SMEs need defence work warns engine maker
A WEST Midland manufacturer helping to pioneer new engine technology has warned the Ministry of Defence it must purchase more products from UK SMEs or risk the technology being sold to foreign investors.
Sutton Coldfield-based Cubewano manufactures innovative aero engines and military generators and currently has 11 patents for its technologies. It has developed the world’s lightest yet most powerful engine to run on heavy fuel.
Last year it collaborated with the US Department of Defense on a multi-million dollar contract to supply its engines to the US Army’s UAV – unmanned aerial vehicles or drones – programme.
Yet the firm still struggles to secure vital defence business in the UK and now foreign investors are eyeing the firm’s potential with interest.
Craig Fletcher, the firm’s managing director, outlined the difficulties to Sutton Coldfield MP and International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell during a visit to the firm’s factory.
He said the firm had to secure an initial order from either the MoD or a foreign military procurement in order to secure capital to take its Hornet generator range from prototype to production.
“Our company is currently at a crossroads. Tooling to bring Hornet into production will cost hundreds of thousands so we need to decide how we fund this,” said Mr Fletcher.
“While the MoD provides various grants these invariably are for ‘proof of concept’ projects. We could probably secure grants from the MoD to help us develop even more patents and innovative technology but this doesn’t help us get our latest product to market.
“It means we must now look to one of the larger players in the defence industry to either partner with or sell our intellectual property so they can invest in productionisation and provide a procurement pipeline into the military.”
Mr Mitchell said he was proud to have the firm in his constituency and agreed it was important that the technology was preserved. He said he would take up the matter with his government colleagues.
