THE NEXT phase in ambitious plans to attract more high-tech, fast-growing companies to one of the country’s leading science parks has got underway.

Local dignitaries and business leaders were among those at a special ground-breaking ceremony at the North East Technology Park (NETPark) in Sedgefield, for the new £7.4m Explorer development being built by Interserve, the international support services and construction group.

Business Durham, which manages NETPark on behalf of Durham County Council, received £3.2m from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s Local Growth Fund towards the cost of the two new Explorer buildings, which will create additional space for research and development companies who need room to prototype and scale up to manufacture on site.

One of the first tenants will be Ibex Innovations, which started with a virtual office at NETPark and is now at the forefront of x-ray imaging technology with 17 employees. The firm’s technology is used in industries such as medical, food and industrial imaging.

Dr Neil Loxley, Ibex chief executive, said: "NETPark has proven to be a great environment for a technology start-up such as Ibex, providing high-quality facilities that have been well-matched to our changing needs at different points in our growth.

"However, it is the quality of support and the friendly can-do attitude of NETPark staff that really sets it apart from other business parks. We are really looking forward to our move into one of the new Explorer units, which will provide us with the space and facilities to accommodate our next stage of development."

The first tenants are expected to move into the new buildings as soon as they are complete early next year.

Councillor Simon Henig, Durham County Council leader, said: "It’s exciting to see the first stage of this expansion going ahead and is another example of our commitment to creating a bright and prosperous future for the businesses and people of this county."

Simon Goon, managing director of Business Durham, said: “This exciting next phase in expansion will open up possibilities for growing companies wanting more space, be they existing businesses on the park or companies who want a presence here."

NETPark is home to some of the world’s most innovative companies and the development forms part of a ten-year blueprint for NETPark, which includes creating 3,000 jobs and adding another £400m to the region’s GVA.

It is already home to Durham University’s Centre for Advanced Instrumentation, two of the Government’s Catapult centres – the North East Satellite Applications Centre of Excellence and High Value Manufacturing, and four national technology centres: Printable Electronics, Formulation, Graphene Applications and Healthcare Photonics, all managed by the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI).