Posted to News on 27th Jun 2007, 16:36
New accommodation for start-ups and technology businesses
Sir Digby Jones recently joined business leaders from the Solent region for the launch of Southampton based Millbrook Technology Campus. This facility has been designed to provide a leading centre of excellence for innovation, business development and enterprise. The site offers start-up and established technology businesses the resources and facilities to succeed. It also provides an environment for technology professionals to develop networks with related businesses and higher education organisations.
Former Director-General of the CBI and UK Skills Envoy Sir Digby Jones said: "It is an honour to open this site. Millbrook Technology Campus is an exciting facility that can only have a positive impact on the region's economy, the lives of the people involved in this project and the wider community."
Located on the 16-acre, NXP Semiconductors site in Millbrook, Southampton, the Millbrook Technology Campus provides office and industrial space on flexible terms to suit the needs of regional business and address the demand for high-quality incubation space, as well as offering tenants a wide range of additional services.
Engineering workshops
Accommodation has been with grants amounting to £400,000 from SEEDA and the Southampton Partnership, using Area Investment Framework (AIF) funding and Outer Shirley Regeneration Legacy Funding. The grants were given to help encourage, accommodate and support local entrepreneurs and new technology companies and to provide vocational skills, enterprise education and a work experience centre to benefit both local young people and adults.
Businesses on the site benefit from NXP's resources, including engineering workshops and PCB equipment, a 1000sq ft gymnasium and fully staffed restaurant. The campus also offers conference and training services. A range of meeting rooms are available for use by businesses based both on and off site and plans are in progress for a conference room that will seat 250 people.
Kathryn Rankin, Manager of the Southampton AIF Programme, remarked: "The region's economy is the 22nd largest in the world and has a tremendous record for developing new-technology products. With such a heritage it is very exciting to support a project such as this in Southampton. With a wealth of talent based in the area, Millbrook Technology Campus will further strengthen the region's offer, making it a more attractive option for businesses in the area and further afield to invest."
Gary Munro, Managing Director of NXP, commented: "The Millbrook Technology Campus is a great example of how NXP is leading the field in creating an acknowledged 'Centre of Excellence' in the arena of Micro-Technology innovation, development and entrepreneurism. NXP is a market-leading semiconductor company with 50 years' experience of operating in the UK, and this further strengthens NXP's reputation for collaboration and customer intimacy."
Steve Delaney of NXP, who has been instrumental in turning the campus idea in to a reality, added: "Our mission was to build a regional technology facility that addresses the space, connectivity, security and technical needs of business owners, both large and small. We believe we are offering a very attractive solution for business' needs. It is great that all this has been made possible by public and private organisations working together. Investment from NXP, SEEDA through the AIF and Outer Shirley Regeneration funding, Solent Synergy, Innos, and Solent Skills Quest along with advice and support from David Bream of SetSquared and Steve Davis from Southampton Enterprise HUB – have all contributed to make this possible."
