THE owners of Runcorn science park The Heath are on the verge of exporting their formula to Dagenham.

SOG has created a thriving business community at the former ICI headquarters, which now has more people employed on site than in the chemical giant’s heyday.

It has been keen to replicate its success elsewhere – which it calls the Fusion project – and, after more than a year’s work, it is now waiting on final approval for the 100-acre Sanofi-Aventis site, in Essex.

The pharmaceutical group is pulling out in 2013 and SOG are leading plans to place a polyclinic surrounded by pharmaceutical SMEs at the site.

Fusion has a four-stage process – an initial study to assess the options for a site, a feasibility study on the preferred option, the creation of a site masterplan and finally its implementation. SOG chairman Dr Peter Cook said: “We have just completed stage three with Sanofi and we are awaiting for their final decision as to whether they want to implement it.

“That’s very significant – it’s a 100-acre site, nearly twice as big as The Heath.

“The solution there is likely to be a polyclinic, that will be the core thing. That’s a nice synergy, as Sanofi manufactured cancer medicine on that site.

“It builds on their heritage. The idea is there would be pharmaceutical businesses.

“It’s about retaining the skills and the facilities rather than looking at it as just real estate.”

Dr Cook and his team are also in talks with “six or seven organisations” around the country which are subject to confidentiality clauses.

While Fusion offers an exciting future, SOG’s existing business at The Heath and a smaller site in Blackley, north Manchester, continue to perform well.

SOG, which employs 90 people, has just reported a “robust” performance in its latest accounts, for the year to February.

Turnover was down slightly, by 5%, to £7.7m, but operating profit increased strongly, up 21% to £540,000.

“Volumes have been hit by rents,” said Dr Cook. “Rents are falling and we are being squeezed. But occupancy has held up.”

Dr Cook handed over the day-to-day running of SOG to former marketing director John Lewis earlier this year, in order to concentrate on Fusion, and he is “delighted” with its performance.

“Times are tough, business is always tough,” he said. “We are rebranding, that’s about coming up with a different appearance, a fresh approach.

“We are looking at the organisation. We are continuing to make it more efficient and taking costs out.

“We have just insourced the catering and cleaning, which is part of our cost reduction process.”