New technical resource for manufacturing businesses moves to South Yorkshire
Manufacturing and engineering companies in South Yorkshire have a powerful new resource for technical support with the opening of a world-leading research and development facility for welding and materials joining technology. The facility (to be known as the TWI Technology Centre) is being developed by TWI, the world-leading welding and joining research and technology organisation and will begin operations on 6 November 2002 in Orgreave.TWI's inward investment into South Yorkshire, which could amount to £17M over a six year period, has been assisted by £2.8M of support from the European Regional Development Fund through the Objective 1 Programme for South Yorkshire. Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency for Yorkshire and the Humber will also provide support.
"The centre will enable innovative companies to access technological expertise and knowledge for improving the overall manufacturing process, and will also provide solutions to shorter term problems" said Dr Bob John, TWI's Director of Business Development. "The centre will continue TWI's development of tomorrow's manufacturing technologies, and will make sure that Yorkshire industry is able to use them to grow its manufacturing capability, bringing new jobs and business growth in many sectors, including aerospace, automotive, machinery, medical equipment and electronics. The Centre will be able to tackle not only tomorrow's challenges: it will also help companies solve their existing technical problems and train and qualify people to handle all types of joining technology."
TWI has been instrumental in inventing many new processes that are becoming the backbone of modern manufacturing. Products ranging from the next generation space shuttle and first all-welded passenger jet to million-mile spark plugs and laser-welded clothing, will all use new manufacturing methods developed by TWI. Introducing new joining technologies can help companies improve their products, increasing profitability, customer appeal and safety.
Objective 1 has adopted an approach to economic regeneration in South Yorkshire based on cluster development. TWI's new centre forms part of Objective 1's advanced manufacturing and metals cluster and is part of a far sighted plan to establish a dynamic expertise and resource base for supporting new metals and manufacturing industries in the region. TWI will be joining other metals cluster organisations in the region, forming a unique resource to support today's manufacturing and lay the foundations for the future.
Susan Johnson, Business Development Director at Yorkshire Forward said: "The TWI investment complements the range of leading-edge international technologies being assembled in the region as part of our advanced engineering and metals clusters providing the foundation for future industrial development. These include casting, forging, precision machining, surface engineering and high performance metals. The investments are already attracting the attention of a number of international businesses and also enable regional businesses to access the latest technology."
Tony Newson of Objective 1 said: "This inward investment by TWI is an important cornerstone of our plans to develop a world-leading advanced manufacturing and metals cluster in South Yorkshire. This project delivers 39 high tech jobs directly and many hundreds indirectly through the help that the Centre will make available to South Yorkshire's manufacturers. The Centre will enable innovative companies to access technological expertise and knowledge for improving the overall manufacturing process. Networking and collaborative activity between the Centre, local industry and advanced manufacturing and metals cluster businesses will help develop the long term research and development base in the region. This is the initial investment in the South Yorkshire advanced manufacturing and metals cluster that will see a range of programmes, funded through Objective 1, to develop the competitiveness of South Yorkshire manufacturers."
More information on the South Yorkshire initiative may be obtained from Dave McKeown at TWI. E-mail: dave.mckeown@twi.co.uk
(News release 6 November 2002)
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