Three former Nortel engineers have moved their electronics business into Torbay’s £8million tech innovation centre.
Mike Badcott, Andrew Addy and John McKinnon each have more than 30 years of experience in the electronics sector, and will now grow their CAS Antennas business and HEEDRA products from the Electronics and Photonics Innovation Centre (EPIC), in Paignton’s White Rock Business Park.
CAS Antennas is currently working with Nottingham University on a European Space Agency (ESA) project that will improve positional accuracy of mobile phones.
Mr Badcott and Mr Addy have also founded HEEDRA, which provides distribution and consultancy for specialist GPS/GNSS products and services to engineers, researchers and staff across multiple industry sectors including defence, aerospace, satellite and space.
As GPS/GNSS technology becomes widespread across industries and applications, the business will continue to provide access to flexible, easy to use and affordable test solutions.
Mr Badcott said: “Things have turned full circle since the days of Nortel. We are now back close to that site in an amazing centre.
“We have taken one of the smaller offices here at EPIC but there is scope for us to grow. We are working on a number of exciting projects with market disrupting technologies which could see us expand very rapidly.”
CAS Antennas joins cutting-edge technology companies including Bay Photonics at EPIC. The building has remained open throughout the pandemic providing facilities to the microelectronics and photonics sector.
EPIC has seen unprecedented demand for lab space as businesses consider relocating to the new purpose-built electronics centre. This has resulted in businesses moving production, R&D and, in some cases, their whole organisation into EPIC.
Centre Director Wayne Loschi said: “The collaboration between our tenants is really starting to blossom. Businesses like CAS Antennas have a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will benefit EPIC.
“Since lockdown, EPIC has let seven new units, accommodating four new technology companies to the centre. This includes two high profile members of the local Hi Tech Cluster.
“What has been encouraging is the number of new jobs that have been created since April, at least 10 since the start of the pandemic, which is fantastic in these challenging times.”
EPIC is a centre of excellence, supporting technological innovation and promoting collaborative activity between businesses and research institutions.
It focuses on supporting high-potential companies and encourages investment into Torbay’s microelectronics and photonics sector, and in the wider South West.
EPIC is partly funded by a £3million grant from the Heart of the South West LEP Growth Deal. In addition to this, £1.375million has been secured from the European Regional Development Fund, and £1.1million in Coastal Communities Funding. This funding supports a £2.5milion investment in the centre made by Torbay Council.
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