NEWS17 June 2025
We’re thrilled to launch a new and exciting digital experience at Surrey Research Park – an interactive AI-enabled 3D Augmented Reality (AR) tour!
Developed in partnership with local games studio Starpal.AI as part of our 40th anniversary celebrations, our AR experience offers an innovative and cutting-edge way for Park visitors to discover more about the Park and its business community.
Guided by a futuristic-looking digital 3D stag called Malcolm – a reference to the University of Surrey’s coat of arms and a homage to one of the Park’s visionary founders, Dr Malcolm Parry OBE – the interactive tour showcases the Park’s collective impact on innovation and technology.
Using a smartphone and touring around specific locations at the Park, visitors can discover more about the Park’s vibrant ecosystem of around 200 companies, which includes SMEs and established companies, startups and global brands, innovating across a wide range of sectors, from space and satellites, gaming and AI through to healthcare and MedTech.
Walking around the Park, visitors navigate to six different touchpoints, unlocking stories and digital content that highlights the real-world innovation and positive social impact made by companies in the Park’s vibrant community.
The AR tour was officially opened today (Tuesday 17th June) as part of the Park’s official 40th Anniversary and University of Surrey’s Surrey Showcase celebration of innovation.
In addition to scripted dialogue, Malcolm is underpinned by conversational AI, enabling more context-aware responses to visitor queries about the Park. This adaptive layer delivers a more personalised and information-rich experience for users seeking deeper insights into Surrey Research Park’s innovation ecosystem.
Its launch is also part of Surrey Research Park’s ongoing drive to encourage more people to engage with the expertise and initiatives at the Park– especially with our neighbours and members the wider University of Surrey community.
Caroline Fleming, Director of Surrey Innovation District ecosystem and innovation lead for Surrey Research Park said, said: “Behind every door of every business on the Park is an exciting story of innovation. Our new AR tour offers visitors a unique opportunity to connect with the ingenuity and excellence that thrive across the Park community, as well as the positive impact this ecosystem has made over the past four decades.
I’m incredibly pleased to see so many Showcase visitors already enjoying the experience, unlocking the knowledge within the Park and sparking new conversations and collaborations.”
Starpal.AI led the technical development and creative design of the AR experience. The company is renowned for its cutting-edge interactive spatial storytelling tools.
The company’s COO and founder Tanguy Dewavrin said: “This collaboration demonstrates how immersive technologies can bridge the gap between physical spaces and digital storytelling.
“As a local company already engaged with the University of Surrey we’re proud to contribute to Surrey Research Park’s innovation story.”
