Christ Church has welcomed the announcement by the Office for Life Sciences (OLS) that Discovery Park has been selected as a new Life Science Opportunity Zones (LSOZ).

As one of the UK’s leading science parks, this new appointment reflects its strengths and growth potential, particularly across advanced manufacturing, digital and AI in healthcare, and will help it to achieve its vision of becoming a world leading centre for science excellence.

Christ Church has many successful partnerships with Discovery Park. Our Life Sciences Industry Liaison Lab is based at Discovery Park and offers students and staff the opportunity to link up with companies working at the cutting edge of research, helping them to find solutions that lead to new treatments and ground-breaking discoveries.

Christ Church is also the sponsor for the Park’s Community Lab, a unique collaboration between academia and industry, providing hands-on scientific learning opportunities at Discovery Park for local teachers and students.

The science park in Sandwich, Kent was one of six new LSOZ named across the UK. These areas will play an important role in the development and growth of regional and UK science industries.

Life Sciences Minister, Nadhim Zahawi, said: “The UK is home to one of the strongest, most vibrant health and life science industries globally, with discoveries and improvements in health diagnosis transforming people’s lives.”

Mayer Schreiber, CEO of Discovery Park, said: “We are proud that Discovery Park has been awarded Life Sciences Opportunity Zone status, highlighting our strengths and driving our innovation and investment focus this year. Discovery Park looks forward to working with other LSOZs and the Government, realising our strategy and contributing to the success of the UK life sciences industry. Thanks are due to our supportive tenants and partners as we work together to make Discovery Park the home for ambitious growing firms, from small molecules through to biologicals and advanced therapies.”

Dr Pam Lithgow, the University’s Director of Technical Services, said: “Our work with Discovery Park is valuable for us and our students. It allows students to interact with entrepreneurs and have access to industrial standard laboratories. Over the last four years we have worked with many companies at Discovery Park and look forward to the new opportunities that this announcement will bring.”