Dozens of businessmen and women have gathered to celebrate the 10th anniversary of a record-breaking business and innovation centre in Portsmouth.
A wall plaque was unveiled to mark the milestone for Portsmouth Technopole, which provides office space and support services for 40 start-ups and early-stage firms.
With occupancy levels of over 90% Portsmouth Technopole is run by Oxford Innovation, which manages 21 centres across the UK.
Upwards of 150 people work for a diverse range of firms at the 20,000 sq ft (1,858 sq m) landmark building at Kingston Crescent, by the M275, with hundreds of other jobs underpinned through a region-wide supply chain.
Tribute was paid by Chris Allington, Oxford Innovation’s Managing Director of Business and Innovation Centres, to the entrepreneurial couple who founded Oxford Innovation and made the centre a reality by providing significant investment for its construction.
Sir Martin and Lady Audrey Wood, guests of honour at the event, are also founders of Oxford Instruments plc, one of the first companies to spin out from Oxford University in 1959.
The global firm, providing high-tech tools and systems, employs 19,000 people and recorded revenues of £337m last year.
Chris told more than 50 guests: ‘At the heart of our business remains the original ethos of Sir Martin and Lady Audrey Wood to support start-up and growing companies. This objective has never been more topical than today as the UK economy emerges from recession.’
He added: ‘When I’m speaking across the UK, I regularly describe how the innovation centre business is not about the building or its commercial performance. It’s about building destinations for business with vibrant, self-supporting communities. I genuinely believe there is the market demand for at least five more of these centres in this region.’
Invention entrepreneur Mandy Haberman, who officially launched the building in 2003, unveiled the plaque with Mr Allington.
She invented the award-winning, no-spill Anyway Up cup, which sells up to 60 million units a year globally under licence.
Mandy said: ‘I would have loved to have had the protective wings of Portsmouth Technopole over me when I first started out.’
Guests heard from long-standing occupiers how the innovation centre environment, which includes security, reception, mail and cleaning, and even a “milk fairy”, frees them up to do what they do best.
One of them is Dryad Maritime, the maritime intelligence provider, which started out in Portsmouth Technopole six years ago with four people and two desks and now employs nearly 30 people, monitoring weather and security risks for global shipping.
Karen Jacques, Chief Operating Officer of Dryad Maritime, described Portsmouth Technopole as “an ideal environment for growing businesses with very supportive front-of-house staff”.
Chris said afterwards: ‘In the 10 years the Technopole has been running many businesses have based their operations within it and, as a result, have been exposed to opportunities to grow and develop that may not otherwise have been available.
‘The centre has also seen a number of successful graduates that have grown to make up part of the enterprise landscape of Portsmouth, making the Technopole an indispensable contributor to the local economy.’
Portsmouth Technopole was built by Oxford Innovation in partnership with Portsmouth City Council. Chief Executive, David Williams, highlighted £1 billion worth of new regeneration projects for Portsmouth at the event.
