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The SMART Centre is now open
15 January 2026
Today, Thursday 15 January, Solent welcomed Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to campus for the opening of the new SMART Centre.
The SMART Centre is home to the South Coast Institute of Technology (IoT), based in the Sir Christopher Cockerell building at East Park Terrace.
The centre consists of laboratories and specialist workshops, including a materials testing lab, welding workshop, lathes and mills and composite lab, which will be used by our maritime, science and engineering students.
This major investment encompasses the latest equipment used in the country’s biggest industries, to enable us to train students and apprentices with hands-on experience across a broad range of disciplines.
During her visit to Solent, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal received a tour of this cutting-edge facility and met our Vice-Chancellor, Professor James Knowles. The Princess Royal was able to see first-hand what initiatives such as the IoT can achieve, and we look forward to sharing the many success stories that will undoubtedly come from it.
About the IoT
The IoT is a partnership of universities, colleges and employers from across the region, whose aim it is to boost the future success of students while underpinning the sustainability of industry.
Supported by more than £15m in funding from the Department for Education, the partnership, which is led by Southampton Solent University, serves today’s biggest industries, from maritime and engineering to digital.
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