Case Study:

We spoke to Mark Miles, Managing Director of Render Media, an innovative tech company creating cutting-edge VR and AR solutions and experiences, to hear about their growth and successes in Swindon and Wiltshire.

What made you decide to locate in the region?

“The company was started in the area, however, we’ve always stayed in Swindon & Wiltshire because of its great location between the South East and West, within the M4 corridor. It’s very convenient for us that so many other companies who we work with, such as in defence, manufacturing or aerospace, are clustered here. Additionally, there is investment in Swindon to nurture tech companies, which is strengthened by having such a significant business as Intel based locally. The connections built between these companies, all in one area, are a huge source of potential.”

Tell us about your workforce.

“Historically, we’ve always recruited locally due to our proximity to lots of universities, some of which have cutting-edge teaching on CGI / animation. We recruit from a range of backgrounds, such as computer gaming or software engineering.

Swindon college has been great for us in terms of finding some amazing talent – one of the highlights of working at Render Media is enabling someone who comes to us at a young age to work on high calibre projects. We really nurture and integrate these young people as part of a team.”

What assistance and support did you receive when you came here?

“The council and LEP are a fantastic resource, always making sure we are aware of available premises, local forums, grants, or loans that are specifically beneficial to us, as well as helping facilitate relationships – they’re a one-stop shop for businesses.”

How has the business grown since you came to Swindon and Wiltshire?

“We started out in Immersive Tech about 3-4 years ago, which pushed us centre stage as one of the UK’s top agencies. From there we worked with InVidia, focusing more on enterprise solutions, and we are now on what we’d call our ‘third spike’, driven by the pandemic, into more software solutions. We started out in a small room above a theatre and now occupy a large office space. Swindon has something for every step of the way and can provide various levels of space and support, in great incubation hubs such as Carriage Works.”

What has surprised you about the region?

“The quality of other tech companies in the area, particularly having Intel’s European headquarters and Apple (working with Dialog Semiconductors), is amazing. There is a passion and ecosystem for tech here, from SME’s to the Institute of Technology – there is a lot of untapped potential. It’s about bringing together the best of these resources.”