High-tech hot house that aims to clean up

Mar 25 2008 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

TWO businesses based at the Springboard Business Centre in Stokesley are working together on a new technology that reduces power stations’ sulphur emissions.

Prosalus UK, a technical safety consultancy which specialises in the implementation and compliance of safety standards, moved to the Yorkshire Forward-funded Springboard Business Centre two years ago.

The serviced office houses 30 new and young businesses in the high tech, creative and knowledge based sectors.

“A company that holds the licence for a system which reduces the sulphur emissions power stations emit invited us to Paris to help them with safety and risk reduction issues as the new system could possibly cause the power station’s boiler to implode or explode,” explained Colin Easton, managing director of Prosalus UK.

“We were then invited to work with them on a power station project in Scotland to assess the system and identify what was making the system unsafe and what needed to be done to make it safe.

“To implement our recommendations new software was required and we suggested they use Applied Integration, a company which is located in the Springboard Business Centre.”

Since moving to the Springboard Centre Prosalus has seen its client list expand and clients now include multi-nationals such as GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, Scottish Power, Shell and Total.

And to meet increasing demand, the team has expanded and now consists of four full-time and one part-time employee.

Mr Easton added: “The Springboard Business Centre looks and feels extremely modern and being based here has really raised our profile.

“The prominent position of the centre in Stokesley’s Business Park has brought new clients through the door who have been introduced to other Springboard businesses.

“We host training sessions for a number of our major clients at the Springboard Business Centre.

“The staff and the modern surroundings both add to the professionalism of the events.”

Prosalus UK has developed a range of software tools designed to help companies comply with functional safety and construction design and management legislation.

Julie Hutton, head of strategy for North Yorkshire at Yorkshire Forward, said: “As a flagship initiative for Yorkshire Forward, Springboard Business Centre provides a fertile environment for high tech, creative and knowledge based companies to grow and develop.

“It is encouraging to see that the centre is providing opportunities for collaboration which will help grow our economy.”