A firm which manufactures a shock-absorbing material for use in extreme sports like mountain biking and snow boarding has moved to Hove.

d3o lab - formerly based in London's Oxo Tower - has moved into an old perfume factory in Hove Park Villas called Microscape House.

The firm was formed five years ago by engineer Richard Palmer, a graduate of Imperial College London and a lecturer in innovation.

Its patented material d3o is used in motorcycle jackets, soft beanie hats for skiing and snow boarding and a shoe specifically designed for skateboarders.

It is made with "intelligent" molecules which flow with you as you move but on impact lock together to absorb the pressure.

It is also rate-sensitive, which means the faster you move it the stiffer it becomes.

If you move it slowly, it is flexible but move it very quickly and its stiffens significantly.

The company likens d3o to wet sand. If you stand on it, you will sink into it but if you run on it, the particles lock together and it feels firm.

The material is being used to replace bulky "hard shell" protectors which offer a high degree of protection but poor freedom of movement.

Perhaps most impressively, d3o is being used by skiwear firm Spyder for a race suit which will be worn by the US and Canadian giant slalom teams at the winter Olympics.

For years, however, the company had been held back by a chronic lack of funds and space - its studio lab in Oxo Tower measured just five square metres.

It had the technology in place but the company, despite interest from hundreds of sportswear firms, was finding it impossible to fulfil its potential.

Richard said: "We had a handful of new customers calling us every day, which is a very luxurious position to be in but is very frustrating when you only have so much resource to devote to them."

Then in February this year the company received a grant from the Entrepreneur Fund which provided a financial platform to move forward.

Since then d3o lab has increased its staff from four to 12 and following the move to Brighton and Hove has launched full-scale manufacturing.

Richard said there were three reasons he decided to relocate the business: bigger and more affordable premises, proximity to Gatwick and London and for quality of life.

He said: "The fact that the studio is ten minutes from the sea and you can go for an evening surf or catch some live music makes all the difference to the staff's appetite.

"We need people who are bright, adventurous and have a lot of energy.

"Generally this type of person needs the kind of stimulating environment that a place like Brighton offers to stay motivated."

Thursday, September 8, 2005