Supply chain initiatives worth £80m set to secure hundreds of new jobs
.jpg)
SUCCESSFUL bids from the first round of the Government’s £125m Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative are projected to create or safeguard more than 2,160 jobs across the West Midlands, North West and Yorkshire.
The bids will be supported by approximately £80m of joint public and private sector investment – £30m from the AMSCI, subject to due diligence, with a further £50m leveraged from the private sector.
The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills said the investments would finance and strengthen 11 manufacturing supply chain projects across the automotive, aerospace and chemical sectors – key areas of the Government’s Industrial Strategy.
Round 1 projects include an advanced manufacturing proving factory to develop the mass production of new low carbon technologies in Yorkshire and the surrounding areas, an automotive supplier that is enlarging and enhancing its manufacturing facility in the West Midlands and a next generation bio-process manufacturing capability being developed in the Tees Valley.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Over half the UK’s exports and almost three quarters of our business research and development activity is in manufacturing, so it’s vital that we create the right conditions to encourage growth in the industry.
“The successful applications in AMSCI Round 1 represent a high quality of projects that bring together businesses and forge new partnerships across various supply chains that will strengthen our presence in Europe and the world.
“Through this initiative Government and industry can work together to help UK supply chains become more globally competitive, and plug the gaps that act as barriers to efficiency and expansion.”
AMSCI is part funded by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund and is delivered in partnership with the Technology Strategy Board – the UK’s innovation agency – and Birmingham City Council, which is the accountable authority on behalf of BIS.
Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Working in this new partnership has been ground-breaking. We are making use of new legislation which gives local authorities the powers for the first time to operate outside their region at a national and even an international level. We hope this will be a model BIS and central government will use again.”
Stream 1 successes comprise:
• The Proving Factory, based in Rotherham. Its lead organisation is Productiv Ltd and partners include: Tata Steel, Bladon Jets, Drive Systems Design Ltd, Flybrid Systems LLP, Libralto Engines Ltd, Zytek Ltd, Aeristech Ltd, Unipart Eberspacher Exhaust Systems Ltd, MIRA Ltd and MTC Ltd
• BioMOD, based in Wilton, Tees Valley. The lead organisation is Centre for Process Innovation Ltd and partners include: ECOSYL Products Ltd, BioProcess Engineering Services Ltd, National Renewable Energy Centre Ltd and the University of Leeds
In Stream 2 the bids comprise:
• High Strength Glass Manufacture, based in St Helens. The lead organisation is NGF EUROPE Ltd
• Indestructible Paint Ltd – production growth development programme, based in Birmingham. The lead organisation is Indestructible Paint Ltd
• Automated Body-in-Black Architectures, based in Coventry. The lead organisation is Penso Consulting Ltd
• Turbocharger Housing Machining, based in Walsall. The lead organisation is Chamberlin plc
• EXAMP, based in Coventry. The lead organisation is Expert Tooling & Automation Ltd
• Manufacturing expansion in the Midlands, based in Walsall. The lead organisation is ZF Lemforder UK
• Collaborate to Growth, based in Uttoxeter. The lead organisation is Advance Consultancy Ltd and partners include: Agile Business Solutions (UK) Ltd, Midland Aerospace Alliance Ltd, University of Liverpool and Aventa UK Ltd
• Business and Capacity Improvement Project, based in Birmingham. The lead organisation: is QPP
• Aluminium Low Pressure Die Casting Manufacturing Company – NewCo, based in Coventry. The lead organisation is King Automotive Systems Ltd
