Architectural design specialist opens in Manchester

POLANTIS, a French firm that specialises in the computerised modelling of proposed buildings, is opening its first UK office in Manchester.

It has set up a research and development centre in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) at Manchester Science Park.

It aims to create up to six jobs over the next twelve months and 20 by 2016.

Polantis worked with Manchester’s inward investment agency MIDAS on the move.

In a statement chief executive Itai Cellier said: “Thanks to MIDAS, we’ve decided that Manchester would be our UK base of operations.

“I was pleasantly surprised to discover how welcoming the Mancunians are: we’ve become part of the business and academic community. It’s a real pleasure to work here and we hope to begin creating jobs and transferring knowledge.”

MiDAS’ chief executive Tim Newns said: “With a strong architecture and design cluster in Manchester, both commercial and academic, we were really keen to attract Polantis to add additional expertise and technology to the market.

“The science park will be the perfect base for them to bridge academia and the commercial sector and we look forward to seeing the fruit of their work with the universities.”