Barclays partners with Science Park

A MAJOR bank has signed a new partnership deal that will help support entrepreneurs and growing businesses based at the Thames Valley Science Park.

Innovation Catalyst is a collaboration between VitalSix, a specialist in supporting growing businesses, and Thames Valley Science Park, now also in partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs.

Launching next March, Innovation Catalyst supported by Barclays Eagle Labs’ will give entrepreneurs and start-up businesses access to a 60 seat coworking space in the University of Reading’s Thames Valley Science Park. The philosophy behind the shared space is to encourage collaboration and foster innovation among Reading and the Thames Valley’s entrepreneurial business community.

Innovation Catalyst will also deliver intensive Accelerator programmes, the first of which is a 16-week programme with access to extensive resources including expert mentoring. Applications will be accepted soon.

David Gillham, Director of Thames Valley Science Park said: “The Thames Valley is renowned internationally as a centre for innovation and knowledge based companies. As a partner in Innovation Catalyst, Thames Valley Science Park shares the vision to create a much needed anchor for innovation; it is the physical centre of a virtual community to bring closer together businesses, the University of Reading, investors, expertise and more.”

Stephen Grenfell, Barclays’ Area Business Manager, for Reading and Thames Valley said: “We’re pleased to be partnering with Innovation Catalyst to deliver our Accelerator programme which creates a platform for experimentation with entrepreneurs, to build new products, services and platforms. The Eagle Lab will take our relationship with local entrepreneurs one step further, providing them with access to our specialist high growth team, and the tools and resources that will help them grow.”