Birmingham tech company set for Far East expansion

Dr Sampson Hu of Smart Antenna Technology at Birmingham Research Park.

A Birmingham technology company is expanding into the Far East with the opening of a Taiwanese subsidiary.

Smart Antenna Technologies (SAT), based on the University of Birmingham’s campus in Edgbaston, is opening a research facility in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei.

The company, set up 2013, will initially hire five new engineers to work with customers in China, Japan and Taiwan.

SAT currently employs 19 engineers and researchers at its Birmingham headquarters and at a separate office in Bath. The Taiwanese facility will be managed from Edgbaston.

Currently smartphones and laptops have up to five separate antennas for Bluetooth, Wi Fi and 4G connections. SAT’s technology enables a device’s multiple antennae to be sited in one unit.

SAT’s technology can also extend device battery life by up to 10%.

Dr Sampson Hu, SAT’s CEO, said the company’s expansion would meet customer demand for its antenna technology.

Dr Hu, 33, said: “It is an exciting time for the company and our expansion to the Far East underlines our ambitions.

“Our technology has the potential to be placed in every device with an antenna. This includes smart phones, laptops and connected devices at home.

“By establishing a presence in Taipei we will be on the front foot to work with our customers in the region.”

The market for connected devices in China and the Far East is already huge and is growing every year. The firm is looking to tap into this market to help meet demand.

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