Private sector interest in digital greenhouse

A centre for digital and creative start-ups could be saved with the private sector interested in taking it on, the States of Guernsey has said.

Earlier this year the States announced the Digital Greenhouse, which it opened in 2016, would close in its current form unless a private company or charity came forward to run it.

The Committee for Economic Development said it had been approached by people interested in taking the incubator into the private sector with supporting grants.

Deputy Marc Laine, the committee's vice-president, said: "We want to turbo-charge the support that is in place and drive real innovation and growth in our economy."

Former Commerce and Employment Minister Kevin Stewart, who helped create the centre, described the decision to close it as "absolutely crazy".

But the current committee said it had been listening to interested parties who had ideas for the future of the greenhouse and was "confident the service will continue in some form".

It said it planned to continue its "open engagement" throughout September, before publishing a formal bid in October, through which parties could apply to take on the centre.

Laine said: "I don't want there to be any ambiguity about this: the committee is wholly dedicated to ensuring that Guernsey has world class support for entrepreneurs and real growth potential for innovation in every industry.

"It simply feels that there is only so much that a government-run incubator can do, and while the offering at the moment has value, it can be even more effective if led by the private sector: more dynamism, more agility and lived experience.

"This is the complete opposite to us turning our back on entrepreneurs. We want to turbo-charge the support that is in place for them and drive real innovation and growth in our economy."

Susan Watson, chair of the Innovate Guernsey Board, added: "It is encouraging to see such strong early interest in building on the Digital Greenhouse's legacy.

"The opportunity now is to create an independently run, commercially sustainable organisation."

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