Parkside Office Village

Innovative British technology company Bowater Holographics Limited has announced it will be moving into premises on the Knowledge Gateway at the University of Essex’s Colchester Campus in the second half of 2014.

The move could create up to 6 hi-tech jobs in the Colchester area initially with additional jobs being created in a variety of roles as the company grows.

As world leaders in the mass reproduction of full colour, three dimensional, volume reflection holograms for product and identity security, the company will be investing £3m establishing a manufacturing base at a new building at Parkside Office Village on the Knowledge Gateway that will be christened Bowater House. This will house Bowater Holographics Limited, Bowater Media Limited and the Bowater Foundation, putting all three under one roof for the first time.

Bowater Holographics Limited is also committing to building a long term and sustainable relationship with Colchester and the University by including a number of internships and scholarships through the Bowater Foundation.

Founder James BV Bowater said: “With a world class technology that has global applications in everything from security to renewable energies, establishing a strong relationship with the University of Essex, is important to us, as is building up a manufacturing facility in the Colchester area.”

University of Essex Registrar Bryn Morris said: “We want the Knowledge Gateway to be a home for innovative businesses like Bowater so we can support the drive for economic growth in the region.

“Parkside Office Village offers us the chance to forge strong connections with ambitious businesses and I am delighted to welcome Bowater to our University community.

“We are also delighted Bowater is committed to building a relationship with the University by connecting with our talented students and graduates through to our world-leading academics.”

With high levels of global interest in the Company’s technologies and products, all the indications are that the scale of the Bowater Holographics Limited involvement in both Colchester and the University can only grow and become more significant.

Cllr Kevin Bentley, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Growth and Infrastructure, welcomed the announcement: “This is splendid news that the first business has been signed up for Parkside. I am confident this is the first of many. Essex County Council and the University have worked together to push Parkside because it will make a substantial contribution to the economic growth of north east Essex.”

Cllr Anne Turrell, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Regeneration at Colchester Borough Council, spoke proudly of the new investment: “This is great news for Colchester at a very important time in our regeneration of the borough. Bowater is exactly the type of company we are looking to attract as the economy starts to improve and we position Colchester as a location of choice for major business investment.”

Peter Jones said: “This represents how the Knowledge Gateway, the University of Essex and the Growing Places Fund have locally contributed to driving growth in Essex. We welcome the strong links the University has developed with the business community. This will bring new skills and technology to the area, which is much welcomed and we look forward to working with the University on the next stages of the Parkside development.”

Take a virtual tour of Parkside.

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More information

For more information about Bowater please contact Tim Sandford, email: marketing@bowater.co

For more information about Parkside Office Village, contact the University of Essex Communications Office, telephone: 01206 874377 or email: comms@essex.ac.uk.

About Bowater Holographics Limited
Founded in 2012, Bowater Holographics Limited is a ground breaking technology business that has developed a method of reproducing full colour, three dimensional, volume reflection holograms in industrial quantities for the purposes of identity security, currency, tax stamps and brand security.

The company and the technology have been developed in Britain, with a view to growing the business to be the global leader in product and identity authentication, using its ground breaking holographic technologies. Led by experienced management and technical teams, the Company has attracted some of the world’s most respected experts in holography as well as a first class commercial team.