting
Starting with philosophy was somewhat unexpected, but one of the first things the MD of Cascade Consulting, Kieran Conlan, wanted to emphasise was his business philosophy: “We really believe in our philosophy: it’s not just PR. It’s the basis of all our activities and it’s how we try to differentiate ourselves”.
This philosophy embraces technical excellence, professionalism, a sense of responsibility, establishing trusting relationships – and enjoying what they do. This doesn’t sound a bad recipe for business success, and Cascade’s story underlines its effectiveness.
Kieran has a PhD in environmental science and was involved in a big engineering company. He started Cascade Consulting in 2000 because, he explains, “I got weary with the unwieldy way big business did things, and felt I could do better myself. I also wanted to get back to doing technical things.”
It was a good decision, since Cascade now have 3 UK offices (the main one being in msp) employing around 25 people. Their principal activities are in hydrology, water quality, geomorphology, ecology, environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessments.
True to their philosophy, they like to be innovative. They themselves learn from each of their contracts, constantly adding to the range of new ideas which they can then apply generally. They engage in little marketing since their customers, which include many big businesses and local authorities, come to them. They admit they are not the cheapest, but their quality enables them to win around 70% of the contracts they tender for, in a steadily expanding market.
With this activity level, Cascade has been able to grow organically, with no need to seek major investment. However, the management are currently engaged in restructuring, so they can respond to the increased demand. Their biggest problem is getting good staff – of the calibre, skill and commitment they need.
It has been important for Cascade to develop links with universities, although – perhaps disappointingly – there are no current activities linked to either of Manchester’s universities. On the other hand, their Science Park location is seen as a significant advantage. They like its flexibility: they have had to expand twice since arriving, and the Park has always been accommodating - literally so! For Cascade, msp is seen as convenient, accessible, having a good image, and ‘it’s a good environment’. From a company which has the environment at the heart of its philosophy, this sounds like a pretty good recommendation.
msp Tenant Case Study: Oxyrane
Oxyrane’s business is based on South African research, and they currently have collaborations with groups in France and Belgium. The Company is financed with help from Canadian business angels and US venture capital, and they currently employ 4 South Africans, 2 French (with 3 or 4 Belgians on the way), an Indian, a Chinese - and 3 English.
msp Tenant Case Study: Colgate-Palmolive Dental Health Unit
The other articles in this series are on new, small companies, since such firms constitute the majority of tenants on msp. But the science park operations of bigger companies are also important. The Colgate Palmolive Dental Health Unit (DHU) has been significant to msp itself, and it is not an understatement to say that it has had a major influence on dental health care in the UK and, indeed, around the world. The facts speak for themselves.
The Unit was formed almost 40 years ago, as a far-sighted collaboration between Colgate Palmolive and the University of Manchester’s Dental School. This is how it remains today, with a mixture of 8 University and 3 Colgate staff, and a Director from each organisation. Two of the University staff are post-doctoral and 3 are PhD students.
The DHU, one of msp’s first tenants, moved from the Colgate Palmolive factory in Salford in 1989. Since msp is just 200m from the University Dental School, the choice was obvious. However, the link is far more than geographical: the interchange of ideas, personnel and programmes between the Dental School and the DHU has been a model of how commercial and academic interests can interact to the benefit of both. It is something which science parks should be striving to achieve, in their role of a bridge between laboratory and marketplace.The DHU's principal activity is to develop the methodology for clinical trials of oral care products on conditions such as plaque, caries, stain and calculus. It has undertaken hundreds of studies in these areas. The programme is not set by the Company alone, and the freedom and trust exhibited in this have played their part in the Unit’s reputation as the world’s premier research unit for dental trials.
Professor Roger Ellwood, the DHU’s Director, is understandably enthusiastic: “One of our recent successes has been the development of new methodology for trials on caries. The standard protocols involve a 3-year programme enlisting some 3,000 children as subjects, but our new methodology for trials on caries.
The standard protocols involve a 3-year programme enlisting some 3,000 children as subjects, but our new methodology employs quantitative light-induced fluorescence to give results within 3 months - and using just 300 children.
“We carry out trials globally, and are currently working in China, Columbia, India, Denmark, Latvia, France, US and Thailand. There’s a social relevance too, since we carry out our work in places where dental disease is prevalent, and are often reaching children who have never used a toothbrush.”
And the Unit’s national reputation? Perhaps it is not too surprising to learn that, over the 40 years of its existence, those who have worked in the DHU include 11 who have become Professors of Dentistry and 3 who have been appointed Chief Dental Officers.
msp Tenant Case Study: ProteinTech
The ProteinTech story began in 2001 with Dr Jianxun Li, a Tenured Associate Professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Having been involved in a number of studies over 15 years, including funded research for National Institute of Health, the American Heart Association, the Cancer Research Institute, Dr Li understood the importance of having a reliable supplier of antibodies when carrying out research. Aware of this need, Dr Li decided to set up his own company, ProteinTech Group Inc, in 2002 to develop and manufacture a wide spectrum of antibodies against all human proteins. His aim was to become a silent partner for companies and academic institutions involved in the bioresearch sector by providing every possible antibody researchers could need at a reasonable cost.Dr Li began his enterprise with an office in the Chicago Technology Park supplemented by a laboratory in his home city of Wuhan in China. Antibodies, both monoclonal and polyclonal, are developed and produced, as are custom-made antibodies, produced to order from clone DNA. The company are also in the R&D stage of developing antibody chips, a collection of thousands of antibodies arranged in assays for quick identification and quantification of known and unknown proteins in a mixture, such as blood.
Antibodies act as a marker for proteins, enabling scientists to identify or target specific human proteins which are vital to their research. According to company founder Dr Li, antibody and anti-body related products are a huge and as yet unsaturated market in the research, biotech and clinical diagnostics sectors. Another growing market is areas such as the Human Proteome Initiative, a large-scale study aimed at identifying and profiling all human proteins, their structures and functions.
Since its foundation in 2002 ProteinTech has quickly carved out a niche for itself in the biotechnology sector, building a reputation for quality and reliability. It is now a global enterprise with offices in China, the USA, Manchester and Japan. ProteinTech first came to Manchester via the SinoVentures Project, a partnership between Manchester City Council, MIDAS (Manchester's Inward Investment Agency) and Manchester Science Park Ltd (msp), supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency. Under the scheme the City Council, MIDAS and msp work together to offer business support to Chinese high tech companies who wish to establish a presence in the UK. SinoVentures proved a perfect way for ProteinTech to successfully test the European market with a soft landing in the city and, in May 2006, the company became a permanent tenant at msp.
From their European HQ in msp's Kilburn House ProteinTech supply antibodies to many of the UK's leading universities, including Cambridge, Oxford, York, and, of course, the University of Manchester. They also sell to hundreds of universities and biotechnology companies across Europe. However, despite the success so far, the company are not resting on their laurels but are continually looking for new ways to grow and, with ambitious entrepreneur Dr Li at the helm, ProteinTech is definitely a firm to watch for the future.
msp Tenant Case Study: SPL Communications
No week is ever the same in the offices of multimedia company, SPL Communications. From filming baboons at play on an armoured truck to hitching a ride into West Africa, SPL is a company which believes in going that extra mile for their clients. It is a philosophy that has seen this long established multimedia company produce a catalogue of work as diverse as their list of clients.
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