Sinclair adds development role to KQ brief

Colin Sinclair, chief executive of Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, is also to serve as interim chief executive of the newly formed Knowledge Quarter Development Company.

The new company – which will soon be given a new name to differentiate it from KQ Liverpool – has been set up to act as a developer, looking to enhance the existing science assets in KQ Liverpool, initially focusing on Liverpool Science Park and Sensor City, before branching out to develop and operate further facilities, both in the immediate area and elsewhere in the city region.

It is felt that in order to maximise the city’s ability to bring in private sector investment, being able to act quickly is of the essence, and that setting up the development company is the best way of achieving that. Sinclair’s appointment follows a full recruitment process.

The KQ Liverpool team will remain focused on placemaking, strategic lead generation and marketing for Paddington Village, the masterplanning of KQ Gateway and transport strategies.

The new company will differ in its set-up to KQ Liverpool in being owned jointly owned by Liverpool City Council, Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Liverpool – KQ Liverpool’s partners also include the Royal Liverpool Hospitals Trust and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

The development company will be chaired by Prof. Nigel Weatherill, vice-chancellor of LJMU, while his counterpart of UoL, Dame Janet Beer, will chair KQ Liverpool.

The development company is intended to act as a single point of contact for sales and marketing. Once further private sector investment has been secured the company will look to develop and operate new science and tech facilities across the city region.

Weatherill said: “As we seek to compete with other cities both nationally and internationally, it is vital that we build on what the Knowledge Quarter partners, Colin and the team have achieved over the last two years, in order to encourage more start-ups, help innovation-led businesses to grow and win new inward investment.”

Beer added: “Colin’s appointment to this new role will give us the experience and expertise we need to attract significant long term, sustainable investment, into our science and tech infrastructure.”

Before arriving at KQ Liverpool in May 2016, Sinclair worked at Bruntwood in a range of roles over six years, prior to which he was a high profile chief executive of MIDAS, Manchester’s inward investment agency.