The newly-constructed Feritech Innovation Centre, which is located near Falmouth in Cornwall, had its official opening last week by HRH The Duke of Kent. He was welcomed by Rob Ferris and Gemma Ferris, directors and co-owners of Feritech Global Ltd and was accompanied on the visit by the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Colonel Edward Bolitho and Deputy Lieutenant James Staughton.

The Duke of Kent was invited to tour the new centre, which specialises in advanced engineering solutions for marine and other industries. It will offer a full range of services including product design, machining, fabrication, electrical, electronics, embedded software, hydraulics and 3-D printing services – all under one roof and will be one of the most advanced facilities of its kind anywhere in the UK.

After the tour, Rob Ferris thanked The Duke of Kent, who unveiled a plaque to commemorate the occasion. The Duke was then invited to plant a tree close to the entrance of the centre, as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy tree-planting initiative to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.

Mr Ferris said: “We are very grateful to HRH The Duke of Kent for making the time to visit us today. It has taken a huge effort by our team to get this new facility planned and built, and it is really exciting to now see its official opening. The innovation centre will give us space to grow as a business, by expanding our range of services, helping us win important new contracts, and providing new job opportunities in our local area.”

The Innovation Centre has been designed to work in harmony with its local environment and is designed to harvest its own water from boreholes. It also has a ‘state of the art’ solar roof which provides all of its power, with air-source heating for its offices. The surrounding area will have over 3,000 trees planted, to help it blend with its rural location and promote bio-diversity.