Ionix Advanced Technologies, global experts in extreme environment ultrasound and monitoring, have outgrown Huddersfield’s 3M Buckley Innovation Centre (3M BIC) and relocated to larger premises in central Leeds to support their ongoing expansion.
Founded in 2011 as a University of Leeds start-up, Ionix Advanced Technologies specialise in the design and production of high-performance sensors and piezoceramic materials for the oil, gas, energy, aerospace and automotive industries. Its technology enables reliable remote monitoring in extreme conditions, enhancing productivity and safety through applications like thickness and crack monitoring, flow measurement and position sensing.
The company spun into the 3M BIC in 2015 and has since grown from a team of less than 10 to 20+ and now sells its products to 60 countries across six continents.
3M BIC’s CEO, Sue Cooke, said: “Watching Ionix grow from a small spin-out to a global leader over the last decade has been incredibly inspiring. Its move to larger premises marks an exciting new chapter and we’re thrilled to have played a role in the company’s growth.”
With Ionix’s recent move, high-quality lab and office spaces are now available at the 3M BIC. Ideal for innovative businesses seeking a collaborative and adaptable environment, these newly available spaces provide cutting-edge facilities within a thriving innovation hub, offering an excellent opportunity for companies aiming to grow and connect with industry-leading technology and expertise.
Sue continues: “It’s bittersweet to say goodbye to a team that has played such an integral part in the 3M BIC community for so many years. We’re excited, however, to see Ionix continue to thrive and make its mark in the industry and look forward to welcoming new businesses to the centre, with the move freeing up a range of office and in-demand lab spaces of various sizes.”
Ionix’s flagship HotSense™ transducers, offer reliable monitoring of critical assets in extreme conditions, from -200°C to over 550°C, with high resistance to hazardous environments. They reduce costly shutdowns and are the only high-temperature transducers globally certified for explosive environments.
Over the years, the company has worked closely with academics from the University of Huddersfield on analytics, x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy, as well as the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), also based at the 3M BIC, on coordinate mapping and surface measurement. It has also taken advantage of other technology available on Innovation Avenue at the 3M BIC including its additive manufacturing capabilities.
Commenting on the move, Steve Holding, managing director of Ionix, said: “Ionix needed the perfect combination of office and laboratory space, and 3M BIC was an ideal fit. When we moved here, we were a team of nearly 10, we’ve now doubled to over 20 people and our sensors are shipped globally.
“Being based at the 3M BIC has offered us the flexibility to adapt our space as we’ve grown, which is essential for a business like ours that requires scalable, single-site operations for efficiency and cohesion.”
Ionix follows Adventoris, another former 3M BIC business, that outgrew the centre after 10 years moving to larger premises in Huddersfield last year to support its international growth.
Part of the University of Huddersfield, the 3M BIC offers office and lab space for growing businesses, meeting and conference rooms, co-working, as well as company address registration and event space discount via its membership.
Its USP is its Innovation Avenue that houses expertise and technology for product design and development, product prototyping, such as 3D printers, product analysis, including X-Ray facilities, and digital design capabilities.
More information about available office and lab space at the 3M BIC, can be found here.
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