ROUND-UP OCTOBER 2020
In Brief
Investment
Prototyping investment
HLH, a Chinese-based provider
of prototyping and bespoke
low-volume manufacturing
solutions, is set to expand its UK
support by opening a new facility
in 2021. HLH has the capacity
to undertake a wide range of
industrial applications, including
CNC machining, 3D printing
and rapid injection moulding,
and can boast Nikon, Audi, and
Phillips among its customers.
AMRC
£2m grant for AMRC Cymru
The University of Sheffield
Advanced Manufacturing
Research Centre (AMRC)
Cymru in Broughton, North
Wales, following £2 million in
BITES (Business, Innovation
and Tourism Escalator Scheme)
funding awarded by the Welsh
government to build a Food and
Drink Packaging Sustainability
Centre. The new centre will help
drive Industry 4.0 applications
in the food and drink sector,
especially around packaging.
Offshore boost for Humber
Korean firm SeAH, one of
the world’s leading pipe
manufacturers, has announced
its intention to establish what
would be the first monopile
production facility in the UK
on the south bank of the River
Humber, potentially creating
around 400 jobs. Monopiles are
driven into the seabed to provide
the foundations for offshore
wind turbines.
First Siemens
apprentices start
A dozen apprentices
have begun studies at
Selby College, the
training partner for
Siemens Mobility’s rail
facility in Goole, East
Riding of Yorkshire.
The new starters
are undertaking a
three-year Level 3
Rail Technician
Apprenticeship
programme, the third
year of which sees
students splitting their
time between the new
factory in Goole and
Siemens’ rolling stock
plant in Vienna.
The cohort are the
first of up to 700
employees who will
work at the factory
when it opens in 2023.
The state-of-the-art
plant will manufacture
and commission trains,
starting with a major
contract to replace
existing rolling stock on
the Piccadilly Line of
London’s Underground.
Construction at the
67-acre, £200 million
site formally began in
July this year. It will
become a ‘rail village’,
complete with R&D,
digital innovation and
supplier facilities.
“The government has
a clear commitment to
‘levelling up’ and
rebuilding the nation’s
economy following
COVID-19 and
employing and training
local people is key to
this,” said Sambit
Banerjee, MD of
Siemens Mobility
Limited. “As supporters
of this ambition, we are
committed to upskilling
the next generation of
engineering talent.”
Government
Business Secretary Alok
Sharma promised to “fire up
the cylinders of productivity”
as he announced up to
£300 million of funding to
help boost innovation in
manufacturing. Companies
harnessing technology
including robotics, AI and
augmented reality can benefit
from the funds. UK Research
and Innovation has already
awarded its first investment
package of £20 million to 14
innovative projects in the
first round of funding, in
sectors including aerospace,
automotive, chemicals, digital
equipment, FMCG and food
and beverage.
Sustainability
Iggesund gets platinum
Iggesund Paperboard’s mill
in Workington has been
awarded the Platinum level for
sustainability by international
assessment company EcoVadis.
The Platinum level includes
the top 1% of all rated
companies. The Workington
plant joins the company’s
other mill in Iggesund, Sweden,
which was also awarded the
Platinum level earlier this year.
Support for Net Zero
A new report from npower
Business Solutions has
found that two-thirds of UK
manufacturers believe that
achieving Net Zero emissions
by 2050 is a realistic target, as
over 40 leading UK businesses
signed an agreement to reach
the target a decade earlier. Of
these, 20 have also committed
to biodiversity net gain and
greater board accountability.
Hot topic
Almost three-quarters (74%) of
businesses globally plan to invest in 3D
printing next year, with half set to spend
over £75,000 on the technology, according
to a MakerBot survey of 1,200 organisations.
Training & Skills
12-week WM masterclass
Manufacturers in the West
Midlands can tap into a
12-week programme of
expert classes to help them
upskill their workforces post
COVID-19. Training provider,
In-Comm, with funding
from the European Social
Fund has pulled together
a comprehensive series of
workshops, between October
and December.
SMMT skills support
The Society of Motor
Manufacturers and Traders
(SMMT) Charitable Trust
Fund has launched the
SMMT Apprentice Support
Programme. It has earmarked
£100,000 to cover all or part
of the salaries of apprentices
currently employed by SMEs
in the UK automotive industry
whose positions are at risk of
redundancy due to COVID-19.
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