New jobs in pipeline as pioneering new firm moves into Torbay

A pioneering medical equipment firm is moving to a new base in South Devon opening the door for expansion and new jobs.

BOWA MEDICAL UK, a medical device manufacturer, has broken ground on their new site at Oak Tree Business Park at Kingskerswell on the outskirts of Torquay.

The appointed contractor, Devon Contractors, predicts that the build will take 12 months from start to finish, meaning that the site should be finished in the summer of 2025.

The new facility will improve the business’s ability to meet increased demand and will also provide room to grow the team, leading to new employment opportunities in the local area.

Chris Graham, Engineering and Operations Director at BOWA MEDICAL, has been leading on the project and says: "Following years of planning, we are excited to finally break ground on our new site.

"This development marks an important step for us as a business – the new facility with its Research and Development space, state of the art manufacturing areas and a purpose-built surgical skills training lab means we’ll be able to upscale our operation to meet the increasing demand for our own products as well as that of our OEM customers.”

He added: "We’re very grateful to be working with a highly skilled local team on this project, including Pinnacle Architectural Design & Project Management Ltd, revisionr, RYALL Structural Engineers and Bailey Partnership Consultants.”

 BOWA MEDICAL's history has links to Kingskerswell.

The company was formerly known as SRA Developments Ltd and was founded in Ashburton in 1978 by Dr Mike Young, whose parents lived in Kingskerswell from the late 60s onwards.

Originally an ultrasonic technology consultancy, in the late 1990s Dr Young developed the company’s flagship product LOTUS, a torsional ultrasonic scalpel, going on to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Innovation in 2010. 

SRA Developments was acquired in November 2016 by South-Germany based BOWA-electronic GmbH & Co. KG and now trades under the BOWA MEDICAL brand. The group design, manufacture and supply a wide range of energy-based surgical solutions to deliver better patient outcomes. 

Oak Tree Business Park, located just off the South Devon Expressway, will act as a manufacturing base for the BOWA'S groups' ultrasound products, which are used during surgery to cut soft tissue and reduce blood loss. 

The facility will include R&D labs, machining facilities and cleanroom and assembly space to produce a variety of medical products, as well as servicing and storage facilities. 

The new site will also house BOWA’s state of the art surgical skills wet lab, allowing the company to increase their training provision to help upskill surgeons, nurses and other healthcare professionals – the only space of this kind in Devon. 

The site will also benefit from an open-plan office space with conference rooms and meeting facilities.

Nigel Whelan, Managing Director of Devon Contractors, said: "We are thrilled to partner with BOWA MEDICAL UK on this significant project in Kingskerswell. 

"This new facility represents a major milestone in BOWA MEDICAL’s journey, and we are proud to play a role in bringing their vision to life. 

"Our team is dedicated to delivering a state-of-the-art UK headquarters that will not only enhance their manufacturing capabilities but also provide a collaborative space for their research and development efforts. 

"We look forward to managing construction of the scheme over the coming months and contributing to the growth and success of such an innovative leader in the medical industry."