Author Archives: admin

Cocktail specialist shakes up the sector

A cocktail brand born out of the pandemic has unveiled ambitious plans for the future, after selling over 200,000 units in just two years.

Nestled in a converted railway arch in Newcastle city centre, Kocktail was set up in 2020 to help people enjoy ‘world-class cocktails in the comfort of their own home.’

The brainchild of friends Andrew Hutchinson, Emil Stickland and Neil Donachie, the trio launched the business after struggling to replicate their favourite cocktails at home during the pandemic.

Neil – who was head bartender at The Savoy when it was crowned ‘The World’s Best Hotel Bar’ – was tasked with teaching the others how to recreate their favourite cocktails, however they soon realised there was a gap in the market for high-end cocktail kits and ingredients.

This inspired the launch of Kocktail, a cocktail subscription service providing eight ‘world-class, ready to drink’ cocktails a month to customers across the UK, produced with the most sought-after spirits and quality ingredients.

Fast-forward two years and the company has grown rapidly, establishing itself as the UK’s leading cocktail kit and subscription brand and employing 15 people. It has also signed deals to supply its new 500ml bottles to high-end retailers across the UK, including John Lewis.

“A lot of people said it would just be a lockdown fad and predicted that demand would fall off a cliff when restrictions were lifted, but we were confident that wasn’t the case,” Andrew said. “And we’ve been proven right.

“We added individual products and gift boxes to our range, giving us three core product ranges, and this has really helped elevate the business to heights even we didn’t envisage, selling over 200,000 bottles and securing deals with some of the biggest names in retail.”

One of the challenges facing the business during its growth phase however, aside from the pandemic, was ensuring the products remained of the highest possible standard while demand and its team spiralled.

After attending a series of workshops by the £10.9million Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project at the University of Sunderland, the company introduced processes to ramp up productivity while standardising best practice and making it easier for new staff to understand the process.

This proved key to helping the company meet the increased demand from its clients and Andrew is confident that the increased output generated by the improvements will help the company to continue growing as it plans for the future.

He explained: “Due to Neil’s impressive bar background, he had really high standards which was what really set us apart from our competitors and the support from SAM was key to ensuring our production manager, George, was able to maintain this standard as more people joined the team and we began to really ramp up our output.

“As we continued to grow, we knew we had to keep standards high and make sure we were meeting them every single time, without being too mechanicalised or mass produced, and the support from SAM really helped us achieve that.

“It saw us standardise practices and helped us better understand how to implement procedures. We were already doing some of those things naturally, but they managed to put it onto paper so that everyone now sings from the same hymn sheet when they join the company. It’s really helped sustain our future and formalise aspects of the business we would never have done ourselves.

“As we look to the future, the plan is to continue expanding our presence across the UK, expand our product range and continue growing the business, and I’m confident that, with the support we have received and the team we have assembled, we have everything we need to achieve our goals.”

The Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project is a £10.9m collaboration between the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the University of Sunderland and the Northern Powerhouse Initiative and Industry, supporting SME manufacturers in the North-East Local Enterprise Partnership (NE LEP) area to improve their products or processes and introduce new technology.

Roger O’Brien, Project and Technical Lead at the SAM Project, said: “It’s been fantastic working with the team at Kocktail to help improve their manufacturing processes and prepare for the future.

“Our manufacturing workshops are ideal for busy companies to learn best practice techniques and we are delighted at how much we are able to support at such a business-critical time.”

SAM Features in The Journal

The SAM Project featured in The Journal, published in Newcastle in a special feature in March 2022.

The article covers all of the areas of expertise offered by the the project with an introduction to the Technical Team, alongside case-studies featuring companies who have received support. There is also information about the grant funding the project offers.

The full supplement can be downloaded here.

Manufacturers urged to ‘think local’

A TEAM of industry experts is urging regional manufacturers to prioritise localising supply chains, to minimise the impact of future crises on the sector.

The Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing Project, a £10.9million initiative set up to provide expert advice and funding to North East SME manufacturers, issued the rallying call after witnessing first-hand how travel restrictions have affected the sector over recent months.

When national lockdowns were imposed in March last year due to the pandemic, entire supply chains were brought to a halt almost overnight, highlighting the extreme fragility of extended global supply chains, as firms the world-over were unable to import key components and materials.

Scores of small to medium sized manufacturers from across the North East have since approached the team at SAM – comprising academics from University of Sunderland and industry leading experts – for advice on securing and safeguarding their supply chains, as they look to minimise the impact of future crises.

Ken Teears, Project Manager of the SAM Project, said: “British manufacturing has been dealt blow after blow by the pandemic and establishing sustainable, localised supply chains is key to safeguarding the industry’s future.

“This was not only a challenge for the large Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), SME manufacturers were also left high and dry as suppliers in mainland Europe closed temporarily and imports ceased.

“The SAM Project was able to advise companies on how they could bring production in-house and identify the manufacturing equipment required to do so.

“Companies saw that, while the unit price of making components in-house was slightly higher, the reduced risk, increased resilience and ability for staff to move onto this equipment if supply chains were disrupted again, meant they were good investments to make.

“Over the past 40 years we have seen a huge shift in the number of western manufacturers setting up facilities and sourcing parts from suppliers in low-wage economies, while failing to heed the advice of the many industry-experts and academics urging companies to establish more localised, sustainable supply chains.

“While there is no hiding from the fact that the production of materials and parts overseas can be – at times – significantly cheaper for manufacturers, the pandemic acted as a stark reminder that the ever-growing trend of manufacturers relying upon imports can also be hugely damaging to the industry’s supply chains.

“Jaguar Land Rover was a great example of this. When Chinese factories and ports were forced to close in February last year due to the pandemic, the automotive giant’s global supply chain almost ground to a halt and the company made headlines the world-over after being forced to fly-in vital components via suitcases.”

Another example was the UK’s reliance upon imported PPE, the majority of which failed to meet the standards set by Public Health England (PHE) and forced a valiant effort from UK manufacturers to diversify and begin producing PPE of their own to support the fight against the virus.

Within weeks, millions of items of PPE were produced by UK manufacturers – many of which were from the North East – meeting the highest of industry standards and ensuring the safety of our key workers.

As well as quality and economic benefits, the reshoring of manufacturing and localising of supply chains also has huge environmental advantages, helping companies slash their carbon footprint and support the UK’s fight to cap greenhouse emissions.

“Many materials and parts are transported halfway around the world before the final product is even sold.” Teears said. “By sourcing goods locally, we can effectively eradicate the need for unnecessary transport, helping firms reduce their carbon footprint and providing a huge shot in the arm to their local economies.”

The SAM Project was launched in 2018 in a bid to help businesses become more productive and sustainable by supporting projects that enhance their products, processes and technology.

Since then, the programme – which was due to end in December 2020 – has proved a huge success, providing £800,000 in matched-funding – as well as practical and research support to over 200 SMEs across the region – and is set to continue supporting the sector after securing a further £6 million, taking it to June 2023.

“If we can encourage more manufacturers to source parts locally, bringing production back to the North East that was previously outsourced and/or re-shore a larger proportion of their components, then this will prove a huge boost to the region and the resilience of the sector going forward,” Teears added.

“Since the outbreak of the pandemic, manufacturers of all kinds have contacted us for support and we have witnessed lots of companies looking to think local and make their supply chains more sustainable.

“If we can be certain of one thing as we look to 2021, it’s that there will undoubtedly be more challenges ahead for the sector as we look to bounce back from the pandemic and adjust to the new trading conditions brought about by Brexit.

“However it’s important to remember that support is available for those affected, from both the SAM Project and other programmes in the region, whom we work closely with, and we’d urge any company seeking advice and guidance to contact us for support and guidance.”

For more information on the SAM Project, visit: https://samprojectuos.co.uk/

Multi-million-pound boost for North East manufacturing

MANUFACTURERS across the North East are set to receive a major boost, after one of the region’s largest investment programmes secured a further £6 million in funding.

The Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing Project (SAM) was launched in 2018 in a bid to help businesses become more productive and sustainable by supporting projects that enhance their products, processes and technology.

The pioneering initiative was originally part-funded by ERDF – with a £2.6m commitment – and the University of Sunderland and industry, which invested £2.5m, and is aimed solely at small and medium sized manufacturers (under 250 employees) based in the North East LEP area, with an annual turnover of less than €50m (£45m approx.)

The project offers a range of assistance – tapping into significant academic resources, a team of industrial specialists and a number of factories with more than £1m worth of equipment – to offer both practical and research support, ensuring businesses can access a knowledge bank comprising some of the industry’s brightest brains and most advanced technology. This extension will see the Technical Research and Development team grow, to offer even greater specialist industry support to companies.

Ken Teears, project manager at SAM, said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce that the project has been extended until June 2023. Over the last two years, we’ve provided funding and support to scores of businesses and have witnessed first-hand the impact this has had, from safeguarding and creating jobs to transforming entire production lines.

“Since the pandemic hit the UK in March, the impact it has had on the nation’s manufacturing sector has been catastrophic. However, it has provided opportunities such as re-shoring and bringing back in-house previously sub-contracted works, as well as business diversification. Now, more than ever, manufacturers need our support and this funding boost will go a long way to helping many of the region’s SMEs adapt and grow as we look to get through this crisis and keep Britain’s economy moving.”

In phase 1, SAM provided matched-funded grants of up to £50,000 to SMEs across the North East LEP area for capital, product validation, equipment and other financial inhibitors to drive the strategic development of both product and process. This will continue in phase two, with an additional £1Million being put into the grant pot, together with some tweaks to the intervention rates (now at 25% in Tyne and Wear and Northumberland and 35% in County Durham).

Teears added: “This latest expansion means the project is now fully-funded until June 2023, however we can’t recommend early engagement enough. Our fully funded technical research and development support and grant fund are seeing a strong increase in interest as companies look to diversify, adapt and innovate. We have moved to monthly grant panels as we foresee the additional £1 million being very popular.

“If you’re an SME manufacturer, then the engineers, researchers, grants and access to capital are here to help you adapt to the inevitable process changes facing us post-pandemic and help take your business to the next level.

“Programmes like this are pivotal to ensuring the North East continues to lead the way in product, process and technology innovation – and we can’t stress enough how important it is that manufacturers get on board.”

Capital investment pays off as AGMA helps clean up

A FAMILY-OWNED manufacturer of cleaning and hygiene solutions has revealed how major investment in new machinery helped it step up to the fight against Coronavirus.

AGMA Ltd, based in the rural town of Haltwhistle, Northumberland, designs and manufactures sterile and non-sterile cleaning and biocidal products, which it exports to customers in over 30 different countries.

Serving a broad range of industries – from the NHS to major global blue-chip pharmaceutical, biotechnology and oil companies – the company, like most others in its sector, saw its order book swell during the Coronavirus outbreak, with production lines running at full capacity while staff adhered to social distancing measures.

However, despite growing demand from its client base during what has been an incredibly testing period for the industry, the company was still able to join the global fight against Covid-19, thanks to grant funding and expert advice from the Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project.

The support helped AGMA – a Royal Warrant holder – identify areas of the business that could be improved through automation – such as the production of its triggered sprays – and invest in the machinery required to automate the process, safeguarding 30 jobs while increasing output, reducing lead-times and increasing sales.

John Taylor, finance director at AGMA Ltd, said: “Our sanitisers and hand gels have become extremely popular both abroad and domestically over recent months due to the pandemic. However, as a family company that is deep-rooted in Haltwhistle, we’ve continued to stand-by our commitment to give back to the community that’s served us incredibly well over 52 years, by continuing to donate products locally. We also supply the NHS and various other organisations – while fulfilling orders for clients.

“This would not have been possible had it not been for the support we received from the SAM Project last year. The funding and support was crucial to help us understand how automation can benefit our business and allow us to invest in new machinery, introduce new procedures and make us more competitive, while reducing production costs, expanding into new areas and safeguarding jobs.

“As a company, the majority of our competitors are multi-global organisations that – for the past 50 years – we’ve had to really punch above our weight to compete with. This support has allowed us to tap into R&D expertise, previously out of reach, and invest in state-of-the-art machinery that will help us compete for years to come. We can’t thank the team enough for all of its support.”

Having seen output double and a significant rise in sales over the last 2-3 years, AGMA is now looking to the future as it continues investing in new machinery and processes, as well as ramping up its R&D activity as it uses its increased manpower to brings new innovations to market.

John added: “Looking forward, we’re hoping to continue growing and exploring how we can continue to embrace new technologies. The support from SAM has really opened our eyes to the potential of industry 4.0 and how processes such as automation can help us grow as a business, and we’re aiming to continue investing in new technologies as a result of this over the next 12 months.

“As an export nation, our manufacturing sector is vital to our economic success and projects such as SAM will play a pivotal role if manufacturing companies such as AGMA are to continue competing on the global stage long into the future.”

SAM offers four key support functions to businesses that are gearing up to grow, including access to technical expertise, with industrial specialists using their skill and expertise to guide businesses through the process of understanding and implementing technology; R&D, with a team of researchers able to support with the development of new products and processes; factories and facilities, including access to £1m of industry-leading advanced technology and equipment; and its grants scheme, that offers financial assistance to businesses that qualify.

Ken Teears, project manager at SAM, said: “The SAM Project was launched in a bid to help manufacturers in the North East LEP area lead the way in product, process and technology innovation – and AGMA Ltd is a perfect example of this in action.

“The company is a fantastic case study of how manufacturers can innovate and grow by embracing new technologies and processes. Not only has investing in automation helped the company increase output and sales but it has also helped safeguard 30 jobs and maximise the potential of its workforce.

“However, the support on offer from SAM is only available for a limited time, therefore I’d recommend any SME manufacturer in the North East LEP area that has plans to grow over the next few months, or that is having to adapt due to the pandemic, to get in contact with us to find out if they’re eligible to tap into the support on offer.”

Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing is a collaboration between European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and University of Sunderland, that was set up to support North East (LEP) SME manufacturers to explore and introduce new technology to improve their products or processes. It was funded with a £2.6m commitment from ERDF and £2.5m from the University of Sunderland, and is aimed solely at small and medium sized manufacturers (under 250 employees), with an annual turnover of less than €50m (£45m approx.)

Breaking down the UK Government’s new PPE Strategy

The UK Government has outlined how it aims to ensure the UK is prepared for a second wave of COVID-19 by investing further in UK PPE production and the supply and logistics for its distribution.

The strategy – released today (28 Sep) – sets out how the government is moving beyond the emergency COVID-19 response to help stabilise the nation and build resilience.It details how government is preparing for a second wave of COVID-19 or concurrent pandemic alongside usual seasonal pressures; how it is ensuring the UK has enough PPE to last through winter and making sure the nation has the processes and logistics in place to distribute PPE to those most in need.

Ken Teears, Project Manager at SAM, said: “The remarkable efforts by UK manufacturers to step up to the challenge of re-shoring PPE manufacture and production in the UK is to be commended, including that of companies in the North East.

“This strategy also highlights opportunities for manufacturers to innovate and support the ongoing PPE supply whilst looking at more sustainable solutions to the single-use challenge. SAM is here to support manufacturing SMEs in the North East and work with regional and national partners to identify further opportunities.”

The response of UK manufacturers to the crisis has been a significant achievement with, on average, UK based supply anticipated to meet 70% of forecasted demand in England in December for all categories of PPE excluding gloves.

However, to ensure the nation can respond rapidly to future demand surges, the Government are hoping to build a strategic stockpile and is calling on UK manufacturers to support its efforts.

Below, we break down each of the strategy’s key focus areas and how UK manufacturers can support the production of each of the key areas:

Plastic films

• UK Make capacity is now available for aprons. Pre-COVID-19 this manufacturing capability did not exist in the UK.

• Key barriers are the availability and cost of the machines to produce aprons for different care settings however the government is now investigating alternative materials to reduce unit costs and exploring environmentally sustainable materials.

Eye protection

• Market research suggests the UK has the capability to both design and manufacture eye protection to meet normal and COVID-19 volumes.

• Eye protection lends itself to the development of a reusable product which could also be fully recyclable.

Masks

• UK capacity is available for FFP3 masks with a large proportion of demand met by UK Make.

• Challenges remain around global availability and escalation of costs.

• R&D exploring the decontamination of single-use FFP3s could also allow such items to be reused.

Gloves

• There are currently no existing manufacturers in the UK as raw materials are not available in Britain.

• However manufacturers could benefit from opportunities to re-engineer glove packaging to reduce wastage and to reduce glove usage where possible to avoid hand health issues.

Gowns

• UK manufacturing and raw material is available from the UK textile industry by re-purposing fashion or furnishings factories.

• Certification process for small UK manufactures presents a barrier to entry but the Government is working with regulators to simplify the process.

• The Government wants to increase reusable sterile and non-sterile gowns with a potential to develop gowns as a service e.g. a comprehensive business model for the user including laundry. It is now working with UK Textile industry and leading universities on raw materials innovation i.e. graphene to address this.

Chemicals

• Strong UK capacity with potential to secure 100% of demand from UK based supply in 2021.

For more information on the support on offer from the SAM Project, click here.

Grant support helps sustain growth for Vixen

A NORTH East manufacturer of industrial cleaning machinery and equipment has revealed how a business support programme helped it through the pandemic and prepare for life post-Coronavirus.

Founded in 1990 by managing director Aidan Mallon, Thornaby-based Vixen Surface Treatments is a market leader in the production of wet and dry blast cleaning cabinets, degreasing machines and phosphating equipment.

Manufacturing both off-the-shelf and bespoke machinery, the company exports 40% of its products overseas to customers in the nuclear, engineering, healthcare, automotive and aerospace industries, meaning it is often required to maintain close and constant dialogue with clients.

Thanks to a capital expenditure grant obtained last year from the Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project – which offers a range of support to the region’s SME manufacturing businesses – Aidan and the team were able to mitigate the impact of social distancing and travel bans throughout the pandemic, by purchasing state-of-the-art 3D CAD visualisation software.

The installation of ‘Solidworks’ software means Vixen is able to provide 3D demonstrations of its products to clients, allowing them to visualise how products will look and work once complete.

Aidan said: “As a manufacturer you must explore every avenue possible to grow your business, be it investing in new equipment or tapping into expertise and funding – and business support from organisations such as SAM is vital to helping SMEs move forward.

“We’d just extended our factory prior to approaching SAM and wanted to move into Solidworks. The grant helped us secure the funding needed to do that and accelerated our growth, helping us gain a competitive advantage by massively increasing the quality of service we’re able to offer clients.”

Vixen began producing 3D virtualisations just under a year ago and it has already enabled the company to secure a major export order from a German aerospace business, as well as helping keep its order book filled during the pandemic, which brought manufacturing supply chains to a halt across the globe.

“The first project we completed after the investment saw us test the Solidworks software on a live project that we won,” he added. “It was a €500,000 export order from a German aerospace company and I genuinely believe we wouldn’t have won that contract without including it in our offer. It really adds credibility and professionalism to our proposals.

“It also helped us share up-to date designs and updates with clients during the pandemic, meaning we could still fulfil orders despite travel bans. That’s not to say we weren’t impacted by the pandemic – as we were functioning with just 25% of our workforce at one stage – but it certainly helped us to continue operating and servicing clients.

“We’re now have almost everyone back at work and the continuity of interest means our order book remains heavy. Now, looking to the future, we’re confident that we can continue building on this.”

Ken Teears, project manager at SAM, said: “Vixen Surface Technologies is a fine example of how visualisation through 3D technologies such as Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM)can help businesses innovate and grow, even during the most challenging of conditions.

“Millions of manufacturers across the world are reeling from this crisis and wondering how they can improve business continuity strategies in the event of such disasters going forward. Technologies such as Solidworks and other CAD, CAM that can also be pulled into Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) will play a huge role in helping businesses minimise downtime in the future. It’s been a pleasure working with Aidan and the team and we’re excited to see what the future holds for them.”

Image shows: Aidan Mallon, managing director of Thornaby-based Vixen Surface Treatments.

Additive Manufacture using HP MultiJet Fusion Workshop Webinar

DATE: Wed. 27th January 2021 TIME: 10:00 -12:30 Online Event

HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology has proven to be an enabling technology for industrial additive manufacture. The speed, accuracy and material properties of MJF prints have allowed manufacturers to move beyond 3D printing for prototypes and into a myriad of end use parts.

Join this webinar, hosted by the SAM Project, to hear Maryam Qureshi (Applications Specialist 3DP, HP) give an overview of HP’s own journey to adopt this technology within its own product design and manufacturing processes.

During this webinar, Carl Gregg (Product and Process Design Specialist, SAM Project) will discuss additive manufacturing support (including HP MJF) that is available as well as how the SAM team can support your company with a range of support areas.

To register via Eventbrite click here.

*Please note that as the workshops are fully funded through ERDF, companies not already registered with the SAM Project will be asked to register in advance.

DLAW expands with SAM help

A NORTH EAST manufacturer of industrial heating units for the agriculture sector is celebrating after securing its largest contract to date.

DLAW Contractors, based at Port of Sunderland, has created four new jobs as a direct result of the six-figure contract win, which will see it manufacture, supply and install a 6.2 megawatt output grain drying unit for a working farm in Northumberland.

The grain drying unit – which will be powered by two geo-thermal ground-source heat pumps – was designed and procured by renewable energy specialist Calibrate Energy Engineering on behalf of the farm. The project will drastically reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and significantly reduce its carbon footprint when fully operational.

The contract win marks the 17^th industrial heating unit to roll-off the DLAW production line since the company opened its manufacturing facility at the port in April 2019 and has seen the firm recruit four more staff – from accounts to coded welders – to help ease its ever-growing workload.

Dale Barry, co-founder and managing director at DLAW, said: “This is a huge win for us and we are absolutely delighted to be in a position where we can continue investing in the business and create opportunities for local people, especially during a period of such economic uncertainty.

“Over the past 18 months we’ve seen the business grow from a team of four to a team of 12 full-time members of staff operating from our own, dedicated manufacturing facility, and we couldn’t be happier with how the company has progressed.

“As well as manufacturing our geothermal heating units, we also have a contract to manufacture solar-powered containerised, transportable water treatment systems for Pure Water International. The units provide a self-sufficient and sustainable way for hard to reach communities across the globe to access clean drinking water and we’re confident both sides of the business will continue to grow as we look to the future.”

Shane McDonald, director of Calibrate Energy Engineering, added: “We awarded the contract of principal contractor to DLAW based on its understanding of the product and expertise in the manufacturing sector, which gave us confidence to move forward with the project and we are delighted to be working with them”.

DLAW secured the contract after tapping into support from the Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project, a £10.9million business support programme led by the University of Sunderland and backed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The support helped DLAW not only identify the machinery required to improve its manufacturing process but also provided it with the funding to help with the purchase of a new 8×4 CNC Plasma Cutter machine.

“The support we’ve received from SAM has been fantastic,” Dale added. “Not only has it helped us invest in new machinery, but it has also helped us improve our processes and ensure we are running as lean an operation as possible.

“Without the new CNC Plasma machine we would have struggled to take on a project of this size and I couldn’t recommend the project enough to any manufacturing business looking to futureproof their business and continue growing post-pandemic.”

Ken Teears, project manager at SAM, said: “The SAM Project was set up to provide innovative SME manufacturers across the North East with the tools and capital required to help them push the boundaries of their respective industries and DLAW is a perfect example of this.

“As a start-up business, the company has been able to adapt quicker than most to changes in its key markets and this is evident by its latest success which has seen the firm punch well above its weight and position it as a key challenger in the supply of industrial heating units. We are delighted to have been able to support the company and would like to wish them all the best for the future.”

Manufacturers continue to invest in innovation during UK lockdown

MORE THAN a dozen North East manufacturers have been supported with funding to enable them to innovate during the UK lockdown.

Small and medium sized manufacturing and engineering businesses from across the region have been backed in their plans to pivot during the COVID-19 crisis by the University of Sunderland and ERDF-backed Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing Project (SAM), which exists to support the development of the sector in the North East LEP area.

Thirteen businesses – including three who used the funding to enable them to adapt to supply vital PPE in the COVID-19 battle – have been successful in accessing financial assistance since March, allowing them to adapt their business in order to grow.

Projects including manufacturers purchasing equipment to bring previously sub-contracted work in-house, purchasing new equipment, adapting production to enable workers to return from furlough and work safely at a distance, and companies piloting cobotics technology as a means to supporting safer social distancing, have all been part-funded by SAM, which offers businesses grants and a range of support to assist with introducing new technology to improve products or processes.

Ken Teears, project manager at SAM, said: “It’s been encouraging to see that – despite the challenges the UK manufacturing sector has faced – many businesses have been looking to innovate, and find new ways to emerge from this crisis on the front foot.

“We were absolutely determined that – despite not being able to get the panel physically together to assess applications – we would get together virtually to keep the support flowing when it is so sorely needed.”

The SAM Project provided circa £100,000 in grant support to the businesses that applied, running virtual grant panel meetings every two weeks to ensure that much-needed assistance continued to reach businesses looking to bounce back from the pandemic.

“There was a fear that businesses would retreat during the pandemic, and perhaps wouldn’t be minded to save rather than investing in the future, but the fact that we have approved and paid out applications from businesses that have invested in new technology to drive the growth of their business in the long-term and adapt their company to be more resilient to any future impact of the pandemic, demonstrates that there is still a real focus and drive among the region’s manufacturers.”

Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing is a £5.1m project to support the implementation of product and process development, and the introduction of technology to the SME manufacturing sector, in the North East LEP area. The project has received £2.6m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the University of Sunderland, who are investing £2.5m and managing the delivery of this project. It is aimed solely at small and medium sized manufacturers (under 250 employees), with an annual turnover of less than €50m (c.£45m)

The project offers four key support functions to businesses that are gearing up to grow, including access to technical expertise, with industrial specialists using their skill and expertise to guide businesses through the process of understanding and implementing technology; R&D, with a team of researchers able to support with the development of new products and processes; factories and facilities, including access to £1m of industry-leading advanced technology and equipment; and its grants scheme, that offers financial assistance to businesses that qualify.