Patron Focus 12

Chamber Patron status fires the Imagination

IMAGINATION TECHNOLOGIES has been part of the Hertfordshire community for more than 30 years. The private equity backed company designs and licenses market-leading intellectual property (IP) processor solutions, which are then used for a variety of applications worldwide.

David Harold, Chief Marketing Officer at Imagination, says: “Essentially, we design parts of semi-conductor chips, such as central processing units (CPUs) and graphics, and licence them to large semi-conductor firms and sometimes to large electronics companies.”

“We also do a lot in the automotive sector - around 300 million cars contain our products - and they’ve also been used in drones, smartphones, televisions and a variety of other applications.” Imagination is well known for being in the iPhone and other Apple products. Most of Imagination’s business is export-led. The company sells into Europe, Asia and the US but despite having a global outlook, it also has strong roots in Hertfordshire. David, who has worked for Imagination since 1998, says: “We have around 600 staff in Kings Langley as well as 250 in other parts of the world, and we’ve built some good relations with local companies in our 30-plus years here in the county. Some companies that operate in our market were established in Hertfordshire mainly because we’re there. “Now we want to strengthen these relationships and build new connections, which is why we decided to become a Patron of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce earlier this summer. Having Patron status will enable us to link up with other high-tech talent and build on Hertfordshire’s growing reputation as a thriving technology hub.” David is also looking forward to forming connections with other professionals who don’t necessarily operate in the tech space. “Even businesses that don’t seem alike are connected nowadays by big issues such as the environment and social governance,” he says. “We can discuss these important issues and work together to come up with imaginative solutions to real-world problems. “We also do CSR (corporate social responsibility) work and support charities such as Dens in Hemel Hempstead. They’re an excellent social support charity that helps homeless people get off the streets and into accommodation and employment. “Given our vast experience, we want to give something back to the local community that has shaped us for the last three decades. Our aim is to use local suppliers wherever possible and perhaps give pro-bono advice to less experienced businesses and entrepreneurs who might benefit from it.

Now we want to strengthen these relationships and build new connections, which is why we decided to become a Patron of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce earlier this summer. Having Patron status will enable us to link up with other high-tech talent and build on Hertfordshire’s growing reputation as a thriving technology hub.

“As a company, we’ve been through lots of challenges that have forced us to adapt and build resilience. We can talk to entrepreneurs about our experiences and how they could cope if they find themselves in a similar situation.”