Global cyber firm expands at university site

Caroline Gall
BBC News, West Midlands
Goldilock Council leader Stephen Simkins and Stephen Kines shake hands after a red ribbon is cut at the expanded premises. Behind them is a crowd of about a dozen men and women clapping.Goldilock
City of Wolverhampton council leader Stephen Simkins visited the site and Goldilock boss Stephen Kines last week

A global tech firm has expanded its manufacturing and testing site at the University of Wolverhampton Science Park after doubling its workforce to meet a rise in demand for its products.

Goldilock said its anti-hacking work has led to it work with Nato, the Ministry of Defence and other organisations responsible for "critical national infrastructure".

The firm said it expected to increase its team to 32 employees by the end of 2025 and create 44 new jobs by 2027.

"We warmly welcome Goldilock's commitment to growing its pioneering cyber security business in the West Midlands," said Sharon Thompson, deputy mayor of the West Midlands.

The firm said it had chosen to invest in the Wolverhampton site as it was "scaling up" from research and development (R&D) of its Firebreak programme to large-scale manufacturing.

Firebreak is designed to ringfence networks away from the internet to make them inaccessible to hackers, the firm said.

Stephen Kines, co-founder and chief operating officer of Goldilock said he was thrilled to be expanding.

"With sophisticated ransomware and AI-powered attacks on a continuous rise, paired with the increasing interconnectedness of systems, Goldilock's technology provides a critical, foundational layer of defence.

"The West Midlands offers us an invaluable hub for innovation, providing access to a diverse pool of talented tech professionals and a supportive business environment from which we can continue to grow the business and get our critical product to where it's needed most, as quickly as possible."

City of Wolverhampton Council leader, Stephen Simkins, said: "Goldilock's expansion is a testament to the city of Wolverhampton's growing appeal as a destination of choice for ambitious tech firms, with an extensive R&D network, deep pool of specialist talent and proximity to the region's end-to-end manufacturing supply chain."

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