Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announced that the company has consolidated its U.K. capabilities in Basingstoke to address the growing demand for testing and regulatory certification services.

A press release said that UL has made a “significant investment” in Basingstoke, which is now the organization’s largest commercial test facility in the U.K. It adds 37,000 sq ft to the current facility, tripling its size, with 15,000 sq ft dedicated to EMC and wireless testing.

UL’s EMC and Wireless certification lab now includes: four 3-meter semi-anechoic chambers; three 3-meter fully anechoic chambers; six large screened rooms; and seven DASY6 SAR systems. As technology continues to advance rapidly, new developments such as 5G and artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to significantly alter consumer buying habits and increase awareness of issues, including security and interoperability, the release said. “As a result, many companies are being left behind as they fail to remain relevant and meet the new standards introduced to protect consumers.” The consolidation of services in Basingstoke was driven by these market trends and by requests from UL customers for larger laboratory capacity, shorter test programs and automation, and higher frequency bands, all in one location, it said.

Through the consolidation, UL will provide a broad spectrum of certification types across multiple industries, technologies and geographies from a single location, so that as the products made by customers have to become “smarter,” the location can adapt to meet those needs, the release said. “This is an important moment in the development of UL’s compliance services in the U.K. The significant investment in new facilities will offer a one-stop service solution with state-of-the art custom-designed chambers and sourced equipment,” said Phil Davies, site leader and general manager for UL’s Consumer Technology division in the EMEA-LA region. For more details, go to www.ul.com.