The contacts we have made through being a part of the Science Park community have made out business the success it is today Dr Mike Santer , Founder of BluPoint
seventeen and will allow the Park to expand its successful innovation and enterprise activity , welcoming new companies as well as enabling it to cater for existing tenants who are experiencing rapid growth . Due to open in September 2016 , 5 Benham Campus will provide 30,600 sq ft of office accommodation over three floors , along with meeting and conference rooms and a second on-site coffee shop .
The Science Centre : multi-occupancy labs and office space , giving scientific startups the flexible accommodation they need
strategy of providing the right facilities to support commercialisation of technology .”
5 . Start-ups To encourage the development of technology start-up companies , Southampton Science Park has created an environment specifically designed to accommodate the needs of entrepreneurial businesses . The Catalyst Centre is an initiative developed by Southampton Science Park in association with SETsquared to provide coaching and mentoring by experienced professionals . Its aim is to identify high quality science and technology business propositions which are capable of significant growth , and provide the entrepreneurs concerned with intensive support , to enable their businesses to develop and flourish .
6 . Sustainability Southampton Science Park is continually working to improve its sustainability credentials and reduce its environmental footprint . For example , an on-site anaerobic digester , designed and built by tenant company SEaB Energy , uses food waste from the on-site coffee shop and tenant ’ s offices and converts it into energy for the Park ’ s Kenneth Dibben House . The Park is also investing in improving the energy performance of building stock .
The Development of Benham Campus 2016 will see the opening of the latest building developed on the University of Southampton Science Park – 5 Benham Campus . The construction project will bring the number of buildings on site to
Case Study – BluPoint BluPoint is a social impact company that provides companies , governments and other organisations with an effective way of communicating with off-grid people and communities to deliver education , healthcare and economic development . This is implemented through a low cost , community based , solar powered , pop-up intranet solution that is fast to deploy and free to users on their own mobile device .
In September 2013 Dr . Mike Santer founded BluPoint and joined the Catalyst Centre programme at the Science Park , undergoing 6 months of incubation before moving into larger premises on the Park . Since then , the Company has gone from strength to strength , continuing to grow the global influence and awareness of its innovative product .
In late 2015 , the Company was awarded £ 500,000 in funding from Innovate UK , which gave the team the ability to accelerate the development of the solution to a stage where they were able to test the technology in its intended environment . In early 2016 , the team completed a round of angel funding and signed an intellectual property licensing agreement with the University of Southampton .
Peter Birkett , CEO of Southampton Science Park , commented : “ Over the years we ’ ve watched in admiration as Mike Santer and his team travel the globe creating new networks and building the business . To see a company go from a blank slate to having a product that is ready to take to market is something that makes my job , and what we do here at the Science Park worth while .”
Dr . Mike Santer , Founder of BluPoint commented : “ Since inception , BluPoint has been based on the Science Park – from the Catalyst Centre , to the Incubation Centre , to now having our own office – we continue to grow and develop here . The opportunities afforded to us by winning a place on the Catalyst Centre programme and the subsequent contacts we have made through being a part of the Science Park community have made our business the success it is today . Peter Birkett even introduced me to our now-CEO Peter Dingley ; a step that has allowed us to take the business to the next level .”
Southampton Science Park working with the entrepreneurs of tomorrow . Students from six local universities take part in a business challenge at the Park
218 UKSPA Directory 2016 / 17 Full Member • England