Solent: University of Southampton Science Park announces £2m deal

The University of Southampton Science Park has announced a 10-year, £2 million tenancy agreement with Chilworth Technology for Phi House, the biggest on the Park to date. The deal was orchestrated by the Science Park team and its agent Vail Williams, along with Chilworth Technology’s agent BNP Paribas.

The property is undergoing considerable refurbishment in an extensive refit project which will see it taken back to a shell in order to install improved electrical systems and more efficient insulation and heating. At 16,600 sq ft, the new accommodation will also be equipped with a whole laboratory wing, almost doubling the capacity of the facility for process safety testing compared with its current Beta House home.

Peter Birkett, CEO of Southampton Science Park, said: “It’s always a pleasure to see Science Park companies achieve significant growth. Chilworth Technology is a great example of this – a small start-up that has grown into a significant force around the world from its base in Southampton. Announcing this 10-year lease reflects a great achievement and encouraging signs, not only for Chilworth Technology and the Science Park, but for the science and technology community across the south of England.”

Chilworth Technology, which will be taking up residency in Phi House in March 2015, has pioneered process safety in the UK while sharing its testing, consulting and training expertise worldwide. The company has been a Science Park tenant for over 25 years and this is a big move for the business, as managing director Stephen Rowe explained: “Since starting in a single room in Chilworth Manor in 1986, while the Science Park was under construction, the company has seen remarkable growth to become a globally-recognised premium brand.

"Our parent company DEKRA is fully behind this move and we are delighted to have its backing for the next phase of our business’s evolution. The new purpose built, state-of-the-art facilities at Phi House will enable us to increase our testing and consulting capacity to support our continued growth plans on a global scale.”