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A world leading astronomy research institute is making the move to Liverpool Science Park (LSP) - marking the largest letting to date for the park.

The Astrophysics Research Institute (ARI), which is part of Liverpool John Moores University, will relocate from offices in Birkenhead into 11,000 sq ft of space in the innovation centre two (ic2) building on Brownlow Hill in early June.

As well as research into star and galaxy formations, ARI staff will be directly controlling the ‘Liverpool Telescope’ (LT) they designed and built themselves which is based on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands.

The ARI is also working on technology for projects including robotic telescope software development on the next generation large robotic telescope, codenamed ‘LT-2’. LT-2 could be used to follow up discoveries made with the next generation of astronomical facilities, both on the ground and in space.

Director of the ARI, Professor Mike Bode said: “This is another milestone in the development of the ARI and our move to Liverpool Science Park will put us right at the heart of future developments in the University and more widely in the city and region.

“Part of the reason for the move is the continued expansion of the Institute, for example we have attracted nine additional world-class scientists to work in the Institute over the last few months under the University's Strategic Development Initiative.

“It also enables us to enhance collaborations with several partners, including the University of Liverpool, and in that case particularly on our unique Joint undergraduate Degrees in astronomy and astrophysics.

“The development of the telescope and its instrumentation would pose new challenges and opportunities for industry, and we would obviously be particularly pleased to maximise the impact of the project on the region's continuing high tech industrial development.”

Liverpool Science Park’s chief executive, Chris Musson, said: “It’s absolutely fantastic to welcome the R & D excellence from LJMU’s Astrophysics Research Institute into the science park’s thriving community.

“The ARI is one of the world’s leading authorities on astronomy and astrophysics, and it’s a real privilege to have them join us. With this new addition, it means the two buildings at the science park are now 90 per cent occupied.

“Their work exemplifies everything that the Mount Pleasant ‘Knowledge Quarter’ and LSP is about we’re looking forward to welcoming more tenants of the same calibre in future.”

The Knowledge Quarter is a hub of world class knowledge combining the science park, the three universities and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital amongst others – all of which are the focus of investment programmes worth £1 billion.

more about the park and its facilities

About Liverpool Science Park

Liverpool Science Park is owned by Liverpool City Council, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool University.  Located in Liverpool city centre, in the heart of the Knowledge Quarter, at the foot of the steps of the Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool Science Park currently comprises two buildings, Innovation Centre 1 (ic1) and Innovation Centre 2 (ic2) offering 80,000 sq ft of high-specification grade A accommodation and laboratory space. Innovation Centre 3 (ic3) started on site in March 2013 and will offer an additional 42,000 sq ft of office and laboratory space.

Liverpool Science Park is home to more than 75 businesses from a variety of knowledge intensive sectors including Biotechnology, Biomedical and Healthcare, Research & Development, Information Computer Technology, Life Sciences, Professional Services and Creative and Digital. Over 300 people are employed on site.

Active links between LSP companies and its two university owners are progressively deepening which make it a logical home for the very best of the universities’ entrepreneurial talent and spin out companies.

The park houses a Graduate Enterprise Centre for new and recent graduates and Starter Pods for new companies with between 1 and 6 staff. Other space includes a dedicated Biomedical Cluster office which was set up in conjunction with LSP tenant SPARK Impact, the fund manager for the North West Fund for Biomedical, for start-up businesses in the biomedical sector.

The science park is a key part of Liverpool Knowledge Quarter which is a dynamic hub of world-class knowledge and expertise at the heart of the city region’s economic transformation. It has been designated as one of five Mayoral Development Zones. The Quarter is the focus of investment programmes worth £1 billion and combines cutting edge technology firms with globally renowned research institutions. It is home to Liverpool’s three universities, the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool Science Park, Merseybio and the National Oceanography Centre -amongst others. 

Chris Musson, Chief Executive Liverpool Science Park

Chris took up the role of chief executive of Liverpool Science Park in 2009 after previously heading up European Programmes for the North West. Chris previously worked as Operations Director of the £1bn Merseyside Objective 1 programme. He received his MBA from Manchester Business School.

Chris is responsible to the Liverpool Science Park board for the delivery of the vision and agreed business targets.  A keen spokesperson for Liverpool’s knowledge economy, Chris recently secured £7.8m of funding to build a third building on the site.  This will comprise a mixture of commercial laboratories and offices over 42,000 sq ft and is due to complete in early 2014.  Chris has recently taken up the position of secretary for the Knowledge Quarter Mayoral Development Zone board.

About the Astrophysics Research Institute at Liverpool John Moores University

• LJMU’s Astrophysics Research Institute is one of the world's leading authorities in astronomy and astrophysics.
• Current activities embrace observational and theoretical research, telescope operation and instrument development as well as the delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes and research opportunities.
• ARI staff are actively engaged on the following high profile projects: e-MERLIN (the UK's facility for high resolution radio astronomy observations), VISTA (the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy, Chile), the Euclid telescope (surveying the cosmos for dark matter and dark energy), GALEX (the wide-field multi-object spectrograph for the William Herschel Telescope), the Low Frequency Array: LOFAR, and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope.

• The University developed and built the world's largest robotic telescopes, including the LJMU-owned Liverpool Telescope (La Palma, Canaries). As well as creating many new high-tech jobs in a regeneration area of Merseyside, the development of the Liverpool Telescope – and four other robotic telescopes – enabled the ARI to play an instrumental role in developing a network of research class telescopes, on world-class sites around the globe.
• A proportion of the Liverpool Telescope's observational time is set aside for use by UK schools through LJMU’s National Schools' Observatory programme and this has enabled over 43,000 observations to be delivered to schools.
• Around 3,000 schools nationwide are currently members, enabling thousands of primary and secondary school pupils to reach for the stars by bringing high quality astronomical images right into their classrooms.
• By working with MerseyTravel, the combined Passenger Transport Authority for Merseyside, LJMU astronomers were able to realise the dream of establishing an International Astronomy and Space Centre on Merseyside, Spaceport, which opened in 2006.
• Spaceport is now one of the North West of England’s most popular tourist attractions, with over 100,000 visitors every year. LJMU continues to work with Spaceport delivering regular training for staff (to ensure accuracy and currency of material) and by developing new and interactive exhibits.

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