INNOVATION
MORE THAN SPACE With remote and flexible work patterns becoming a more common part of our lives, businesses are demanding something different from traditional office rental. Five very different case studies from Sussex Innovation’s community show how the business incubator is adapting to demand RAPID GROWTH ISMS.ONLINE
ISMS.online provides cloud-based software for managing information security, privacy and compliance. With significant recent investment, and increasing demand from businesses responding to their newly distributed workforces, the team has almost tripled in size over the past 18 months. This growth presented two problems: how to increase the company’s offi ce space without paying for more than was needed, and how to onboard new employees without distracting the existing staff from their work?
52
www.platinummediagroup.co.uk
As tenants at the Sussex Innovation Centre, ISMS.online were able to access overfl ow offi ce space as and when required, and occupied the Centre’s boardroom as their dedicated training hub for over a month while integrating new team members into the business. “We’ve gone from two or three people working from this office, to 15 at the beginning of lockdown, to over 40 now as we come back from Covid. The Innovation Centre has allowed us to grow and flex with their office space, the technology, the support they’ve offered.” Sam Peters, CPO, ISMS.online
SHOWCASING TECHNOLOGY PORTAL DEVICES
Portal Devices delivers immersive audio -visual installations for the themed entertainment industry; an extremely specialised service that often requires practical demonstration to impress and win new clients. Their tenancy at Sussex Innovation enabled the business to install ‘XR Space’, an immersive lab in the Centre’s technology demonstration room that showcases virtual tour content through a wraparound projection display. “We and our partners are using the space to move forward critical sales discussions, which are happening almost daily now and attracting key clients to work with us.” Matt Roberts, founder, Portal Devices