Roz Bird, chief executive of Anglia Innovation Partnership LLP which manages Norwich Research Park, has been appointed Interim Chair of the UK Science Park Association (UKSPA). The appointment coincides with the launch of a new organisational strategy aimed at bolstering the UK’s science parks, innovation clusters and districts.
Leadership to help deliver a national strategy
UKSPA says the refreshed plan will concentrate on three core priorities: reinforcing the capacity and resilience of science parks and clusters; building the sector’s collective voice to influence policy; and supporting innovation-driven economic growth across the country. Bird will work alongside CEO Ruth Hall and the UKSPA Board to implement those priorities during her tenure.
The organisation represents a broad range of innovation environments beyond traditional campus-style parks, encompassing cluster bodies and emerging innovation districts. The strategy launch and Bird’s appointment come at what UKSPA describes as a pivotal moment for the sector.
Experience across parks, clusters and commercial delivery
Bird brings long experience within the sector. She began her science park career with UKSPA as a Business Development Manager in the early 2000s and later moved into senior leadership positions at Granta Park and Silverstone Park. While at Silverstone she played a part in creating the Silverstone Technology Cluster and helped advance the concept of the Ox-Cam supercluster.
In 2022 she joined Norwich Research Park, one of Europe’s largest science-based research clusters, where her role has focused on attracting and retaining businesses across sectors including agri-food and health. The campus has worked in partnership with real estate investor Vengrove to expand capacity; one notable development has been the construction of a privately funded speculative laboratory and office building measuring 63,000 sq ft.
“UKSPA, which represents not only science parks but cluster organisations, areas of innovation and innovation districts, is where I learnt how to operate effectively and maximise economic and social impact in what was then called the ‘knowledge economy’,” Roz Bird said.
Her current responsibilities also extend to sector advocacy and international engagement. After stepping down as Chair of the Silverstone Technology Cluster, Bird joined the UKSPA Board in 2023 and in 2024 took on the role of Women in IASP Coordinator for the International Association of Science Parks. She additionally serves on the Local Innovation Partnership Fund (LIPF) national panel for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
What the sector will watch
The new UKSPA strategy signals a more assertive effort to shape the environment for science-led business growth at a national level. Observers will be watching several practical outcomes as Bird settles into the interim role:
- Greater co-ordination among science parks and clusters to support scale-up companies and spinouts.
- A clearer, collective policy voice aimed at local and national government.
- Targeted initiatives to attract investment into lab and office capacity, particularly off-campus or speculative space.
Those ambitions align with broader concerns around UK innovation infrastructure: providing the right physical assets, skills and connectivity to retain research-intensive firms and translate scientific strengths into new jobs and products.
| Year | Role / Milestone |
|---|---|
| Early 2000s | Business Development Manager at UKSPA (start of science park career) |
| — | Senior leadership roles at Granta Park and Silverstone Park; helped establish Silverstone Technology Cluster |
| 2022 | Joined Norwich Research Park as CEO of Anglia Innovation Partnership LLP |
| 2023 | Appointed to UKSPA Board |
| 2024 | Became Women in IASP Coordinator |
| 2026 | Appointed Interim Chair of UKSPA |
UKSPA’s strategy and Bird’s interim leadership arrive amid ongoing debate about how best to support cluster formation, local innovation ecosystems and the commercial translation of research. By emphasising both the practicalities of providing lab and office space and the need for a unified sector voice, UKSPA seeks to play a stronger role in shaping policy and investment priorities for the coming years.
Bird’s combination of operational experience on major UK campuses and her recent work at one of Europe’s larger research clusters will be central to UKSPA’s task of turning strategic aims into tangible outcomes for parks, districts and the businesses they host.
