THE organisation driving the development of a high-tech cluster of businesses at BT’s Adastral Park has set the stage for the next phase of growth.

Innovation Martlesham (IM), which aims to support the creation of 2,000 new jobs at Adastral Park in the coming years, has completed the refurbishment of a further 7,500 sq ft of office space, which comes equipped with high-speed internet access.

David Ralph, chairman of IM, said: “Providing additional accommodation encourages the aims of Innovation Martlesham, which is to offer a collaborative environment for ICT companies who want to be co-located with some of the world’s leading ICT companies.

“This co-location of ICT companies at Adastral Park, along with the networking opportunities that IM and its partners host, drives the main objective of Innovation Martlesham; to become a high tech cluster which stimulates innovation and supports growth for the local and UK economy.”

Major companies already based alongside BT at Adastral Park include Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco Systems, Fujitsu, Nokia Siemens Networks and Huawei Technologies.

The six new fully-furnished units, which range in size from six to 12 work stations, are available for a single monthly payment which includes the cost of internet access, use of a shared conference room and all other service charges.

They occupy the upper story of the Ross Building at Adastral Park, the ground floor of which is already occupied by a number of smaller firms, including two which have graduated from the Innovation Martlesham “incubator” unit, and is now almost fully let.

The newest tenant on the ground floor is OXEMS, which has just become the second business to graduate from the incubator which offers intensive support for fledgling ICT businesses, including advice and mentoring.

OXEMS (Oxford Electromagnetic Solutions Ltd) is a technology spin-out from the University of Oxford which has launched a revolutionary underground asset management system to help utilities locate, identify and manage their buried assets including modern plastic installations which are notoriously difficult to find.

The system consists of three elements – tags attached to key points on the assets, a detector combining advanced radio frequency technology with GPS and 3G communications capabilities, and an intelligent database designed to link with utilities’ existing systems.