Tag Archives: Launch

Business, Business Investment, Business News, Cardiff, Cardiff News, Events, South Wales, UK, Wales

Cardiff Capital Region announces return to MIPIM 2025, the world’s leading property investment event

Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) officially launched its MIPIM 2025 Partnership Programme today at the Pyramid Suite, Sophia Gardens ahead of the international event in Cannes, France, 11-14 March 2025.

Hosted by CCR’s Chief Executive Kellie Beirne, with special guest Dame Nia Griffith, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Wales Office, the launch brought together private sector guests and public sector partners across the ten local councils that make up the Region.

Cllr Mary Ann Brocklesby, Chair, Cardiff Capital Region Committee, and Cllr Huw Thomas, Deputy Chair, Cardiff Capital Region both spoke at the event, highlighting the importance of attending MIPIM and how it enables the Region to showcase opportunities to investors and property developers from all over the world.

In 2025, CCR will be situated with other UK City Regions at La Croisette on the seafront, an important strategic move that sees the Region partner with other core UK destinations, whilst also retaining its own unique Welsh identity.

Dame Nia Griffith said:

“The UK Government’s key mission is economic growth and Cardiff and the surrounding area have a vital role to play in that mission. That is why we have invested in Cardiff Capital Region.

“Their attendance at this globally renowned exhibition is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the best of what our capital city has to offer to international investors. By working together we will encourage investment into Wales.”

Cllr Mary Ann Brocklesby, said:

“I’m delighted to see South East Wales represented on the international stage of MIPIM once again. Our presence shows we are serious about our ambitions and the critical role that inward investment plays to drive inclusive growth and prosperity, in collaboration with the private sector.”

Cllr Huw Thomas, added:

“Our city is at our best when we work in partnership, and especially so when we are showcasing our businesses on the global stage, and we’re excited to be returning to MIPIM in 2025 to show what Cardiff, and the region, has to offer. On a number of measures, we’re growing faster than other cities across the UK, and we want to make sure that success continues, supporting more and better jobs for our communities across the city and the Cardiff Capital Region.”

 

Considered the world’s leading global real estate event, ‘Marche International des Professionals d’Immobilier’ (MIPIM) attracts more than 20,000 participants each year, including 5,000 investors, 4,800 developers, and 500 journalists.

News

Protolabs’ launch 3D Printing DFM analysis for a faster turnaround

Protolabs has launched Design for Manufacturability analysis for 3D printed parts, offering peace of mind to manufacturers across Europe.

The Midlands manufacturer says it is a significant advancement to the company’s 3D printing offering as it provides added assurance that a part is suitable for manufacturing before committing to production, all entirely online in a matter of seconds.

Protolabs, based in Telford, has been supporting customers using the process for CNC and Injection Moulding offerings, and the development brings those benefits of speed and reassurance to the 3D Printing service.

Andrea Landoni, Protolabs EMEA’s 3D Printing Product Manager, commented: “Additive manufacturing is a brilliant technology, allowing engineers to produce complex parts that were previously too difficult to achieve.

Whilst the technology offers great flexibility, there are a few limitations that engineers must be aware of and the Design for Manufacturability (DFM) analysis provides that guidance in seconds.

“The system will instantly highlight all the issues to the user, whether they are critical, such as parts that are too large to be produced, or non-critical, like dimensions that are close to certain thresholds like wall thickness and may not form completely.

“We understand the importance of speed, but ensuring that parts are correct, high quality, and delivered rapidly is critical. Instant analysis means you can have all the advantages of additive manufacturing with even more certainty without sacrificing speed.”

Design for Manufacturability processes eliminate lost time incidents for most common issues, preventing engineers from proceeding with their order only to discover there has been an issue hours later. Whilst the vast majority of problems are solved, there are circumstances where the user may still require further support.

Landoni continued: “Protolabs understand that specific projects require technical consultancy to solve complex issues. In these circumstances, our Application Engineers are still on hand to overcome these challenges and accelerate the process. The Design for Manufacturability analysis supports our Application Engineers by reducing the number of projects they need to get involved in, allowing them to interact with more customers who require their support even faster.

For further information, please visit https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/

Bristol, News, South West

Firehaus Bring Academia & Industry Together – Increasing Impact & Informing the Future

Firehaus, the Bristol-based brand consultancy, is bringing Academia and Industry together with the launch of The University of Bristol’s The Enterprise Sessions and Interact. 

Interact is a newly-funded initiative through Made Smarter Innovation, part of UKRI.  Many of the barriers to digital innovation in manufacturing are not actually technological, but economic and behavioural. Social science, with its focus on human behaviour, has much to contribute to help industry overcome these challenges. Yet many social scientists are unaware of the opportunities manufacturing provides as a platform for their expertise.  

Interact has been launched to bring pioneering human insight to the industry and accelerate the adoption of industrial digital technologies in the UK manufacturing sector. Firehaus worked with Made Smarter Innovation and academics from the Universities of Loughborough and Strathclyde to create the positioning, name, branding and manifesto film for Interact.  

The brand will offer expertise in social and economic sciences to initiate research and improve access to insights to inform the future of a net-zero economy and make an important contribution to how the UK realises its ambition to become a global leader in industrial digitalisation by 2030. 

Professor Jill MacBryde, University of Strathclyde, Co-Director of Interact comments: “Our long-term vision is to build a strong, vibrant, interdisciplinary community to support UK manufacturing in the adoption and development of digital technologies that will result in a stronger, more resilient, manufacturing base. We know that technology alone is not enough. We need to harness the knowledge of people and society to really reap the full benefits that technology can bring.” 

Jill MacBryde, University of Strathclyde, Co-Director of Interact adds: “Firehaus were great to work with. They explained everything and discussed our choices. They listened to our multiple stakeholders and were very flexible. We ended up with something we are delighted with – but would never have been able to do ourselves!” 

Meanwhile, The Enterprise Sessions is a series of films led by Prof. Michele Barbour Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor: Enterprise and Innovation at the University of Bristol. She speaks with founders, researchers and academics from different disciplines and career stages who’ve been part of its Enterprise ecosystem. Guests include Konstantina Psoma, Professor Wuge Briscoe and Professor Roberta Guerrina and will cover a range of topics from funding, licensing and IP, consultancy, contract research and business incubation. The series aims to inspire others to consider how they can realise impact from their ideas.  Jones Millbank were responsible for all of the video production for the project. 

The University of Bristol now tops the list of UK universities for the return on investment achieved by spinouts and is ranked in the top 3 for equity investment. [Govgrant: University Spinout Report – Parkwalk and Beauhurst: Equity Investment into UK Spin outs 2022] 

Prof. Michele Barbour says: “The University of Bristol has an impressive track record of enterprise and innovation and we’re keen to share that knowledge within our community as well as with a wider audience. The Enterprise Sessions is a new content series that brings to life the personal stories of spinout Founders and how our enterprise ecosystem has them.” 

“Firehaus took our idea and created a branded content series, introducing the broadcast-style interview approach, as well as the name and look and feel. The approach has allowed me to develop rich conversations with our interviewees and showcase their experience of our ecosystem which will be of huge benefit for anyone involved in research, innovation and enterprise.” 

Nick Barthram, Strategy Partner at Firehaus adds, “Firehaus have worked with a range of organisations in the Research, Innovation and Enterprise space, including UKRI, Made Smarter Innovation and The University of Bristol. Consequently we’ve developed a clear understanding and methodology to ignite opportunities at the intersection of academia and industry”.  

News, Property News

Executive showhome unveiled at landmark development in Hornchurch

A luxurious five-bedroom showhome has been unveiled at a landmark development in Hornchurch.

Bellway London has thrown open the doors to the Willow house type at St George’s Park, which is taking shape on the former St George’s Hospital site off Suttons Lane.

The developer is delivering 365 new homes over two phases on the site, which was sold for around £40 million by NHS Property Services in 2018.

In phase one, Bellway is building 194 homes – a mix of two to five-bedroom houses and one and two-bedroom apartments. In phase two, the developer is delivering 162 new homes – a combination of one and two-bedroom apartments and three-bedroom houses.

The Willow is a detached five-bedroom family home over three floors, with a large kitchen/dining/family room, a separate living room, a study and a utility room downstairs. The first floor features a bedroom with an en suite shower room, three further bedrooms and a family bathroom, while the entire top floor is taken up by the spacious master bedroom, with en suite and additional storage space.

Emma Hamlett, Sales Director for Bellway London, said: “The Willow showhome is a stunning executive home which is delivered over three floors and features five bedrooms. It is the epitome of luxury modern family living, providing space and flexibility to meet the needs of today’s lifestyles.

“Perhaps the outstanding feature is the top floor which is taken up by the master bedroom which is bathed in natural light through the roof lights.

“The design team has also maximised the practicality of the home’s space by creating areas that can be used for working from home, with the ground floor layout also including a study.

“With energy prices due to soar and environmental issues to the fore, there has never been a better time to invest in a new-build property which has sustainability and energy efficiency at its core. The Willow features double-glazed windows and doors, modern insulation and an energy-efficient boiler, with the solar panels on the roof adding to these impressive money-saving credentials.”

Bellway is not only delivering hundreds of new homes at the site – which was used by RAF Hornchurch during the Second World War – but has also donated Suttons House, a Grade II-listed building on the site, to Hornchurch Aerodrome Historical Trust. The building was officially opened as a heritage centre in September last year by Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon GCB CBE. Street names and selected aspects of the homes at St George’s Park reflect the site’s RAF links.

Emma said: “There has been a lot of interest in this development since the very start. Demand remains very strong and we would encourage anyone considering buying a home here to contact our sales team as soon as they can.”

There is currently a selection of two-bedroom apartments and five-bedroom houses available to reserve at St George’s Park, with prices starting at £384,000. Further property types are set to be released for sale in due course.

For more information about the new homes call the sales team on 01708 242446 or visit https://www.bellwaylondon.co.uk/.

CAPTION

  • The Willow showhome at Bellway’s St George’s Park development in Hornchurch.
News, Property News

Showhome now open at five-star rated development in Brampton

A new showhome has opened at Bellway’s Brampton Gate, highlighting the quality and attention to detail which has led to top customer satisfaction scores at the development so far this year.

The Henlow showhome is one of six house types remaining for sale at the site, off Laws Crescent, where all but 17 of the homes have now been sold.

The housebuilder was recently awarded five-star status by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) for the fifth consecutive year, which means that more than 90 per cent of customers said they would recommend Bellway to a friend or family member.

And all 12 customers who have completed their move to Brampton Gate so far this year and have completed HBF customer satisfaction surveys have responded with 100 per cent positive feedback about their new homes.

The development’s site manager, Paul Lawrence, has also recently secured his third consecutive Pride in the Job Quality Award from the NHBC, for his excellence in site management.

Luke Southgate, Sales Director of Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “This fantastic result is down to the hard work of Bellway’s construction, sales and customer care teams for Brampton Gate, and highlights the high level of care and attention that goes into every Bellway home.

“Construction work at Brampton Gate is progressing well and is scheduled to be completed in the next 12 months, allowing the final residents to move into their new homes in the near future.

“Paul and his team at Brampton Gate are a testament to the quality of construction Bellway prides itself on, and we’re really proud of their achievements over the past few years.”

The five-bedroom Henlow is a detached home with an open-plan kitchen/breakfast/family room, a separate living room with French doors to the garden, a separate dining room and a utility room downstairs, with a master bedroom with an en suite upstairs.

Luke said: “The Henlow showcases the benefits of living in a five-bedroom property, which provides residents with flexibility and the opportunity to create a multi-functional home.

“This will appeal to buyers searching for a new house with extra room to convert into an office, a hobby room or a gym, without having to compromise on living space.”

Brampton Gate is a mix of three, four and five-bedroom homes with prices currently starting at £470,000 for a four-bedroom detached house.

Prices for the Henlow house type start at £500,000 and the showhome is open to visitors by appointment only.

For more information about the Henlow or the new homes at Brampton Gate, visit bellway.co.uk or call the sales team on 01480 809205.

CAPTIONS

  • Brampton Gate site manager Paul Lawrence won an NHBC Quality Award in June 2021
News

Born again… Born Social launch rebrand

Award-winning social media agency, Born Social, is today launching a bold new rebrand including website, logo, tone of voice and toolkit, that captures the essence of the company as it continues to grow and evolve.

Created in collaboration with London design agency Human After All, the rebranded website features the company’s distinct shade of blue and a ‘digital-first’ colour palette using pastel shades, photography and 3D. Born Social is a pioneer of the ‘Social-First’ movement, which was integral to the rebrand. Dynamic content layers consisting of Emojis, app tiles and real-world objects combine to create an experience reminiscent of our social media interactions. The new identity is grounded in the rigour and experience that the agency has become known for within the industry.

A key principle of the rebrand messaging draws from the understanding that the world of social media can seem chaotic. Born Social works with brands to navigate and harness the elements of social media that make it feel like chaos, bringing ‘method to the madness’. “Harness the chaos” is a new brand pillar that helps encapsulate and define the agency’s approach.

Since launching in 2012, the agency is now a growing team of 70 working with some of the UK’s leading brands to its roster including: Nando’s, Fever Tree and Snickers. Over the last year alone, Born Social has won a series of new accounts, undergone a buyout, launched a new senior heads management team and has a future-proof post-Covid office rebuild in the works, all paving the way for a rebrand to reflect the changes.

Commenting on the rebrand, Ben Tyson, CEO and Partner of Born Social, says: “Working collaboratively with Human After All, we wanted to reflect our evolution as a company while representing our people-centred focus and our commitment to a social-first approach. We’re thrilled with the result. The rebrand perfectly captures who we are, how we behave and what we believe in.”

News

Showhomes are now open in Houghton Regis

The doors to two new showhomes have opened at the Bellway at Linmere development in Houghton Regis.

The three-bedroom Turner and Chestnut properties have been decorated and furnished to give visitors an insight into the quality and design of typical properties at the site, and are now available to view by appointment.

The development, located off Sundon Road, comprises a collection of one and two-bedroom apartments and three and four-bedroom houses.

The Turner showhome consists of an open-plan living/dining room with French doors opening onto the garden and a separate kitchen, while upstairs, the master bedroom has an en suite shower room, with the other two bedrooms having access to a modern family bathroom.

The Chestnut housetype, meanwhile, covers three floors of living space, with an open-plan kitchen/dining room and a separate living room with French doors on the ground floor. The first floor comprises two bedrooms and a contemporary bathroom, while the master bedroom spans the entire top floor and includes a dressing area and en suite shower room.

Luke Southgate, Sales Director for Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “The two new showhomes at Bellway at Linmere demonstrate the quality of construction and spacious layouts of the properties we are building at the development and are already proving popular with visitors to the site.

“Bellway at Linmere is part of a wider new community taking shape at the northern edge of Houghton Regis, with the neighbourhood including a café and community hub, shops, a school and landscaped parkland for recreational activities, community events and sporting fixtures.

“Visitors to the development can also appreciate its convenient location. Houghton Regis town centre is within easy reach, Dunstable and Luton are just a short drive from home and the M1 is only a few minutes away by car for Milton Keynes and London.”

Bellway at Linmere will comprise a total of 153 homes with prices currently starting at £210,000 for a two-bedroom apartment and £343,500 for a three-bedroom semi-detached home.

For more information at the properties available at Bellway at Linmere or to book an appointment to view the showhomes, visit bellway.co.uk or call the sales office on 01582 953878.

CAPTIONS –

  • A computer-generated image of the Turner housetype at Bellway at Linmere
News, Property

Three-bedroom house opens for viewings at Kings Norton development

Visitors to The Oaks development in Kings Norton can now explore another property from Bellway’s Artisan Collection, following the opening of a three-bedroom house at the site.

The Oaks was the first development to feature homes from the Artisan Collection, Bellway’s flagship range of house types which combine traditional craftsmanship with modern construction techniques.

A four-bedroom detached Magnolia showhome is already open at the development off Parsons Hill, where Bellway is building 171 new homes.

Now, buyers in the market for a smaller property will be able to take a look around the Turner, a three-bedroom home with an L-shaped open-plan living/dining room, separate kitchen, en suite shower room, and family bathroom.

The viewhome has been fitted with flooring throughout and kitchen appliances to showcase the high specification of homes in Bellway’s Artisan range, but left unfurnished to enable buyers to appreciate the size and flexible living spaces provided by the Turner.

This property is currently on the market from £285,500.

Marie Richards, Sales Director for Bellway West Midlands, said: “Homes are selling extremely quickly at The Oaks, as demand continues to grow for these stylish Artisan properties in a desirable location within easy reach of Birmingham city centre.

“Kings Norton boasts a wide range of shops, schools and green spaces as well as its own railway station which has direct services to Birmingham New Street in just over 15 minutes.

“The Oaks features a variety of different property sizes and styles, from two-bedroom apartments to two, three and four-bedroom houses. The Turner viewhome will complement our Magnolia showhome, giving visitors at different stages of the property ladder the chance to explore the type of property they may be interested in.”

The Oaks is transforming a former industrial site in Kings Norton which was vacant for many years. Construction work began on the site in July 2018 and the final homes are due to be completed next year.

A selection of three-bedroom houses are currently available at The Oaks, with prices ranging from £285,500 to £301,500.

For more information, call 0121 756 2091 or visit bellway.co.uk.

CAPTIONS –

  • Internal photography of a Turner house type
News

Showhome now open for viewing at The Spinney in Shrewsbury

A new showhome has launched at Bellway’s The Spinney development in Shrewsbury.

The housebuilder is delivering 164 new homes at the site, including 139 for private sale and 25 affordable properties for rent or shared ownership.

Located off Otely Road, at the southern edge of the town, the development features a range of two, three and four-bedroom houses for sale.

The newest showhome to open its doors at The Spinney is the three-storey, three-bedroom Larch house type.

The property includes a kitchen and dining area, separate living room and cloakroom on the ground floor, with two spacious double bedrooms and a family bathroom on the first floor. The top floor of the home is occupied by the main bedroom, complete with dressing area and en suite bathroom.

Marie Richards, Sales Director for Bellway West Midlands said: “The semi-detached Larch will complement the existing three and four-bedroom detached properties already available to view at The Spinney, giving visitors a chance to appreciate the benefits that three-storey living has to offer.

“The development includes a wide variety of homes to suit the diverse needs of buyers and our range of showhomes reflects this.

“The spacious plots, high-quality homes and attractive semi-rural location are all drawing buyers to The Spinney. As well as being just a 15-minute drive from Shrewsbury town centre, residents also benefit from having a variety of shops nearby, including two supermarkets within a mile and a range of retail and food outlets at Meole Brace Retail Park less than two miles away.”

A selection of three and four-bedroom homes are currently available at The Spinney, with prices starting from £245,500.

For more information about the development, visit bellway.co.uk or call 01743 404678.

CAPTIONS

  • Interior images of The Larch showhome at Bellway’s The Spinney development in Shrewsbury
News

Former Just Eat employees develop new digital platform to help fitness trainers launch online businesses

Class-ify, a new digital platform ‘powered by human connection’, has been launched by former Just Eat employees to enable fitness instructors to build their own businesses online.

Set to revolutionise the fitness industry by providing a workout experience ‘powered by human connection’, Class-ify helps independent health and fitness instructors monetise their audience and build a global community, all from the use of a laptop or smartphone device.

Inspired to find a solution that would enable independent wellness and fitness instructors to fulfil the surging demand for virtual classes, Class-ify provides the infrastructure for instructors to deliver their sessions online without having to invest capital into the development of their own website or app.

Following a similar subscription model to Just Eat, trainers also benefit from 1-2-1 support from the Class-ify team, which includes help and advice on social media marketing, client retention, community building and accounting.

Class-ify has a clear vision to champion independent fitness instructors, and the first 100 instructors that sign up will be awarded shares in the business.

Daniel Stott, CEO and co-founder of Class-ify, said: “We believe every instructor deserves the opportunity to create the life they choose and, following the coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to find a way to help as many instructors as possible prepare for a ‘hybrid workout’ world, build their own communities and deliver classes from anywhere, any time.

“The pandemic has caused the online fitness industry to boom, and despite a date on the horizon for gyms to reopen, many people have discovered they prefer working out at home or enjoy a mix of both in-person and online classes.

“We don’t believe big brands and celebrities should be the only ones to benefit from the surge in online fitness classes and decided it was time we paved the way for local-hero instructors.

“Class-ify is unique to the fitness industry and is solely focused on championing qualified fitness instructors and helping them grow and develop their client bases, all from the use of their laptop.

“Through our platform, we make sure every instructor we work with has a better opportunity to create an amazing online business and an incredible brand. As a thank you to the first 100 instructors for believing in the concept, we are giving away a 1.3% share in the business.

“Ultimately, even when life turns back to ‘normal’, the online health and fitness community isn’t going anywhere, so there is no better time than now for instructors to build a digital presence and become part of the Class-ify family.”

Having received a £350,000 investment via Angel funding, with 35% funded by former Just Eat executives, Class-ify has already partnered with 40 fitness instructors located in seven different countries worldwide, with ambitions to grow exponentially over the next six months.