Former Spin-out Progresses with Expansion in China

Smart Antenna Technologies Ltd, a University of Birmingham spin-out, has appointed James Li to head up its new operations in China. As General Manager, James will be based at the company’s new office and testing facility at the National Innovation Park in Suzhou, a site acquired in April as part of the planned expansion into the Far East. Fitted with testing and production equipment it will be the focal point for the company’s global ambitions for its antenna system which can reduce antenna system sizes by 35% or more. The office will oversee volume production, provide local customer support and further extend Smart Antenna’s R&D capability. The company intends to have up to 50 people working at the facility within 2 years.

The company already has a presence in the mobile devices market and intends to address the Internet of Things (IoT) via a whole new product range being developed out of its Taiwan office. James joined Smart Antenna from Pulse Electronics where he was R&D Director and had responsibility for new product development in consumer device and infrastructure antennae. “It’s a great honour to join the Smart Antenna family, a very innovative business developing antenna systems for laptops, smart phones, electric vehicles and the Internet of Things. With more than 80 patents in our portfolio, I believe we can create fantastic value for our customers.”

Spun-out from the University of Birmingham in 2013, the company’s mission was to commercialise technology developed by founder Dr Sampson Hu while he was studying for his PhD at the university. He has since grown the skills and scope of the business from a small team to an organisation now operating on a global scale, with high-profile names in the tech industry being potential prospects for its technology.

The company has received financial backing from the University’s Spinout Investment fund, the Senetas Corporation and Mercia Technologies PLC. It has offices in the UK, China and Taiwan.