feature
Celebrating its 25th Anniversary The Technology Partnership (TTP), one of Melbourn’s largest business residents, is celebrating its 25th anniversary and while you may know where TTP is based, do you know what innovative ideas have been produced from inside Melbourn Science Park? It isn’t all circuit boards and printers, the inventions are surprisingly diverse: from laboratory equipment to lawn mowers, and from digital radios to confectionery packaging. Over 25 years ago, TTP was established to create a worldleading technology and development organisation. Today that enterprise has evolved and grown into TTP Group, a range of businesses focussed on meeting the needs of companies planning to flourish through the use of technology and innovation. As the majority of TTP’s ideas are snapped up by household name companies under strict confidentiality agreements, you will not see extravagant advertisements shouting about the work TTP does. Most of the projects are kept secret and will never be discussed outside the walls of the headquarters building, which has gained TTP a great deal of trust with its clients. There are however some products TTP is able to boast about; asthma inhalers that incorporate dosage counters, technology which allows air passengers to use mobile phones that do not interfere with flight equipment, digital print systems that are revolutionising packaging, household energy monitors, DAB radios along with wireless technologies that will take advantage of the whitespaces left behind by unused TV channels. Besides developing leading technology within a range of industries including engineering, life science and communications, TTP is also dedicated to developing
a creative environment at Melbourn Science Park, the company’s home since TTP was first created in 1987. Originally occupying a building known as ‘the rat hole’ due to its dilapidated state, (the building was already earmarked for demolition) staff worked from a makeshift desk constructed out of two trestles and a door in the boiler room. Six months later. they moved into brand new premises and the business growth accelerated. As the enterprise has grown, new companies have been created, some of which have remained within TTP Group, while others have been sold, demerged or floated. The joint venture, Wavedriver, was formed in 1993; in 1997 The Automation Partnership (TAP) was formed and then demerged in 1998, TAP left the park and are now located in Royston. 1997 also saw the reorganisation of the group under the new parent TTP Group plc. In 1999 the new headquarters were occupied, soon after in 2000, TTPCom was floated on the London Stock Exchange and TTP Group acquired the Melbourn Science Park. continued on page 30
melbournmagazine
29
