Lakeside North Harbour celebrates another year of growth as new businesses joined the thriving Portsmouth campus

Lakeside North Harbour has welcomed a host of new businesses this year as the Portsmouth business park continues to attract companies from a wide range of sectors.

The 130-acre campus has welcomed five new occupiers, taking a combined 42,053 sq ft of space, with businesses spanning video games development, maritime services, cybersecurity, accountancy and environmental consultancy.

Among the latest arrivals is internationally recognised video games developer Climax Studios, which has moved its headquarters to Lakeside, taking 24,000 sq ft of office space. Founded in Portsmouth more than 35 years ago, the studio is part of Keywords Studios and has worked on major franchises including Age of Empires IV, Microsoft Flight Simulator and Assassin’s Creed.

Lakeside has also welcomed Watermark Group, which has relocated its headquarters to the site and brought maritime training facilities back to Portsmouth.

The company, which specialises in maritime consultancy, simulator training and crew management, has taken more than 10,400 sq ft of space and brought a well-known maritime training simulator centre back into active use.

Its new home includes a maritime simulator facility that provides realistic training environments for crews and operators. The move helps strengthen Portsmouth's position as a centre for maritime businesses and training. Its return to use also helps retain specialist maritime training capability within Portsmouth, reinforcing the city's long-standing links with the maritime sector.

The technology sector has also been represented by CybaVerse, the Portsmouth-based cybersecurity specialist, which has continued to develop its business from its Lakeside base. The company recently announced a major rebrand, shifting from a consultancy-led model towards a platform-driven approach centred around its CybaOps cybersecurity platform.

The rebrand follows a period of significant growth for the business, including a £5m Series A funding round and the acquisition of automation platform SecureAck. CybaVerse now employs more than 40 people. 

Professional services firm Carpenter Box has also moved to larger offices at Lakeside as it continues to expand its Portsmouth operation.

The accountancy and business advisory firm's Portsmouth team provides a base for its business and tax advisers, with the move giving the company additional space as it continues to grow its presence in the city.

Meanwhile, JBA Consulting has expanded its presence at Lakeside. 

JBA first opened its Portsmouth office in 2022 to support local Environment Agency schemes. Since then, the employee-owned multidisciplinary consultancy has experienced strong growth across a range of disciplines and clients, leading it to take a larger, permanent office at Lakeside.

The new office accommodates 16 members of staff. While the company operates a hybrid working model, the majority of its Portsmouth team choose to work from the office four or five days a week.

For JBA, the decision to remain at Lakeside was driven in large part by the quality of the campus and its facilities. The team highlighted the site's attractive grounds, range of eateries and strong transport links, as well as the benefits of having a welcoming office environment with large windows, natural light and views across the lake.

The diverse range of new occupiers reflects the continued appeal of Lakeside to businesses looking for more than just office space. The campus offers a combination of modern amenities, connectivity and an environment designed to support employee wellbeing.

Lakeside has also successfully retained three key occupiers over the past 12 months, including Southern Co-op (10,500 sq ft), Visitor Chat (4,000 sq ft) and Markerstudy Insurance Services (8,000 sq ft), representing a combined footprint of 22,500 sq ft.

Simon Bateman, Asset Manager at Lakeside North Harbour, said: “So far it has been a year of exciting growth for Lakeside, with new occupiers bringing a wide range of services and expertise to the campus. Each business benefits from the site’s excellent transport links, modern facilities, and a vibrant community.

“We are building on this growth and will continue to make Lakeside a go-to place for businesses looking for a flexible business campus with a focus on wellbeing and also for the companies that choose to stay on campus year after year.”