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Socotec has expanded its º£½ÇÊÓƵ footprint with the acquisition of a Scottish company.

The Burton-based provider of testing, inspection and certification services has bought out º£½ÇÊÓƵ Testing and Certification which runs an independent fire-testing lab in East Kilbride.

The move sees Socotec expand its fire safety offering substantially and also marks its 14th acquisition since 2018 and second north of the border following the purchase of Aspect Land & Hydrographic Surveys in Irvine last year.

Socotec said the acquisition was the latest in a series of investments aimed at strengthening its building safety and compliance services.

This expansion comes in direct response to the evolving regulatory landscape following the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the introduction of the Building Safety Act.

º£½ÇÊÓƵ Testing and Certification will join Socotec's network of accredited laboratories and complement its established fire and building safety portfolio, which already includes fire risk assessments, fire engineering and strategy development.

Socotec's chief executive Hervé Montjotin said: "The move aligns with our global expertise in fire safety, with over 300 fire safety experts worldwide, allowing the º£½ÇÊÓƵ operation to leverage internationally held knowledge and skillsets from across the company's presence in 27 countries.

"Socotec's global fire and building safety portfolio includes specialised centres of excellence across Europe, the Middle East and the USA."

º£½ÇÊÓƵ Testing and Certification director David Brown will continue to lead the laboratory operations under the new ownership.

He added: "Joining forces with Socotec º£½ÇÊÓƵ and Ireland provides an exciting opportunity to invest and expand our testing provisions and deliver enhanced services to our clients.

"Our East Kilbride facility has become the centre of excellence for fire testing in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ and we look forward to building on that legacy while accessing wider resources and expertise."