AN ambitious project to develop the county as an international business centre is being set up in Preston.

The Harris Knowledge Park is the brainchild of Professor Ted Smith and is thought to be the first of its kind in the country.

It's based on the American idea of providing firms with a business unit and a complete package of property, finance, management and state-of-the-art information and communications technology.

New and existing computer firms will be based at the University's Harris Conference Centre in Garstang Road where they will be able to use the high-tech facilities at the Knowledge Park.

And the new firms could mean new jobs for the area. Professor Smith said he hoped that around 70 new jobs would be created by 15 new businesses.

He said: "This will be a flagship project in the regeneration of central Lancashire. By the year 2000 it is estimated that ten million people will be 'knowledge workers' and eight per cent of world trade will be conducted on the computer Internet."

The Knowledge Park will include a conference sand business suites which will allow firms to reduce travelling costs by communicating all over the world through video-conferencing.

The Park been welcomed by council leader David Borrow, who said: "This project could be immensely beneficial for Preston in future years and as it's a good example of the way a university can help develop a competitive local economy."

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