Fareham: Babcock moves 100 staff to eight offices at innovation centre

Up to 100 personnel from engineering services company Babcock are to work under one roof at a thriving innovation centre in Hampshire.

Babcock’s Marine Training has signed up to eight offices, covering 464 sq m, at Fareham Innovation Centre’s new £7 million extension, and will make the new facility its operational base with staff relocating in phases from sites across the UK.

Oxford Innovation, which runs the award-winning centre on behalf of owner Fareham Borough Council, is the UK’s leading operator of Innovation Centres, with 23 currently under management.

Stephen Brownlie, Oxford Innovation’s regional manager for the South, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to have Babcock sign up to eight offices at Fareham Innovation Centre, generating inward investment and providing commercial opportunities to grow local supply chains.

“Fareham Innovation Centre is a premier location for marine, aviation, aerospace engineering and advanced manufacturing, evidenced by highly-respected and innovative companies, such as Babcock, choosing to base operations here.”

He added: “Occupancy is already at 60% in the whole building, with 10 companies now in at the extension, and we anticipate that figure rising steadily in the months to come.

“We have close to 40 companies here now – it is a powerhouse of knowledge, intellectual property, innovation, problem solving, growth ambition and entrepreneurialism.”

Mark Graves, managing director of Babcock Marine Training, said: “Fareham Innovation Centre provides an ideal operating environment for our 100 staff who will be developing and designing imaginative and stimulating training content and media for our national and international maritime customers.

“I am really looking forward to being able to engage proactively with a range of innovative and growing local companies operating within manufacturing and technology industries.”