Netpark
NETPark or "North East Technology Park" is a science park in Sedgefield, County Durham, England. The County Durham science park is on the site of the former Winterton Hospital and is home to over 40 companies, employing over 600 people. Sectors include advanced materials and manufacturing, nanotechnology, X-Ray technology, semiconductors, defence, electronics, photonics, robotics, pharmaceutical and space and satellite technology. Since its inception in 2000, NETPark has developed a number of facilities including the NETPark Plexus, NETPark Discovery 1 & 2 and NETPark Explorer buildings totalling over 127,000 sq ft of space. In 2021 Durham County Council approved a  £50m investment to fund an additional 270,000 sq ft of space over the next five years. NETPark is owned by Durham County Council and managed by Business Durham. NETPark is the only UK Science Park with two National Catapult Centres CPI's High Value Manufacturing Catapult and North East Centre of Excellence for Satellite Applications. NETPark is home to three national innovation centres all managed by Centre for Process Innovation including National Printable Electronics Centre, National Formulations Centre and National Centre for Healthcare Photonics. Durham University is also part of the science park, through Orbit, the new University  Enterprise Zone and The Centre for Advanced Instrumentation, which was the first building to be constructed on the site in 2004. History. 2000. Arrangements are completed to transfer control of the site of Winterton Hospital in Sedgefield from NHS Estates to Durham County Council. 2001. Demolition of the Victorian hospital buildings is completed. 2002. The site of NETPark is cleared of all rubble, and the central roadway – later to become Thomas Wright Way – is in place. 2003. In May, ground is broken for NETPark’s first building, the NETPark Research Institute. 2004. In July the NETPark Research Institute is complete  and ready for occupation by advanced research groups from Durham University. Work commences on the construction of the NETPark Incubator. 2005. Construction of the NETPark Incubator is complete and it is formally opened by Prime Minister Tony Blair, in whose constituency it is located. Work begins on the construction of Centre for Process Innovation's then-named PETEC. 2006. The Incubator’s first occupants, Durham Scientific Crystals (later to become Kromek plc) move in. They are followed by several other hi-tech companies during the year. 2007. Plans are finalised and approved for Phase 2 of the Incubator. The Printable  Electronics Technology Centre is complete and ready for its complex fit-out. NETPark Net, the virtual science and innovation network, opens for business. 2008. Work gets underway on Phase 2 of the Incubator during the early part of the year, and preparations are made for Kromek to move into additional temporary accommodation to cope with their rapid expansion. Fit-out work is complete at the Printable Electronics Technology Centre. 2009. In March, the Printable Electronics Centre is formally opened by Lord Mandelson, then Secretary of State for Business & Enterprise. In May, work commences on a new building which will ultimately  be occupied by Kromek, and in July CPI announces a further £20m investment in the Printable Electronics Technology Centre to nearly double its size. 2010. In June Dr Arnab Basu, CEO of Kromek signs the lease which gives his company occupation of its own 1600m2 HQ and production facility after five years of rapid growth at NETPark. Also in June, the crew of Space Shuttle mission STS-132 formally open Phase 2 of the Incubator, with the help of local schoolchildren. 2011. In February, a ground-breaking ceremony takes place to launch work on two 'grow-on space' units  to provide additional space for expanding technology companies. In July, CPI announces that the expanded Printable Electronics Technology Centre will "… work directly with the UK’s design, print and packaging industries to deliver cutting-edge electronic functionality into manufacturable printed products". Later in the year it is announced that the centre will become a High Value Manufacturing 'Catapult' centre. 2012. March: Discovery 1 and Discovery 2, the two 'grow-on space' units are complete and ready for occupation. And NETPark again hosts a visit from a NASA astronaut: Col. Ron Garan. Membership of NETPark Net, the virtual innovation network of  science, engineering and technology companies, reaches 300. 2013. December: Filtronic join NETPark. Manufacturing P2P Modules for the telecoms industry, they move from the former Fujitsu plant at Newton Aycliffe. 2018. March 2018, the new NETPark Explorer buildings open. It was officially opened by Stuart Martin, chief executive of the Satellite Applications Catapult, who visit the centre at its base at the North East Technology Park (NETPark). The NETPark Explorer building has already proven to be a success after winning two new tenants, X-ray imaging specialist Ibex and electronics firm PragmatIC, before its official opening. Also, in March 2018 CPI  Opens National Formulation Centre at NETPark. In the Summer of 2018, CK Group, a specialist Scientific recruitment company that has been in the North East since the year 2000 moved into facilities at NETPark. In November 2018, NETPark Incubator was renamed to NETPark Plexus. NETPark Plexus shares its new name with the Plexus sculpture located at the entrance to the Park, commissioned by Arts Council England for NETPark and constructed entirely from inflated metal panels which function as the load-bearing structural elements of the design. The original concept saw the fusion of various themes, including wormholes, grid networks and  the representation of movement through time and space. 2019. March 2019, CPI Officially Launches National Healthcare Photonics Centre at NETPark in Sedgefield. 2021. Durham County Council approve £50M capital investment to fund the development of 270,000 sq ft space..