Science park scores a century

Discovery Park in Sandwich have scored a century as it signs its 100th tenant – start-up healthcare technology company Quvium. The company develops and manufactures sensors worn by asthma sufferers, which indicate when an attack is likely, allowing the wearer or their carer to manage their condition. Based in Boston in the United States, Quvium secured a £500,000 loan from Expansion East Kent, part of the Regional Growth Fund programme, enabling it to bring the product to the UK market. 20 full time jobs will be created. Company CEO and founder Steve Schmidt, who is father to an asthmatic child, said: “Bringing our sensors to the UK presents a huge opportunity for us and we’re delighted to make Sandwich our UK home. Like other manufacturing, science and tech industries, we feel we are ideally placed here to maximise our potential in the UK and Europe. Discovery Park provided the right mix of infrastructure, resources, and collaborative opportunities, making it the obvious choice.” Investment promotion agency Locate in Kent identified and worked with Quvium to facilitate the company’s decision to base themselves at Discovery Park. Paul Barber, managing director of Discovery Park said, “Achieving our 100th tenant is a significant milestone for Discovery Park, especially when you consider that the site only had five tenants when we took it over two years ago.”