Cambridge Network celebrates a milestone birthday as it turns 25, a testament to its success as an effective and established networking organisation, operating at the heart of the Cambridge cluster.

The concept of a formalised Cambridge business networking community was a new idea when the Network was set up back in 1997 by an influential group comprising of the then Vice-Chancellor of the University, now Lord Broers, with entrepreneurs Hermann Hauser, David Cleevely, Nigel Brown, Fred Hallsworth and Anthony Ross.

It began as a simple idea, of bringing together businesses and academia. Fast forward 25 years and that ethos still remains, as the Network continues to bring people together to meet, share ideas and collaborate for shared success.

One of the Network’s founders, Hermann Hauser says “So much of the success of our technology eco-system has been founded on collaboration between organisations and I am proud of the central role Cambridge Network continues to play in enabling that – this is the vision that Lord Broers, David Cleevely and I had 25 years ago”

David Cleevely, serial entrepreneur and original Network founder went on to say “For 25 years, Cambridge Network has been pivotal in catalysing interactions between the technology and academic communities, helping them prosper and grow. It has led the way in enabling the region to become a low-risk place to do high-risk things, and leading the UK in delivering sustained economic growth”

Cross-sector collaboration

Much of the success of Cambridge Network has come from deliberately mixing sectors and ideas. The Network has been the trigger for many productive relationships as business and technology in the region have developed.

Cambridge Network CEO, John Gourd explains the secret of the Network’s success, “I think the foundations of Cambridge Network’s success remain the same as they were 25 years ago – we focus on the needs of our members and help them to make the most of the opportunities available within the local eco-system. Key to that success is our ability to connect businesses and organisations to foster collaboration and long-lasting relationships, through networking, events and curated introductions.

By listening to the needs of our members, we have also developed several key resources to help them achieve sustainable growth through, for example, our recruitment and learning services.”

While the Network’s core offering has remained the same since its inception, there have been a number of key developments along the way. In 1998, it launched one of the world's first connected online networking sites, incorporating a user interface to enable members to post their own material.
The site has gone through several iterations, with its core still the member directory, events listings and a news service which allows members to publish press releases and company information. Today, the site serves over a thousand members, offering a large variety of courses and peer learning groups run by the Network’s learning team, and it also boasts what is regarded as the best jobs board in the region – the Recruitment Gateway.

These services came about in response to the growing needs of Network members. Other activities have evolved and changed, but the Network’s purpose has not changed: to support and help grow the vibrant Cambridge cluster and to bring its diverse members together, to meet, share ideas and collaborate for greater shared success. The team look forward to continuing to support its members and the wider business community for many years to come.