The foundations for Norwich Research Park were laid in the 1960s when major institutions began to converge in the area. Beginning with John Innes Centre in 1967, the then named John Innes Institute relocated to Norwich to work closely with the School of Biological Sciences at the recently established University of East Anglia.

The research park was officially launched in 1992 when it comprised the schools of Biological and Chemical Sciences at the UEA, the John Innes Centre, IFR Norwich, the MAFF's Food Science Laboratory and the British Sugar Technical Centre (formerly British Sugar Research Laboratory).^[1] The MAFF laboratory moved to York in 1992. The British Sugar presence at the site since 1968^[2] ended when closed its laboratories in Norwich in 2001.

Developments to the Park include:

• The new Centrum building, which was officially opened in July 2014.
• The Bob Champion Research and Education Building was officially opened in February 2015. A £19 million medical research centre, it is named after the former Grand National winning jockey Bob Champion MBE.
• The Enterprise Centre at UEA opened in July 2015.
• The Quadram Institute which opened in 2018.^[3][4] The Institute is a partnership between Quadram Institute Bioscience, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the University of East Anglia and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

The Executive Chair of the Anglia Innovation Partnership LLP (AIP LLP), responsible for bringing the Norwich Research Park vision to life, is David Parfrey. Appointed in March 2018, David is overseeing a period in which the partner organisations of the AIP LLP are seeking to review the LLP’s achievements over the last 5 years and its strategy for the next 5 years, particularly in respect of the opportunities presented by the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

In 2012 key stakeholders in Norwich Research Park created the Norwich Research Partners Limited Liability Partnership which was renamed Anglia Innovation Partnership LLP in July 2018, to help the Park achieve its vision. Its non-executive board is chaired by David Parfrey, currently Executive Director, Finance & Campus Operations, at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) who took over the role from former chair Professor David Richardson, Vice-Chancellor – University of East Anglia (UEA) prior to this the chair was held by Anthony Habgood who completed his tenure in March 2016. Other board representatives are Mark Davies, CEO Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; David Harvey, Harvey & Co Ltd representing John Innes Foundation; Ian Charles, Director Quadram Institute; Dale Sanders, Director John Innes Centre; Neil Hall, Director Earlham Institute; Nick Talbot, Executive Director The Sainsbury Laboratory ; Steve Visscher, Deputy CEx & COO for the BBSRC.