A US software firm, a fledgling German internet start-up and an enterprising Northern Ireland firm called Good Friday Robotics, might not seem the most likely bedfellows. But they have one thing in common - they belong to the exclusive "pavilions" club in Northern Ireland.

Northbrook Technology, INVISION and Good Friday Robotics were among the first tenants at the new Magee Science Park pavilions in Derry. The park is one of three that the university is developing in the North and they have attracted seven high-tech firms to the north-west.

The Magee Park is based at the University's Derry campus, a second park is at its Coleraine campus and a third is under construction at Jordanstown.

According to Prof John Hughes, pro-vice chancellor of research and development, the university has set up a company specifically to manage and develop the parks.

He says the University of Ulster Science Parks company aims to create facilities to attract high-tech, high-growth firms involved in research and development to locate in purpose-built premises close to the university's research centres.

Prof Hughes says the objective is to create the right environment to support the incubation and development of high-tech companies and to encourage "clustering" of companies in Northern Ireland.

"Historically, the University of Ulster has always had very strong business links, we always had it as part of our mission that we would make a significant effort to contribute to the economic and social regeneration of Northern Ireland.

"We see the attraction of inward investment and the development of new indigenous companies particularly in the high-tech sector as being extremely important," Prof Hughes says. "On each of our three main campuses, Jordanstown, Magee and Coleraine, we have formed very strong partnerships with local government and the local business communities and industry in the area.

"This has benefited both the university and the local community, for example, we were instrumental in attracting Seagate and Raytheon to invest in Derry and we have very strong links with the likes of AVX in Coleraine and Nortel in Newtownabbey," Prof Hughes says.

Each park will have its own distinctive character. The Magee campus is the university's flagship park, the pavilions is currently operating at maximum capacity although there are plans over the next 10 years to develop a further 15 acres of land adjacent to the science park.

It has a range of accommodation that can easily facilitate one entrepreneur or in the case of Northbrook, a well-established company, provide buildings for individual companies.

Prof Hughes says the Magee Science Park concentrates on providing facilities for companies and start-ups in the software development and advanced information technologies sector.

"The campus has an international reputation in this field. We are very much focused on IT and e-commerce at Magee and that fits very well with the image that it wants to promote.

"Mr John Hume has often said that he would like to see the Foyle area becoming the Silicon Valley of Ireland.

"The companies that have located in Magee have been attracted by the commitment of the university to informatics and IT on that campus and by the pool of graduates who want to remain in the city," Prof Hughes says.

Seven firms have signed up to the Magee science park, some of which are taking advantage of the incubator centre for new start-ups which provides direct investment and subsidised rents.

Others such as Northbrook Technologies, which plans to create 150 jobs at Magee, see the benefits of the university's research and development facilities.

Ambitious start-ups such as 8over8, an internet company formed by two former Magee graduates, and E host Europe also enjoy the benefits of being a campus company as do INVISION, the Data Warehousing Practice and Good Friday Robotics.

Prof Hughes believes these companies can also help each other by exchanging ideas and experiences.

The Coleraine campus is the centre for the university's biomedical science research projects and a new £14.5 million (€23 million) centre for molecular biosciences is being developed. "We would see the science park in Coleraine concentrating in the early stages on biomedical sciences and IT, areas such as drug discovery, cancer, diabetes.

"One of the major spin-outs from the university which will be moving into the science park very shortly is a company called Diabetica.

"This is a joint venture with an American company and it is going to market natural remedies for diabetes from this site."

Coleraine has two tenants signed up and is negotiating with three start-ups and a potential inward investor.

It lies within the campus on a 28-acre site, which is zoned for development over the next 12 years. It includes a science innovation centre, which provides incubation facilities for up to 10 new companies and one master building with several floors that can be leased by one company or several medium-sized firms.

"In Northern Ireland we have always been weak in instilling into graduates an entrepreneurial spirit and we are trying to change that by introducing into our programmes specific training on setting up a company such as writing a business plan.

"The science parks will create an environment where new companies can grow and develop," Prof Hughes says.