Minister opens hi-tech units

The i-zone at Bolton Institute -- 12 "incubator units" to help start-up companies grow and develop -- is a £1.5 million attempt to help technology-based entrepreneurs create wealth for the town and the region.

Lord Sainsbury unveiled a plaque and toured the premises.

The i-zone, a joint venture involving Bolton Institute and Campus Ventures, is backed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Department of Trade and Industry.

It is part of the North West Development Agency's strategy for the economic development of the region.

It is expected that most companies moving in will be associated with the important technical textiles sector which produces high performance products used in sectors such as aerospace, automotives, medicine and construction. Companies will benefit from support packages and the expertise which is available next door in Bolton Institute's Centre for Advanced Materials.

Lord Sainsbury said technical textiles was "an industry of the future" and that was why the Government wanted to give it the best possible conditions for innovation and growth.

Mollie Temple, principal and chief executive of Bolton Institute, said: "We are proud of our reputation for working with partners in building business success through the creation, transfer and application of knowledge."

She said the Centre for Advanced Materials worked with 300 businesses each year to meet their research, technology and innovation needs.

John Burrows, director of business development for the North West Development Agency, said: "This incubator will allow us to ease the entry of new companies into this arena and facilitate their growth and development"

Lord Sainsbury said after the ceremony: "I think this is a very exciting project."

One of the first companies to move into the i-zone will be Digital Web Books, which has developed a software package for producing digital brochures which can be sent by e-mail or be accessed on the Internet.