20 technology
Duke visits radiation detection success story
The Duke of York saw cutting-edge technology in action during a visit to technology company Symetrica, a University of Southampton spinout which is based at the University of Southampton Science Park.
A highly innovative company, it provides next generation radiation detection and identification solutions for the US Homeland Security Market and is a beneficiary of support from the SETsquared Business Acceleration Programme, an enterprise collaboration of the Universities of Southampton, Bath, Bristol and Exeter.
Symetrica has developed sophisticated techniques which can detect and accurately identify radioactive materials that could pose a threat to security, even when they are hidden in heavily shielded containers. The company’s technology is at the heart of Smiths Detection’s RadSeekerTM, a new detector developed in partnership with the US Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), which recently issued a $4.5 million order for units.
“Future success and continued growth is founded on the capability of our next generation technology, some of which is currently being commissioned on our new portal test facility,“ said Heddwyn Davies, Symetrica’s CEO. “There is a great opportunity for these technologies to solve some of the most difficult challenges faced by those who are charged with preventing the illegal trafficking of radioactive materials.“
Symetrica’s founder David Ramsden (right) in discussion with the Duke of York
“His Royal Highness was keen to meet Symetrica, and to understand how its innovative technology is winning export sales for the UK,“ added David Bream, director of SETsquared Business Acceleration programme at Southampton University. “It is one of many examples of early stage companies supported by SETsquared which have become commercial success stories, helping to drive the UK’s economic growth.“
The Duke of York’s role includes assisting British businesses to create prosperity for the UK. In particular he provides support to SMEs and entrepreneurs and helps young people gain the skills needed by industry in areas such as science and engineering.
Google funds University project
A University of Southampton led project, exploring how people of antiquity viewed the geography of the ancient world, has been backed by $50,000 of funding from Google, via its Digital Humanities Awards Program.
Google Ancient Places (GAP) is developing a Web application which allows users to choose a classical text or book (500BC to 500AD) and then search for references to ancient places within it, presenting the results in a user-friendly interface.
GAP uses specialist software to identify where and how often places are mentioned within a text, displaying references to the locations and plotting
results on a map using an independent digital gazetteer. Project leader, and Southampton digital humanities specialist, Leif Isaksen, explained: “A GAP user cannot only see how an author’s narrative moves from place-to-place, but also how a town or city’s relative importance varies throughout a historical text. We hope it will interest scholars and users with a general interest in antiquity alike.“
GAP is an international collaborative research project between the University of Southampton, The Open University, the University of Edinburgh, University of California, Berkeley, and independent developer Nick Rabinowitz.
Orbital joins Langstone Technology Park
Langstone Technology Park has welcomed IBM Premier Business Partner Orbital to new offices at the park.
Since its formation in 1997, Orbital has been providing specialist consultancy and services for IT systems integration and Business Process Management (BPM) software solutions and has a UK-wide blue chip client base. With ambitious
www.businessmag.co.uk
growth plans, Orbital wanted an office base located within easy reach of major motorways and transport links and found Langstone Technology Park ideal.
Managing director David Bell said: “In our business, experience and reputation are very important; and we wanted an office space that reflected this. The move was seamless and we are all systems go.“
£5m for faster broadband in Hampshire
Hampshire County Council is to get £5 million of government funding following an announcement that its proposals for faster broadband in Hampshire have been accepted.
The allocation from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) is to be matched by local public and private finance, and it forms part of the £8.4m that the Government set aside for the region, including Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight.
The BDUK funding is part of government plans to ensure that everyone in the country will have access to broadband. Together with the planned commercial investment, the funding will bring enhanced speeds of at least 24 Mbs to at least 90% of homes and businesses in the UK and provide universal access to standard broadband with a speed of at least 2Mbps.
Around 50,000 households and nearly 7,000 Hampshire businesses are currently in broadband “not spots“, with very slow broadband speeds of 2 Mbs or less. Everyone should see improvements over the time of the project, if they are below the minimum levels, but it will take time to bring faster broadband to everyone in Hampshire and the overall programme will last for three years. A commercial partner needs to be secured to support and develop detailed implementation plans. The project will be phased, estimated to start in January 2013 with a three-year implementation programme due to be completed by the end of 2015.
A vital component of the Hampshire broadband plan is raising public awareness and support for improved broadband. The campaign, “Faster broadband – getting Hampshire connected“, continues, with businesses and individuals encouraged to continue to register their interest at
www.hants.gov.uk/ broadband-signup
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – APRIL 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36