AN INNOVATION centre for businesses in Hampshire is believed to be the first in the Solent region to incorporate wireless charging technology into furniture for power-hungry smartphones.

Customers at Fareham Innovation Centre can charge their devices by placing them on transmitters which have been built flush into the large table at the flagship conference room.

The trailblazing service is provided by SupaPowa®, the brand developed in Portsmouth by QiConnect, by Peter Turner.

Stephen Brownlie, regional manager for the south for Oxford Innovation, which runs the centre at Daedalus, Lee-on-the-Solent, on behalf of owner Fareham Borough Council, described the service as a ‘eureka’ moment for occupiers and visitors.

The centre has 110 people working for 27 businesses on site, plus a further 36 local businesses regularly using drop-in facilities. Stephen said: “Customers like the convenience – they no longer have to go through the rigmarole of locating an electrical wall socket as their smartphones drain of life, typically mid-afternoon.”

“We’re looking to roll out installation across other centres as well because the SupaPowa® product is customer-centric, showcases what our customers can do with technology and reflects the spirit of innovation which drives many of our occupiers.”