Export and Manufacturing Led Recovery?
Some people may have missed yesterday’s announcement over the creation of the first Technology and Innovation Centre in High Value Manufacturing (HVM). Business Secretary Vince Cable announced the details of the new centre which will receive more than £140 million over the next six years.
Yes, not the most thrilling piece of news. However, for a company such as ours it says two things (which are more thrilling). Firstly, that the government realises one of the only ways of getting UK PLC out of the current economic stagnation is to export. We have to sell more abroad – more products and more services. This is just one of the latest moves designed to get the country innovating and selling. UKTI also continue to do great work in supporting companies and assisting them in creating opportunities. Secondly, and as a result of the previous point, this boosts B2B services such as translation, interpreting, DTP, web design, packaging, etc. (which we do!) which exporters will need.
From our perspective this gives us confidence that the country will continue to focus on exporting, and we can concentrate on supporting the exporters.
So what is ‘High Value Manufacturing’ Centre?
The HVM centre is designed to help stimulate manufacturing in the UK. On top of this it aims to reduce the risk of innovation for new and established UK manufacturing businesses, plus attract international business.
The centre will help to kick-start a sustained manufacturing revival by commercialising science – taking ideas from the drawing board to help make them into real products. The seven regional facilities forming the centre are:
• Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Rotherham, part of University of Sheffield)
• Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Rotherham)
• Manufacturing Technology Centre (Coventry)
• Advanced Forming Research Centre (University of Strathclyde)
• National Composite Centre (University of Bristol)
• Centre for Process Innovation (Wilton & Sedgefield)
• Warwick Manufacturing Group (University of Warwick)
By incorporating the seven institutions, the HVM Technology and Innovation Centre will support a number of different industries including pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, food & beverages, healthcare, aerospace, automotive, energy, chemicals and electronics.
Useful Links
A few useful links around manufacturing and exporting include:
- Vince Cable’s Speech on HVM – delivered yesterday at Design Centre, Islington, London
- Manufacturing for Export – great PDF guide from British Chambers of Commerce
- UKTI – information for exporters
- Rethinking Growth – excellent publication from EEF
- See Inside Manufacturing – Find out more about how you can go behind the scenes within a manufacturing environment.
by +Neil Payne
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