Parallax has hired 30 new employees in Leeds after adding 25 clients over the past year.

The appointments were made in the first quarter of 2026 in response to rising demand for the technology consultancy’s services. The new starters include designers, full stack engineers, and product and delivery specialists.

It marks the business’s largest period of growth to date. Artificial intelligence is now its fastest-growing area, and the new hires will support client projects in environmental technology, gaming, financial services and logistics.

In addition, Parallax has also recruited staff with 3D rendering experience as it expands its work in that field. Senior hires include Jamie Manson and Tom Parrish, who have joined as Principal Tech Leads.

Both have previously managed engineering teams of more than 50 people and are expected to lead new client accounts. Their arrival is part of a wider hiring push across technical and delivery roles.

Leeds talent

Three of the 30 new hires joined in graduate or internship roles through the company’s links with University Technical College Leeds and the University of Leeds.

Three additional university graduates are scheduled to commence their professional tenures later this calendar year, following their successful participation in the Parallax-sponsored Leeds Hack event held this past February.

This recruitment initiative constitutes a significant component of the organization’s strategic endeavor to cultivate burgeoning early-career talent and preserve specialized technical proficiencies within the local metropolitan area.

This comprehensive expansion of the workforce coincides with Leeds’ ongoing maturation as a preeminent regional center for technological innovation.

Statistical investigations conducted by The Data City indicate that the region’s technology sector has been expanding at a rate 125% more accelerated than the national mean, with specialized technical positions proliferating by 46% throughout the most recent reporting periods.

That expansive economic environment has empowered local enterprises to compete more effectively for high-caliber personnel while simultaneously undertaking a greater volume of projects for both domestic and international clientele.

For Parallax specifically, this latest sequence of appointments follows the announcement of what the firm characterized as its most substantial financial projections in the history of its operations.

Sophie Fletcher, Commercial Director at Parallax, said: “This is a hugely exciting time for Parallax as we reach a real inflection point in our growth. We’re winning work with ambitious international clients, including unicorn companies, and tackling complex challenges that require deep technical expertise and the ability to learn and adapt quickly, bringing insights from rapidly emerging technologies. That’s exactly the space we want to operate in, and it’s driving the kind of talent we’re bringing into the business.

“We’re also proud to be creating opportunities for people in Leeds and playing a part in strengthening the city’s tech ecosystem.”

Jason Bradbury outlined smart home technology trends at the Ideal Home Show in London, focusing on the growing role of connected devices in everyday domestic life.

At the event’s Smart Home showcase, the TV presenter and technology commentator highlighted products across home fitness, cooking, home cinema and retro-inspired consumer electronics. He argued that the futuristic home is no longer a theoretical idea, as many of its defining tools are already on the market.

Bradbury’s appearance was part of the wider Ideal Home Show programme at Olympia, which has opened its 118th year with a line-up of television personalities and sector specialists. This year’s event includes areas dedicated to kitchens, smart home products, DIY, gardening and outdoor living.

The smart home section focused on a move away from single-purpose gadgets towards more integrated systems. Examples included cameras that can identify people and parcels, and locks with fingerprint access. The broader theme was that connected products are being designed to fit more naturally into routine household tasks such as security, deliveries and access control.

Retro influence

Alongside newer connected devices, Bradbury pointed to a revival of older design cues and analogue formats. He linked the trend to a wider movement in interiors and consumer technology, with tactile materials and vintage-inspired hardware returning to favour.

“We’re talking about the home of the future, but interestingly, the 70s is coming back. We’ve already revisited the 80s, and now design inspiration is shifting towards 70s aesthetics, from walnut tones to more tactile finishes. You’ll see that across the Ideal Home Show this year. As technology moves forward, culture often looks backwards, and that’s why cassette and vinyl are making such a strong comeback,” said Jason Bradbury, TV Presenter and Tech Expert, Ideal Home Show.

That blend of digital systems and retro design was one of the clearest themes in his presentation. Brands mentioned in the session included We Are Rewind and Philips, cited as examples of renewed interest in cassette players, vinyl playback and products that emphasise physical interaction as much as digital convenience.

At-home fitness

Bradbury also identified home fitness as a notable area of development in consumer technology. He pointed to equipment designed to offer a wider choice of workouts while monitoring user performance, reflecting a broader push towards more personalised health and wellness products in the home.

One example was the Speediance Gym Monster, a connected training system intended for domestic use. The underlying point was that exercise technology is being adapted for users who want structured routines without relying on gyms or studio classes.

Kitchen shift

In the kitchen, the focus was on appliances designed to reduce manual supervision and improve consistency. Bradbury highlighted tools that manage variables such as heat and moisture more precisely, with the aim of making complex dishes easier to prepare at home.

The Bora X BO oven was among the products referenced in that category. The wider trend is a move towards devices that remove guesswork from cooking by automating more of the preparation process and offering greater control over results.

Portable viewing

Home entertainment was another part of the session, with attention on portable projection systems that combine picture, audio and setup features in a single unit. Bradbury highlighted products aimed at users seeking a cinema-style viewing experience without committing to a permanent installation.

The Nebula X1 Pro was presented as an example of that approach. The emphasis was on flexibility, with equipment that can move between rooms or be taken elsewhere rather than remaining fixed in one part of the home.

Bradbury’s broader message was that smart home products are becoming less about novelty and more about how they fit into everyday routines. Rather than presenting the category as a distant concept, he argued that it has already entered the mainstream through tools for security, cooking, fitness and entertainment.

“I’ve curated these gadgets around the idea of the ‘home of the future’, but the truth is, this is the future and we’re already there,” said Bradbury.

An application could be approved by Cherwell District Council, the planning authority, to build a 104,008 sq m data centre in Graven Hill, next door to St Davids Barracks.

After outline planning permission was granted in October 2023 with 47 conditions, the application was submitted in December 2025.

The proposed development comprises eight data centre buildings, each designed to accommodated IT infrastructure with a maximum utility capacity of 435MW – roughly the same power as one million homes.

Each data centre, which would have backup power generation facilities, is designed to accommodate computing infrastructure, which has an IT capacity of 290MW.

There would also be a substation to the southwest of the site.

Proposed site plan at Graven Hill data centre (Image: Atelier Gooch)

The site was formerly used by the Ministry of Defence for storage and distribution purposes dating back to 1942.

If approved, it is anticipated that between 500 and 800 jobs will be created once the site is fully operational with half of these position expected to be remote.

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Unlike a typical warehouse, data centres are full of servers that store digital ‘cloud’ services, which use large amounts of power and generate a substantial amount of heat.

The growth of Information Technology infrastructure services, such as ‘cloud’ computing, have expanded at pace with data centres at the core.

Reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework in December 2024 recognised data centres as ‘critical national infrastructure’ to enable the development of technology industries.

However, key issues raised by the Graven Hill Resident’s Association include power, cooling, water and heat reuse, as well as noise.

One of the biggest issues to developing Bicester has been ensuring sufficient electricity supply can meet the demands of the growing town, with a number of sites previously stalled as there is no National Grid capacity, developers say.

This problem is only expected to get worse with estimates that the UK’s total electricity demand will rise by 50 per cent in 10 years.

Birds eye view of the Graven Hill data centre (Image: Atelier Gooch)

The data centres are cooled using a combination of mechanical coolers and free cooling, which uses little water, but the latter is insufficient around 40 per cent of the year.

A noise and vibration assessment at 10 locations around Graven Hill showed acceptable levels but locations closest showed an adverse impact.

Additionally, as the electric energy turns into heat, this could be used to warm nearby homes. While this was mentioned as a possibility, there has been no other initiatives.

Other concerns include about employment, planning processes, lighting and ecology.

Cherwell District Council is expected to make a decision today (Friday, April 10).