Nottinghamshire has had a meteoric rise over the last decade as one of the UKs leading science and technology hubs. The county is now home to a variety of established tech companies and promising new start-ups offering a diverse range of services.
Research
BioCity is one of the United Kingdom’s leading bioresearch centres. It is run as a joint venture between Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham. Nottinghamshire has long been home to several sites of scientific interest in the form of nature reserves and as such has been a leading centre for bioresearch for some time. Not only does the city of Nottingham boast the two aforementioned universities, both of whom have been engaged in cutting-edge research for many years, the area of Dunkirk is home to Boots the pharmacy chain, and the city is where ibuprofen was first discovered by the company.
The British Geological Survey is also based in Keyworth, where it was founded in 1835. Originally called the Ordnance Geological Survey, the organisation has since its inception conducted research into the geoscience of the British Isles. The BGS also plays a role offering advice to government departments on matters where geoscience considerations form an important aspect of the decision-making process.
IT Support
Of particular importance to Nottinghamshire’s thriving technology industry is the locally available IT support, with a number of companies springing up in parallel with the increasing number of new start-ups appearing across the county. With a number of options now for those looking for IT support for their business, searching for ‘IT services near me’ in Nottinghamshire brings up a long list of results, amongst these The Custard Group, which is one of the most highly sought after, offering IT support services both domestically and internationally. As technology continues to play an increasingly prominent role in the landscape of the city, so will its support network of companies like The Custard Group.
Pharmaceuticals
Nottingham is home to Boots, the largest pharmacy chain in the UK, and while Boots is no longer active in new drug development, it was for many years at the forefront of the industry. The discovery of ibuprofen in the 1960’s is regarded as one of the companies crowning achievements. Drug development in Nottinghamshire is now represented by Quotient Clinical, a company which is pioneering a new approach to drug development known as translational pharmaceuticals. Both universities in the city of Nottingham also engage in medical research and the University of Nottingham housed the world-renowned Institute for Science and Society for a number of years until it was ultimately merged with another of the university’s organisations. It considered the cultural, ethical and legal implications of various areas of study that the university was engaged in.
Nottinghamshire’s reputation as a centre of excellence for science and technology is well earned, and as both of these fields continue to expand and even cannibalise other industries, there has never been a better time for the county and the city of Nottingham to embrace this aspect of their cultural heritage.