The East London Industrial Development Zone's (ELIDZ) Science and Technology Park (STP) aims to enhance both the competitive and comparative advantages of the ELIDZ as a preferred industrial and investment destination. It aims to grow current tenants within the IDZ and to encourage new tenants to set up within the zone through the use of a number of innovative products and services. In essence this will be achieved through a dual process of establishing both research and networking infrastructures. Currently a range of laboratories is being established to provide analytical testing facilities to the tenants of the ELIDZ and to industries located outside the IDZ. These laboratories will not only serve as testing and analytical platforms, but also provide high impact training facilities, platforms and opportunities required to supply the industry with a well-trained workforce. The laboratories will also be used in a range of research processes which will have been commissioned by government, tertiary institutions, ELIDZ tenants, the ELIDZ and/or private sector clients based on a broadly consulted research and innovation agenda. It is anticipated that this research and innovation agenda will be key to economic growth in the Eastern Cape as it will encourage innovators and their start-up companies focused on this agenda to locate themselves within ELIDZ where they will have access to various innovation funders as well as an ELIDZ STP-facilitated incubation process.