Tech entrepreneur promises to create ‘many new jobs’ at Darwin House
A cyber tech security entrepreneur has said he has stepped in to save the historical birthplace and childhood home of Charles Darwin.
Louis-James Davis is the founder of VST Enterprises – the cyber security technology company. He says he was approached to help to rescue the Grade II listed Darwin House in Shrewsbury from obscurity and dilapidation and “to restore it as an important global asset”.
In acquiring the lease, Davis says he will not only have secured the future of this historic building, but that he has plans for The Darwin to become a centre of world class excellence, to inspire young people and develop the next generation of scientists to follow in Darwin’s footsteps.
Davis said: “I am delighted to be involved with The Darwin and to support the great work and vision of the team who introduced it, including Mike Marchant, who has been a passionate advocate of this project to bring a world class university and centre of excellence to Shrewsbury. Working with partners in science, technology, education and local communities, we intend to develop a wide range of content for a worldwide digital learning platform for people of all ages.
“We are looking forward to working collaboratively with English Heritage, Shropshire Council and other bodies to restore this building of national and global importance.
Davis added that project will create “many new jobs” and boost tourism.
He added: “In doing this we create the next generation of innovative thinkers and disruptors – making those bright minds available to industry and business. At the moment we are not supplying business with the right skills and knowledge to take their environmental responsibilities seriously. Universities are not delivering enough within their current academic framework for natural sciences.
“The political message and dependence on legislation to go green is not enough. We need to encourage and nurture great minds to become impassioned, to shape and educate the world with better knowledge combining science and technology. We need to establish an all-age digital platform for the natural sciences and use it to inspire future generations of young people and great minds like Darwin.”
Mike Marchant, co-ordinator and curator for The Darwin, said: “We are delighted and thrilled that Louis had the shared vision and empathy for The Darwin initiative and stepped in to support the project. Darwin was a disruptor to conventional thinking and the sciences, challenging the way in which generations before him saw the world around them. Louis is very much a parallel modern day disruptor in cyber technology, challenging the conventional way in which we think and use technology to better the world we live in. It was a natural joining of minds.”
