Discovery Park has secured its 100th tenant which is set to recruit 20 more full time employees.

Start-up healthcare technology company, Quvium, is the latest one to sign up. It is a company that develops and manufactures sensors worn by asthma sufferers, which indicate when an attack is likely.

Based in Boston, USA, the company gained a £500,000 loan from Expansion East Kent, which is part of the regional growth fund programme. This allows it to bring the product to the UK market.

Company CEO and founder Steve Schmidt, who is father to an asthmatic child, said: “Bringing our sensors to the UK presents a huge opportunity for us and we’re delighted to make Sandwich our UK home.

“Like other manufacturing, science and tech industries, we feel we are ideally placed here to maximise our potential in the UK and Europe. Discovery Park provided the right mix of infrastructure, resources, and collaborative opportunities, making it the obvious choice.”

Paul Barber, managing director of Discovery Park, said, “Achieving our 100th tenant is a significant milestone for Discovery Park, especially when you consider that the site only had five tenants when we took it over two years ago.

"Achieving our 100th tenant is a significant milestone for Discovery Park..." - managing director Paul Barber

“Once again, our world-class facilities have attracted a really innovative company to locate with us, where they can benefit from their close proximity to likeminded industries. The addition of 20 new jobs is fantastic news too and we look forward to welcoming Quvium.”

Cllr Paul Watkins, Leader, Dover District Council, also commented: “We welcome Quvium as a new investor to the Dover district and as the 100th tenant at Discovery Park, adding to the roll call of international business that have chosen to locate there. “The site is attracting international interest and we look forward to continuing our excellent working relationship with Discovery Park in raising awareness of the business and lifestyle opportunities in the Dover district.”

Investment agency Locate in Kent made the first contact with Quvium, which led to their move to Discovery Park.

Chief executive Paul Wookey said: “Quvium’s decision to locate at Discovery Park is excellent news for East Kent’s regeneration and boosts its already impressive science and technology credentials.

"We identified the lead and worked with the company over the past two years, building the relationship during a series of visits.

"We were also able to support the company’s decision-making by introducing them to contacts at the NHS and others and provided them with funding advice.”