Science park owner critical of Invest NI efforts

A new science park is part of plans for Fort George, which are set to start kicking off this year. But Patrick Shortall, the owner of Londonderry's original Ulster Science and Technology Park (USTP) - the location of hundreds of jobs over the past fifteen years - says Invest NI isn't doing enough to promote it.

Patrick Shortall is the Managing Director of Peninsula Construction and Peninsula Hi-Tech, which owns the Ulster Science and Technology Park (USTP) in Springtown and has repeatedly invited the Minister to meet with him in Londonderry over the past year.

According to documents obtained by the Sentinel, Mr Shortall’s invitations were rebuffed a number of times until a fifteen minute meeting was provisionally pencilled in for December 12, 2012.

An internal memorandum to Mrs Foster and her Special Advisor, Andrew Crawford, from Bill Montgomery, Invest Northern Ireland’s Director of International Development, provided a briefing ahead of the prospective meeting.

He wrote: “Mr Shortall has openly criticised Invest NI and the perceived lack of foreign direct investment jobs for the North West adding that this has contributed to an under utilisation of commercial premises at USTP.

“Mr Shortall has expressed concern that this is symptomatic of a growing imbalance between Belfast and Londonderry. Mr Shortall is very forthright in putting forward his opinions.”

This followed rejections of Mr Shortall’s invitations to the Minister to visit the city and discuss the possibility of doing more to promote it. On June 22, Mr Shortall invited the Minister to come to Londonderry to discuss vacant office space at the park.

But after discussions with her officials Mrs Foster wrote back saying Invest NI cannot decide on the location of an investment project.

She explained such decisions rested with company investors and were based on a number of factors, of which available office space was just one.

Instead, a September meeting was arranged between Mr Shortall and Invest NI’s International Investment team.

Barry McBride, Invest NI’s Executive Director of International Business, and Mr Montgomery both met with Mr Shortall and his colleague, Don McSwiney, on Friday, September 14, at which the matter was discussed and a further invitation to the Minister extended.

Another letter from Mr Montgomery to Mrs Foster and Mr Crawford on September 27, explained: “Invest NI has on numerous occasions explained to Mr Shortall that it is responsible for selling the whole of Northern Ireland as a location capable of meeting the needs of potential investors and that it would be detrimental to the chances of securing the investment if it were to try to sell on a sub-regional basis.

“However, we have continued to advise him that the sales teams will market the availability of his property as a potential proposition to suitable mobile projects.

“lt is recommended that you once again decline the invitation and advise Mr Shortall that it would be more beneficial to continue to engage with Invest NI officials.”

All of this was taking place as plans for a second science and technology park at Fort George were being progressed.

The Department of Social Development (DSD) plans to lease part of the Fort George military base in Londonderry to the North West Regional Science Park (NWRSP) this year.

The Fort George site was acquired by DSD in 2004 and transferred to the Londonderry urban regeneration company Ilex for redevelopment.

Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland recently revealed that it will lease part of the site to NWRSP during this financial year.

Mr McCausland stated that DSD will “lease part of the site to the NWRSP in 2013/14 although DSD will retain the freehold for the site, but the land will be controlled by the Science Park.”

According to the documents obtained by the Sentinel, Mr Shortall was somewhat concerned the new science and technology park just a few miles down the road would detract from his long-established offering.

But Mr Montgomery wrote: “With regard to the development of the NWRSP - there is an argument to suggest that the success of this project may lead to a stronger overall proposition for the North West region from both indigenous and foreign Investors and with that increase the possibility of securing investors willing to locate within the USTP.

“The targeted occupant of NWRSP is very different to the potential tenant of USTP. The NWRSP is more than a property based service in providing a suite of ‘wrap around’ business support services for emerging high tech companies.”