First businesses move in to city’s innovation incubator

THE first companies have moved in to the Serendip Smart City Incubator at the Innovation Birmingham Campus.

The £8m iCentrum building opened earlier this month and is home to the start-up programme, which partners young businesses with large commercial partners.

The businesses are grouped in four areas – digital health, intelligent mobility, internet of things, and Barclays eagle labs – where it is hoped the incubator will “harness the power of serendipity” to generate ideas and turn them into products and services.

Michelle Rayner, Serendip programme manager, said: “The initial round of applications produced some fantastic candidates who will be a fantastic asset, not only to Serendip, but also the Innovation Birmingham Campus as a whole.”

Companies accepted on to the Serendip during the initial stage of applications include digital health and well-being platform, Kaido; internet of things systems integrator, Spica Tech; telematics fleet management system and automated online marketplace, Truckulus and electronic product innovation design company, Voltrics.

The 11,845 sq ft incubator is part of the Innovation Birmingham development zone, where constuction work began on the Universities Centre last month.