The University of Chester’s Thornton Science Park is acquiring a reputation as a hotbed of innovation.
The 66-acre site, formerly the Shell Technology Centre, is a unique combination of industry and academia, creating an environment for both to work independently and, where appropriate, in harness.
Dr Jason Dale is the perfect example of what Thornton is all about. Jason is the Founder and CEO of Menatech, which provides industrial research and development consultancy services to aid and support emerging innovative technologies.
Jason’s own CV is an impressive mix of academia and business.
After leaving school, Warrington-born Jason completed an apprenticeship as a maintenance engineer with British Alcan Aluminium before studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sheffield.
He then had five years working for Alfa Laval, a world leader in a range of technologies including water treatment, before studying for a PhD in Computational Fluid Dynamics at the University of Hertfordshire.
It was during this period that Jason began to work closely with colleagues from Norway developing systems to combat some of the biggest environmental issues facing the planet.
Among his areas of expertise is the global threat posed by the so called “silent invasion” of marine invasive species via ships’ ballast water.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, “every hour an estimated 7,000 marine and coastal species travel unnoticed across the world’s oceans, silently stowed away in ships’ ballast water tanks. When released in a new environment, these unwanted travellers can become invasive, outcompeting and changing native flora and fauna and resulting in irreversible ecological change and economic loss.”
In September 2017, the International Maritime Organisation’s Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, comes into force, having major implications for the tens of thousands of ships around the world.
Earlier this year, with the support of Ellis & Co, the intellectual property belonging to one of Jason’s companies, Radical Filtration Limited, working in this field was acquired by a large Scandinavian organisation.
In addition to his R&D consultancy firm, Jason is also a Director and Founder of Sea-Lix AS which is currently developing patent pending next generation tidal and hydro-power turbines.
Through Menatech, Jason is providing strategic and technical advice as well as Intellectual Property Rights development and support, 3D modelling, finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics analysis.
Jason said: “Ellis & Co have been amazing. The team are extremely knowledgeable on a wide range of issues affecting the business and me personally.
“They provide me with support across my accounts, VAT, payroll and business and personal taxation.
“Robert Ellis and his team have also provided me with extremely valuable advice at crucial times not least earlier this year when the acquisition was going ahead.
“One of the things that has impressed me the most is their ability to look at different scenarios and their potential implications. I like the fact that everyone at Ellis & Co is approachable and always willing to help.”
Jason added: “Ellis & Co also recommended that I consider basing myself at Thornton Science Park – the opportunity for academics and industry to partner and share ideas and facilities is one that is working well for both sides.”
www.menatech.co.uk
Ellis & Co Case Study: Menatech Limited
