Fast facts: The UK’s SMEs
ROUND-UP MARCH 2019
In Depth 39%
view the
Eurozone as
competition
26%
say a lack of skills is
holding back their
productivity levels
89%
are committed
to ongoing R&D
investment
First blade for new windfarm
produced at Siemens Hull
Production of the first wind
turbine blade for the East
Anglia ONE offshore windfarm
represents a significant milestone
for the project located 43km off the
Suffolk coast.
The fibre glass blade has been
manufactured by the 850-strong
team at Siemens Gamesa’s state-ofthe
art factory at Green Port Hull,
and is the first of 306 which will be
manufactured at the site utilising
the specialist workforce.
Inspection of the blade, and signoff
by the East Anglia ONE project
team, was completed on 7 February.
With each of the blades comparable
in length to the wingspan of an
Airbus A380 aircraft, this feat of
engineering forms part of the major
contract between leading wind
energy producer ScottishPower
Renewables and Siemens Gamesa
to manufacture and install the
turbines for the East Anglia ONE
Offshore Windfarm.
The £2.5 billion East Anglia ONE
project will see 102 Siemens Gamesa
turbines deployed, each with a
capacity of 7 megawatts; which
could in total provide enough clean
energy to power the equivalent of
more than 630,000 homes annually.
Charlie Jordan, East Anglia ONE
Project Director for ScottishPower
Renewables, said: “East Anglia
ONE will soon be producing clean,
renewable energy for the UK,
helping to meet the nation’s carbon
reduction targets.
“The fabrication of the blades
from Siemens Gamesa’s facility
in Hull further demonstrates our
commitment to spending over 50%
of the project investment in the UK,
ensuring the benefits of East Anglia
ONE are felt across the country.”
Following production at the
£160 million Green Port factory,
the blades will be shipped down the
coast to Great Yarmouth, where
the turbine components will be
pre-assembled following a £5 million
co-investment to prepare Peel Ports
Great Yarmouth for construction
and installation activities.
SME manufacturing
sector set for growth
The latest MHA Manufacturing and
Engineering Report confirms UK SME
manufacturers remain optimistic and
confident about future growth, despite
the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, rising
production costs and skill shortages.
The manufacturing and engineering
survey, compiled by MHA and supported
by Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking in
association with the IMechE, reveals a
buoyant sector that’s not letting political
and economic uncertainty drag it down.
Businesses are not only predicting
future growth; over half are confident
about the future, they’re making
themselves more efficient in order to
counter price rises and are looking for
ways to bridge the skills gap.
Respondents identified their main
business growth drivers as increased
customer demand (18%), diversification
(14%) and a wider product range (13%)
and viewed the Eurozone a distant threat
(39% considered it a competitor). China
was thought to be a competitor by 21%.
When looking at productivity barriers,
27% cited poor factory infrastructure,
26% low skills levels, 23% staff shortages
and 22% lack of investment.
Growth barriers were identified by a
number of respondents: 19% said
recruiting appropriately skilled staff could
hold them back, 11% cited working
capital constraints and 10% the global
economy. To counter this, 41% say they
will invest in existing staff, offering
training, benefits and production
bonuses and 22% will update machinery.
The biggest concern for 34% of
businesses is finding employees with
the right skills. Of those struggling to
recruit, 50% cannot find skilled
machinists, 27% semi-skilled staff and
22% graduate engineers.
R&D is equally high on the agenda,
with 89% of respondents investing in this
area. Yet, MHA is concerned that almost
half of these firms, 48%, failed to apply
for R&D tax credits, saving themselves
thousands of pounds (see p34).
Siemens
8 www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk
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