Global leader in multimedia and communications Imagination Technologies is to open a research and development base in Bristol, underlining the city’s world-leading position in microchip design.
The group, which is quoted on the London Stock Exchange, creates and licenses market-leading products for a range of uses in mobile phones, handheld multimedia equipment, computers and in-car electronics.
The Bristol centre, which will be based in SETsquared incubation centre at Bristol University, will develop a new generation of PowerVR graphics products.
Imagination Technologies’ worldwide headquarters and many of its R&D teams are based in Kings Langley, near London. It also has design centres in Leeds and Chepstow, making the UK is home to more than 70% of its highly-skilled workforce. It has a number of design and sales centres across the world, including a major base in California.
Imagination said it had been studying for some time the best locations in the UK to expand its operations to enable it to attract more of the UK’s best engineers, reflecting its strong commitment to maximising its UK R&D base long term.
The quality of experienced engineering talent in the Bristol area, combined with the strength of excellent universities in the area, were key factors in the decision.
Chief operations officer John Metcalfe said: “Our new Bristol design centre provides opportunities for engineers based in the West Country to join Imagination in the development of our innovative and industry leading PowerVR graphics and related IP cores.
“We look forward to welcoming some of the brightest West Country based engineers, including graduates as well as experienced specialists, to the Imagination team, helping us to continue to extend our presence and leadership on the international stage.”
Imagination has appointed Saeid Azmoodeh as director of engineering at the centre and it is now recruiting engineers at all levels, from graduate to highly experienced with skills in hardware, software, architecture and verification.
