Business Secretary Peter Kyle visits University of Portsmouth to see how it’s driving regional economic growth

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade visited the University of Portsmouth yesterday (6 July) to see first-hand how it is supporting regional businesses, developing skills, and creating high-value jobs across the South-East. 

The Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP visited two flagship parts of the University's work with business. First, the Centre for Creative and Immersive Extended Reality (CCIXR), showcasing how cutting-edge immersive technology is being put to work across industries from healthcare to defence, followed by the Portsmouth Business School, where the Minister saw how the University is giving SME leaders the practical skills to grow. 

Mr Kyle then visited the Portsmouth Business School, based in the University’s Faculty of Business and Law, to meet small business owners and staff behind the Help to Grow: Management programme - a Government-backed, Small Business Charter-accredited course helping SME leaders build the skills to grow their businesses.  

More than 270 businesses have completed the 12-week programme with the University of Portsmouth to date. Independent evaluation by IPSOS found that 92 per cent of UK participants reported greater confidence in leading and managing their business, and 86 per cent said they gained a better understanding of how to innovate. 

Speaking during his visit, Business Secretary Peter Kyle MP said: “The UK is a thriving hub of innovation and R&D, and when our world‑class education system and industry combine it can really boost economic growth across our regions and communities. 

"The University of Portsmouth's work shows how this government is working to boost this exciting collaboration, creating new opportunities for SMEs across the country." 

Professor Graham Galbraith, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth added: “Visits like this are a reminder of the vital role that universities play in supporting business and economic growth. We're not just training the next generation - we're standing shoulder to shoulder with businesses today, whether that's through world-class research and technology or supporting business owners directly with the tools and confidence to grow. I am sure the Business Secretary will have left Portsmouth as convinced as we are that this region has all the necessary ingredients to provide strong support for the delivery of the UK’s industrial strategy.”  

As well as meeting senior University representatives, the Minister sat down with Help to Grow: Management participants as part of a roundtable discussion, hearing directly from small business leaders about the impact the programme has had on their confidence, resilience and ability to grow. 

Participants shared their own experiences of the course and discussed the wider challenges facing SMEs across the region, giving the Minister first-hand insight into how targeted business support can translate into real economic growth on the ground.  

Among those taking part in the roundtable was Antoni Dimitrov, Founder of Eco Drift. Antoni has grown Eco Drift’s headcount by 20 per cent and increased the revenue by 25 per cent. Today Eco Drift employs more than 50 people across Hampshire and beyond, supporting offices, business parks, and education providers.  

While many factors contributed to this growth, Antoni highlights the course as a key driver: “It’s very helpful for anyone that is trying to grow their business. No matter what stage you’re at, the programme can help you avoid expensive mistakes and create a plan for growth.”   

At CCIXR, which sits within the University’s Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries, Mr Kyle toured a purpose-built £7 million facility that brings together the very latest virtual production, motion capture, volumetric capture and simulation technologies under one roof the first integrated centre of its kind in the UK. 

Since opening in 2022, CCIXR has worked with organisations including the Royal Navy and the Royal Shakespeare Company and has supported more than 100 businesses and organisations through its Enabling XR Enterprise programme, helping them explore how immersive technology can be applied to training, product development and visitor experience.  

The Minister experienced a live demonstration of the technology, before meeting the centre’s academic and technical teams to discuss how facilities like this can support national priorities around innovation, productivity and workforce upskilling. 

Professor Christine White, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries said: “It was great to give the Business Secretary a sense of the breadth of what this Faculty covers - from cutting-edge technology at CCIXR to our work backing Portsmouth's bid to become UK City of Culture 2029. Different ends of the same ambition to put this city's creativity on the map." 

This was the third ministerial visit to the University of Portsmouth's campus so far in 2026, following visits earlier this year to announce new funding to boost student skills for defence careers, and to confirm new dental school places in England.