22 focus on M27 & southampton It’s a hive of activity
The M27 is a transport artery which links two of the Solent region’s major cities, Portsmouth via the M275 and Southampton and the New Forest and Romsey through the M271. Business parks and industrial units sited just off the main junctions illustrate a diverse range of thriving regional businesses. The Business Magazine’s Sue Hughes reports
From its head office at Romsey (pictured), PhotonStar LED Group designs and manufactures intelligent LED lighting solutions. It has recently entered the consumer market by launching its proprietary technology Halcyon, a connected lighting platform for wireless, microprocessor-controlled retrofit LED lighting and control systems.
“PhotonStar has a prominent focus on connected lighting,“ said group marketing director Fenella Frost. “Halcyon, which is optimised for energy saving, circadian and new data-centric applications, can provide a connected grid that enables rich data collection, as well as an ecosystem to enable other devices to operate simply and more effectively.“
Having begun shipping the Halcyon wireless retrofit home lighting system last month, CEO James McKenzie said: “The launch of this first wireless product signals a step change for PhotonStar. Our HalcyonTM wireless control technology can provide practical energy saving and circadian lighting solutions featuring ChromaWhite, for the very substantial retrofit market.
“With the majority of buildings for the next decade already in existence, the capability to install advanced technology, without the high cost and installation inconvenience of wired controls, opens up a considerable market opportunity for our smart lighting solutions.“
Body clock patterns and disruption have featured in the news recently, with the key focus being on dynamic circadian lighting/ human centric lighting and how some lighting can disrupt human body clocks, whereas ’good’ lighting, like Halcyon, can offer benefits to health, wellbeing and human performance.
PhotonStar, which became an AIM-listed company in 2010, following the reserve takeover of PhotonStar LED by Enfis, has grown from a team of six in 2007 to a workforce of more than 120 full-time and permanent staff. With specialist in-house knowledge on all LED related topics, it is now recognised as an industry expert.
bid partners Marine South East, the business- led support organisation for the marine sector, and the Farnborough Aerospace Consortium.
On the transport front, a multi-million pound motorway improvement project covering J3 and J5 and five of the M27 is scheduled to commence this month in July. The work is expected to improve access to Southampton and help keep roads flowing when the planned development of 47,000 sq m of business space, a new supermarket distribution centre, a care home and 49 homes near the M271 have been completed.
Workers will widen the J5 M27 eastbound slip road, Stoneham Way and Wide Lane to three lanes. Sections of the roundabout will also be widened and extra traffic lights installed, while an additional lane for drivers turning left from Wide Lane on to the eastbound M27 carriageway will be created.
Close to home, it has supplied innovative lighting for the University of Southampton Science Park at Chilworth and worked on projects for Sunseeker and other prestige brands.
At the opposite end of the M27, firms active in aviation, marine and engineering are in line for free mentoring and coaching under a dedicated package of help from Fareham-based WSX Enterprise.
The not-for-profit support organisation has been appointed to deliver a government-funded programme in the South East called Air, Land and Sea. It enables companies to receive up to 20 hours of free one-to-one help and advice over the coming year from a skilled and experienced mentor.
Chief executive Peter Grant explained: “The aim is to assist up-and-coming businesses in the supply chain of these specialist, high-growth sectors of our regional economy. It is a powerful boost from an expert with relevant industry experience.“
The first 50 companies who sign up will be eligible to receive additional funding for leadership and management training.
Air, Land and Sea is funded by BIS, the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. WSX Enterprise secured the work along with
At J3 there will be a third lane on the slip road off the westbound carriageway of the M27 and on both the northbound and southbound approaches to the motorway from the M271, as well as additional traffic lights. Workers will also replace the hard shoulder on the eastern side of the J3 roundabout with a third lane to ease traffic heading from Romsey or the eastbound carriageway of the M27 towards Southampton.
Ease of access to both the Port of Southampton and M271 has led developer Evander Properties, which specialises in logistics and industrial units, to draw up proposals for a new 21,371 sq m warehouse and office complex at Test Lane, Redbridge.
Representatives from the council partnered colleagues from Savills to showcase marine and maritime-occupier opportunities in the city at the annual Seawork International commercial marine exhibition in June. Two marine employment development sites, the Marine Employment Quarter (MEQ) at Centenary Quay and Chapel Riverside were showcased and together total more than 17 acres and are able to house upwards of 700 employees.
The Marine Employment Quarter (MEQ) site at Centenary Quay, owned by the Homes and Community Agency, recently placed on the market, is on the east bank of the River Itchen and boasts a waterfront with deep water access. The Chapel Riverside site is on the west bank of the Itchen, city side, and ideal for marine businesses seeking to expand or relocate.
www.businessmag.co.uk
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – JULY/AUGUST 2014
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