IF THE UK is to go on being a technological and scientific leader then advances in design and engineering not only have to be encouraged by government but backed financially as well.

I was recently fortunate enough to be able to deliver the message in person to the politician who has been appointed the UK's next prime minister. Liz Truss, together with her colleague, defence secretary Ben Wallace, at the opening of a new facility at the factory of MTA member, Reliance Precision in Huddersfield. 

Investing in the future

Reliance has invested in an active apprentice training and development programme, including its own first-year training centre. Approximately 10% of its workforce is comprised of apprentices. 

Truss, who presented graduation certificates to the successful engineering apprentices, was also visiting the site to officially open the company's new production facility, a space-grade cleanroom specially created to enable the production of a new component developed for use in the space industry.

The NeoSMG (Stepper Motor Gearbox) is the first Reliance-designed assembly ever made for space. Having received notification earlier this year from the European Cooperation for Space Standardisation (ECSS) that the assembly was approved safe for use in European space activities, the NeoSMG has been put into full production.

However, while the company received vital support developing the technology behind the assembly, help industrialising the means of production has proved more difficult – despite the NeoSMG’s potential to be a major revenue earner for the company and the opportunity to further highlight the UK manufacturing industry's world-beating capabilities.

Reliance has therefore had to rely on the courage of its convictions and backed itself and the skills of its workforce to deliver the new product by investing £150,000 of its own funds to create the new cleanroom, which will enable it to double production capacity for the NeoSMG and fulfil new orders from Airbus Defence & Space.

Developing such technology is laudable but it will all be for nothing if we cannot sustain the means of production. Around the country there must be dozens of firms in a similar position to Reliance but without the means to commercially produce their technology. In such circumstances there is a high probability that this technology could be lost to the UK and instead, exported abroad to countries more willing to invest in such developments.

Futher support needed 

Together with my role as MTA CEO, I'm also Reliance's non-executive chairman and as such was part of the delegation receiving Truss and Wallace on their visit. This placed me in an ideal position to plead the case for the manufacturing technologies industry.

I explained that MTA members – and other firms like them – create the technologies that enable engineering-based manufacturing to succeed and as such, are the key enablers to ensuring UK manufacturing becomes more sustainable and globally competitive. I emphasised the MTA was keen that the government and the wider community treat UK manufacturing as a critical national asset, capable of delivering much-needed added value to the UK economy. 

We believe the government has the capacity to achieve this by advocating for the industry and backing its abilities through investment incentives such as the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) and Super Deduction. 

Companies which are developing groundbreaking new products and technologies must be supported both in product development and through industrialising the means of production. In this way, the UK will maintain its position as a globally significant manufacturing power. I hope the message will be heeded by the new incumbent at Number 10.

James Selka is CEO of the Manufacturing Technologies Association

For more information: 

www.mta.org.uk

Tel: 020 7298 6400