Pioneering pharmaceutical firm Vectura is planning to develop a major research and development centre of excellence as it looks for further global growth opportunities under new owner, tobacco group Philip Morris International (PMI). The Chippenham-headquartered group, which was controversially acquired by PMI for £1.1bn last September, says the centre, pictured, on the Bristol & Bath...
A female-led sustainability workout is to be hosted by tech incubator SETsquared and the University of Bath to celebrate International Women’s Day. The event is part of the university’s ongoing West of England Sustainable Technologies Scale-Up Programme but with a changed format to make it more inclusive for women and those with family commitments. ...
Research projects ranging from using electric buses to transfer passengers to their planes to planting carbon-absorbing flowers and grass are to be explored by Bristol Airport as ways of lowering its emissions. The airport is to fund five projects in partnership with organisations ranging from two leading airlines to a university. A starting fund...
More than six tons of laptops, PCs and other tech items have been saved from landfill, thanks to a scheme started in lockdown to redistribute unwanted devices to schools and charities. Community interest company Wiltshire Digital Drive asked for donations to help students with their learning and to provide technology to those who otherwise...
Business management consultancy SA Group has moved to bigger premises to support its growing workforce. The move from Westbury to the White Horse Business Park on the outskirts of Trowbridge follows the transition of the firm’s ownership last November to its 60-plus employees through an Employee Ownership Trust. SA Group boasts a wide...
Nearly three-quarters of tech firm executives in the South West put purpose before profits while just under 80% prioritise relationships over success, according to a new survey. The region also boasts a far higher number of female tech entrepreneurs than the national average – 36% against 22% for the UK as a whole, the...
A University of Bath spin-out firm aiming to revolutionise the way indoor air quality is monitored has teamed up the university’s academics on a ground-breaking research project. Atmo Technology has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the university’s Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering to partner on the work. The firm, co-founded by former University of Bath mechanical...
Designability, the Bath charity that enables disabled people to live with greater independence, has officially welcomed its new chair of trustees. Jerry Marwood, pictured, has taken on the role at a time when the charity is expanding across the UK and widening access to its products, including the unique Wizzybug powered wheelchair, which...
With the ongoing impact of the pandemic, climate change and Brexit, 2022 will be another tough year for many Bath businesses. Phil Smith, managing director of Business West – the organisation behind Bath Chamber of Commerce and the Bath and North East Somerset Initiative – looks at the needs and challenges for this year? ...
Bath-based broadband provider Truespeed is poised for further expansion after securing £100m from Aviva Investors – its largest funding since its launch nearly eight years ago. It is the second investment from the global asset management arm of UK-based insurance giant Aviva and follows on from the £75m it invested in Truespeed in...
