PHENOMENAL!

That is how city chiefs described the tenth birthday of one of York's most thriving business communities.

Bioscience York, which compromises more than 150 organisations in York and North Yorkshire, has grown into one of the one of the country's most "dynamic" bodies, according to its chairman, Professor Tony Robards.

At a symposium and gala dinner, Prof Robards said Bioscience York's success had been built on "strong links between business and academia".

"Bioscience York is one of the most successful biotech communities outside Oxford, Cambridge and London," he said.

"Its success has been built on strong links between business and academia, in particular the University of York, which is one of the leading research universities in the UK.

"This, coupled with the region's strong infrastructure and specialist business support services, has developed into a thriving bioscience community. Its growth and development over the last decade has been phenomenal."

Ten organisations, including Medvance Ltd, Bioflame Ltd and Coronet Medical Technologies, gave short presentations and how they had succeeded over the last decade with the help of Bioscience York.

Gareth Lloyd-Jones, chairman of Science City York, which emerged out of Bioscience York, said: "From its modest beginnings in 1995, Bioscience York has exceeded all our expectations.

"Driven by a mixture of synergy, serendipity and the determination to succeed, our momentum will continue over the coming decade and will be accompanied by a significant growth in bioscience-linked jobs.

"This growth will maintain Bioscience York at the leading edge of national and international developments within this constantly changing and developing sector."

The parent organisation of Bioscience York, Science City York, supports two other industry- driven clusters of technology-based business: Creative York and IT and Digital York.

Science City York was one of six national Science Cities designated in the 2005 Budget by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown.

In the last seven years, more than 2,600 jobs and 60 new companies have been launched across the three technology clusters supported by the work of Science City York.

Updated: 10:35 Tuesday, December 06, 2005