A raft of businesses focused on driving innovation in sports technology, tele-rehabilitation and cloud platforms have signed up as tenants at Liverpool’s new centre for sensor technology development Sensor City,
Sensor City, a joint venture between the University and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) , aims to create a global hub for sensor technologies and its latest tenants include regional and internationally based businesses.
Amongst the innovators coming on board at the Sensor City site is entrepreneur Terry Nelson, a former Liverpool FC player and paratrooper who, having endured a series of serious health issues, pioneered the Aqua Running body suit designed to provide a highly effective, no impact, resistance workout in the water.
The suit – the only fitness aid of its type in the world, is endorsed by Santas Real Madrid Medical Services and uses a patented hydro buoyancy system to maximise no impact training in the water. Designed to ensure that people of any age or ability can exercise through injury, or physical challenge, the suit can be used in rehabilitation, as well as athletic training. A number of UK Premier League teams use the suits, along with Real Madrid football club.
Terry now intends on using Sensor City’s state-of-the-art facilities, which include a technology development zone and open innovations lab, to evolve the Aqua Running product further by building sensors into the suit that will provide medical staff with valuable training and performance data.
Through the development and application of pioneering sensor technology that can accurately record data in the water, Aqua Running hopes to produce a world leading new product. Sensor City has been supporting on the project for some time and will be helping Terry to source a researcher from one of its local university partners, when work starts on the sensor development at the beginning of 2018. The new suit is due to be launched in late 2018, after testing at the Real Madrid training ground.
Also taking up occupancy at Sensor City is Uplec Industries Ltd, a North Wales based business focusing on the design and development of a range of specialist electronics products. Headed by Managing Director, Simon Parry, Uplec Industries Ltd will use the facilities at Sensor City to work on its flagship research and development projects, trialling remote physiotherapy technologies to the UK’s healthcare markets.
Uplec Industries Ltd is spinning out its project into Sensor City to take advantage of the first-class engineering facilities on offer and to access technical support and talent. The company has already taken on an intern from Sensor City partner, Liverpool John Moores University. Sensor City is also helping Uplec Industries Ltd to collaborate with technologically progressive hospitals.
Exploiting Sensor City’s collaborative network will also be high on the agenda of third new tenant, Zaiku Group Ltd, a technology company specialising in cloud and distributed systems. Nanosai- a start-up venture launched by Zaiku Group and Denmark-based Jenkov Aps will be based at Sensor City, where it will develop back-end technologies aimed at enabling a better and more intelligent 21st century internet experience.
Alison Mitchell, Executive Director for Sensor City said, “The innovations our new tenants are developing are enormously exciting and each has the potential to be a game-changer in their individual market sectors. That Sensor City has been able to attract such pioneering businesses proves we are the place to be if you are a sensor technology innovator wanting to develop your product to commercialisation.
“Sensor City has been designed and built to establish and support commercially viable high-tech businesses by offering technical expertise, business support and an international platform for collaboration. It is fantastic to see businesses like Aqua Running, Uplec and Zaiku engaging with everything the centre has to offer and we look forward to seeing many more innovative companies and entrepreneurs doing so in future.”
Sensor City is expected to create 1,000 jobs in the region over the next decade, nurturing 300 start-up tech businesses.
Laboratory, office and hot desking spaces are now available at Sensor City. To find out more visit www.sensorcity.co.uk
Sensor City is a joint venture between the University and Liverpool John Moores University and one of four flagship University Enterprise Zones. Sensor City has received £5m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and £5m from BEIS, as well as ongoing support from the university partners.
