Solent: Success at Southampton Science Park

The past few months have seen a flurry of success for Southampton Science Park tenants, with five companies raising funding, and six businesses moving into the newly-refurbished Science Centre.

The launch of the Science Centre late in 2013 has so far given six innovative businesses the flexible space they need to grow. These are: EchoVista, a company developing a system of ultrasonic droplet dispersal to replace windscreen wipers; SoftIron, a pioneering computer business launching the world’s lowest energy server boards; Mobile Onboard, which provides mobile ticketing (including the Science Park bus service) and Wi-Fi for the transport industry; isodo3d, a company providing personal, professional and production 3D Printers as well as 3D printing services; Cascoda, a SETsquared member which is creating high-speed low-energy semiconductors, and SAL Scientific, which provides services and solutions to organisations that use mammalian cells in their drug discovery.

As well as this, the Science Park has seen an influx of funding in recent months with five tenants being awarded grants totalling over £450,000 to help develop their businesses.

Aurora Medical, a company creating innovative orthopaedic design solutions has received funding from INTERREG, financed by the European Regional Development Fund, and Humaware, which develops mechanical prognostics, has been awarded funding from the ‘Enabling the Digital Rail Competition’.

In addition SEaB Energy, SoftIron and Cascoda have all been awarded funding from the Future Solent Green Growth Programme. The Science Park has close links to the Programme and its tenants are regarded as a priority for research and development (R&D) funding in the region.

SEaB Energy, the global pioneer of mobile micro power plants, will use its grant to create seven new jobs as well as allowing the company to establish a new prototyping facility for R&D; SoftIron has used its grant to move into the Science Centre to continue its R&D programme, and Cascoda has also used its funding to move into larger premises in the Science Centre. Its new office now incorporates a specialist R&D area, enabling it to take on more staff.

This recent activity prompted Rowenna Davis, the Labour parliamentary candidate for Southampton Itchen for the 2015 General Election, to pay a visit to discover how the Park is encouraging growth and investment in the region. She was keen to see how tenants are using science and technology in novel ways to solve real world problems, and the innovative work being done by the Park itself. The Catalyst Centre and the new ‘pay as you go’ lab facilities were also high on her agenda.

Davis commented: “I have no doubt that advanced technology and manufacturing centres like Southampton Science Park will be part of the future, and we should celebrate and extend them. It made me proud to think that such a great institution, providing jobs by developing technology and advanced manufacturing, could be right there on our doorstep.”

Southampton Science Park CEO Peter Birkett said: “It’s exciting to see our tenants being successful with their funding applications. The increasing availability of government grants for science and technology companies is really helping small businesses to flourish. Our investment in young dynamic businesses through the premises and services that we provide here is really paying off and helping to make Southampton a ‘go to’ place for science and technology companies from start-up to maturity.”