Liverpool graduates from Spark Revolutions
A company founded by graduates from three of Liverpool’s universities – Spark Revolutions – has moved to its next stage of development at Liverpool Science Park (LSP) following rapid growth.
A total of 25 university graduate businesses were welcomed to the LSP’s Enterprise Centre when it launched 18 months ago and now three of these companies have proved successful enough to take the next step and move from the open plan hot desk environment into their own dedicated office space.
LSP, in partnership with its owners, the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, launched the offer for new and recent graduates who had finished university and set up their own businesses in the science and technology sector.
The 24/7 facility provides tenants with everything they need to grow their business, including professional office space shared with like-minded companies, fostering a supportive environment to grow and develop their ideas, plus a registered business address and dedicated reception at a cost of £18 per week.
Spark Revolutions has nearly tripled in size since November 2011 following a succession of client wins. The company, which specialises in four key areas: development, design, tuition and consultancy, moved to the centre after being introduced to LSP via the University’s Management School.
The Spark Revolutions team, made up graduates from the University of Liverpool and Liverpool Hope University who are all official Apple consultants, moved into a 250 sq ft office in April and has since grown even further after taking on new members of staff, taking the team to eight. They have now made a further move to a 579 sq ft office in the park.
Phil Hauser from Spark Revolutions, who studied E-Business Systems and Strategy at the University of Liverpool, said: “The team at LSP have been brilliant from start to finish – it has been little things like acknowledging and helping us when we became too big for the Enterprise Centre to supporting and introducing us to other tenants, resulting in collaborations on several projects. The facilities here are great and we can’t fault them on anything.”
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Howard Newby, said: “Liverpool’s universities produce high-calibre graduates with skills that can support important areas of our economy. It is vital that we work together to retain that talent and expertise in the City Region and support our graduates with opportunities for innovation and enterprise.
“Our partnership with Liverpool Science Park and Liverpool John Moores University is helping graduate businesses to turn their ideas into sound commercial ventures that are ripe for investment. The success of this exciting programme should encourage even more of our outstanding graduates to work in Merseyside.”
Chris Musson, Chief Executive of LSP said: “We are extremely proud of the companies that are growing within the centre and there’s an increasing recognition of the value of bringing business and academia together and also in universities preparing students for careers in business. It’s been excellent to see young companies flourish alongside their peers and through collaborative projects and also the support of our in-house team.”
Liverpool City Council Cabinet Member for Employment, Enterprise & Skills Cllr Nick Small, who sits on the Liverpool Science Park Board, said: “It’s really important for Liverpool to increase graduate retention and increase the number of home-grown businesses. Liverpool Science Park works to do both these things, and the success of its graduate companies is fantastic news for the city.”
Echoing LSP’s commitment to linking business with academia, Spark Revolutions is looking at local universities for its recruitment.
For more information about Liverpool Science Park’s Enterprise Centre which is open to graduates from all UK Universities please visit www.liverpoolsciencepark.com or email Vicky.Brown@liverpoolsciencepark.co.uk.