A SMALL Hampshire firm that makes and designs plasma research machines has secured a deal in China worth almost half a million pounds.

Plasma Quest sealed a £400,000 contract with Zhengzhou University in central China to showcase its technology and expertise.

The firm's founder, Professor Michael Thwaites has been awarded a Visiting Professorship by the university for his work in plasma research and innovation. He said it was the second largest contract Plasma has been awarded in China.

“Taking the plunge and getting out there has paid off and we have already had a huge amount of interest in the applications for our technology across China,” he said.

UK Trade & Investment South East helped set up the deal.UKTI China business adviser, Chris Lowsley, said: “Approaching the Chinese market can be particularly daunting, but I see many companies who are technologically advanced winning new business in China's growing and dynamic science based marketplace.

“It is often wrongly assumed that the UK only imports from China, but British scientific and technically based products are seeing a huge success there. In fact British exports across many sectors are increasing rapidly but we are still only scratching the surface of this important market.”

Plasma Quest is run out of a unit in Hook, north Hampshire.