Facilities
Conducting research and development is costly. Start-ups and early stage companies frequently lack the financial resources to invest in high specification analytical and testing equipment, thus hindering their growth.
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The Higgs Centre for Innovation contains purpose-built laboratories allowing start-up companies direct, affordable and flexible access to cutting-edge equipment, eliminating the need to develop, buy or pay prohibitively high prices to use research and development capabilities.
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The range of facilities are tailored to the areas of remote sensing instrumentation, space technology and data intensive science.
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Due to the history and sector strengths of the Royal Oberservatory site, the Higgs Centre for Innovation is equipped to support companies working in space-related industries and big data analytics.
Cleanrooms
Various cleanrooms, including 10 separate rooms designed for external users. Rooms are rated at Class 10,000 (ISO 7), Class 1,000 (ISO 6) or Class 100 (ISO 5) depending on their intended use
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Conventional labs are also available – including positive-pressure clean labs
"One of the advantages of being based in the Higgs Centre for Innovation is that it offers state-of-the-art facilities that are primarily designed for the small satellite community. Companies can test their small satellites (from micro- and nano- to pico-sats) – for space readiness – in appropriate clean-room environments, with the right equipment, in one place, that are ready to be used.”