Advanced engineering and materials sector programme celebrates success
A programme run in the Yorkshire region for the past four years designed to support the Advanced Engineering and Materials sector has been hailed a resounding success.
The £10m Advanced Engineering and Materials (AEM) Technology Capacity Building Programme, jointly funded by Yorkshire Forward and the private sector, has supported the development and application of new technologies to improve the capacity and performance of companies in the metals and engineering sector, throughout the region. The programme delivered support to 245 businesses in the region and created or safeguarded 1591 jobs to date, resulting in over £126million in increased business sales. It has also supported events for companies across the whole of Yorkshire and Humber and offered over 750 learning opportunities for those companies supported.
The programme involved NAMTEC (National Metals Technology Centre) establishing four Capacity Building Centres (CBCs) to cover Surface Engineering, Design Modelling and Simulation, Rapid Manufacturing and Innovative Metals Processing technologies.
Stephen Butler, International Sales Development Manager for Chesterfield Special Cylinders in Sheffield, one of the companies which has benefited from NAMTEC’s Design Modelling and Simulation Centre, said: “From our early involvement with NAMTEC and their advanced CAE software capabilities, we have underpinned £3m worth of sales orders, contributing significantly to the overall growth of the business since its relocation to Sheffield in June 2005. The CAE analysis performed by NAMTEC provided the opportunity to assess various cylinder designs against the customer’s specification, allowing us to identify and implement new, ‘best-in-class’ manufacturing practices.”
Jim Farmery, Assistant Director for Business at Yorkshire Forward, added: “The advanced engineering and manufacturing sector is a priority sector for Yorkshire and Humber and our investment in the Technology Capacity Building Programme has meant that companies of all sizes can access the necessary support to grow and develop their business in this area. The Programme, with NAMTEC’s valued support, has left a legacy of benefits that will keep on giving to the economy long after it has come to a close.”
Dr Alan Partridge, Chief Executive of NAMTEC, responded: “We are proud of the results of this hugely successful programme and what it has delivered for this region’s manufacturing businesses. The benefits delivered and the technologies developed during the programme will continue to be available from the programme partners for years to come, helping to ensure that the Yorkshire and Humber Region retains its rightful position at the forefront of advanced engineering and manufacturing. ”
Events
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LAMMA Show 2025
15 January, 2025, 8:30 - 16 January, 2025, 16:30
NEC, Birmingham UK -
SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING & ELECTRONICS SHOW 2025
04 February, 2025, 9:30 - 06 February, 2025, 15:30
Farnborough International Exhibition Centre, off Aerospace Boulevard, Farnborough GU14 6TQ -
SMART Manufacturing & Engineering Week
04 - 05 June, 2025
NEC, Birmingham UK -
PPMA 2025
23 September, 2025, 9:30 - 25 September, 2025, 16:00
NEC, Birmingham UK
