News: AMRC to help grow UK's offshore wind sector

The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing is to play a part in a long-term strategy that will strengthen the UK's position in the offshore wind industry.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), the AMRC is a world class centre for advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors.

Through the Nuclear AMRC it already provides a focal point for the bulk of the UK civil nuclear manufacturing industry supply chain and now it will provide support as part of GROW: Offshore Wind, a new Manufacturing Advisory Service programme.

As part of the new government strategy announced this week, the new £50m programme has secured £20m from the Regional Growth Fund to improve the UK wind industry's supply chain.

The UK offshore wind market, estimated to be worth more than £100bn over the next 20 years, offers manufacturers a significant, sustained growth opportunity and by working in close collaboration with industry leaders and government, GROW:OffshoreWind offers direct access to market experts, technological know-how and funding support to English companies looking to move into the offshore wind market.

The AMRC will lead on Process Technology Innovation support, providing a new route for companies to access its collaborative R&D capabilities and the large-scale manufacturing and process demonstration facilities at the Nuclear AMRC.

The programme offers up to 50 per cent match funding for manufacturers looking to benefit from Process Technology Innovation support and work on the industry's supply chain is also planned.

Dominic Brown, head of the new Grow:OffshoreWind service, said: "Our role is to make sure the supply chain in England is competitive and benefits from the huge opportunities that will be generated by this significant investment. In Grow:OffshoreWind, we have created a service that will give SMEs direct access to market experts, technological know-how through specialist centres and funding support to aid upfront investment.

"All of this is geared toward giving manufacturers a clearer understanding of the scale of future demand and how they can best benefit from it."

Business Secretary Vince Cable added: "We have more offshore wind power than the rest of the world combined and, if we get it right and strike now, we will also see this new technology creating thousands of jobs here as well.

"The key achievement of the strategy is to develop a strong commitment by the industry to develop a UK supply chain together with ambitious plans to deliver it. I would hope to see something approaching the 70 per cent that we already see in the oil and gas sector of supply chain made in Britain.

"The commitment and partnership that this strategy represents is an important step in giving the industry more confidence to invest here in Britain; build factories, increase capacity at ports, develop skills and carry out high-end research to tackle the problems posed by the unforgiving offshore environment."

AMRC website
GROW: Offshore Wind website

Images: RenewablesUK

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News: Sports facility plan for empty unit

An empty commercial unit in Rotherham could be given a new lease of life as a local sports facility if recently submitted plans are approved.

A planning application has been submitted to convert an empty 75,000 sq ft warehouse on Eastwood Trading Estate, previously used by KP Nuts and Asda, to provide four large 5-a-side football pitches, with additional cricket practice nets within the existing covered loading area.

A gym could also be created on the first floor at a later date as the business builds up.

Langtree's Chesterwood unit has been marketed for some time at much reduced rates, without receiving interest from companies for use as an industrial site.

In the plans, applicant Bilal Nazir said: "With this community football facility we are seeking to meet local demand for indoor football coaching and mini soccer in the area. The facility is proposed to be open seven days a week from 9am in the morning until 11pm in the evening. It will provide indoor football pitches for use by a variety of ages and will seek to build relationships with local schools and community clubs.

"Currently there isn't a purpose indoor football centre within Rotherham and we believe due to the adverse weather conditions in the UK there is a significant need."

The plans add that the leisure usage will have no adverse effect on any neighbouring business. Similar uses are already taking place in the area with an inline roller skating facility, the Simply Skate Arena, operating on the trading estate. 2009 plans for an indoor football and bowls facility were also approved for a smaller unit on Fitzwilliam Road.

Images: Langtree

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News: AMRC acquires Castings Technology International

The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing is expanding its research capabilities to include castings technology, after acquiring internationally renowned company Castings Technology International (Cti).

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), the AMRC is a world class centre for advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. The multimillion pound partnership between industry and academia has become a model for collaborative research centres worldwide and now boasts 75 partners, including Boeing and Rolls Royce.

Also based on the AMP, Cti is a member-based organisation with unrivalled capabilities in casting design, materials development and selection, specifications, manufacturing technologies, quality control, testing and performance.

The University of Sheffield has acquired the buildings and assets of Cti and Titanium Castings UK Ltd (TCUK) including the ongoing research work, commercial contracts and consultancy.

As part of the agreement, staff at Cti and TCUK are transferring to the employment of a University of Sheffield subsidiary company.

The new addition to their portfolio will allow the AMRC to offer state-of-the-art castings technologies to its industrial partners, adding breadth and depth to the University's collaborative research capabilities.

Professor Keith Ridgway CBE, executive dean of the University of Sheffield AMRC, said: "The AMRC plays a major role in supporting the UK's advanced manufacturing industry and with it the economic growth and skills which are so vital to our economy. Our aim is to work with our industrial partners to be at the forefront of advanced manufacturing research, helping companies to address real manufacturing challenges with an understanding of the full manufacturing process from design and prototyping through to materials and manufacture.

"Acquiring Cti will complement our existing strengths and provide another important aspect to our work with industry. Set in the context of the AMRC's overall vision to be the world's leading manufacturing technology research centre, Cti is a core element which sits alongside the AMRC with Boeing, Nuclear AMRC, Design Prototype and Test Centre, apprentice Training Centre, Namtec and the reconfigurable Factory 2050."

Tom Westley, chairman of ti, said: "This is a real win-win situation for our members and staff. Our members will continue to receive all the services they have always enjoyed, but with the much enhanced resources of the University of Sheffield to support an ambitious expansion of our activities on the AMP.

"Member companies will benefit from a strong and regular dialogue with castings users from all over the world. Major OEMs will be working with us to ensure developments are focused to their needs and take full advantage of these world-class facilities.

"The staff will benefit from an accelerated investment programme, which would not have been possible had Cti remained on its own."

AMRC website
Cti website

Images: Cti

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News: Sale at Maplin

An unnamed UK investor has purchased Maplin's head office and distribution warehouse at Brookfields Park in Rotherham for £11.5m.

The electronics retailer sells a range of 15,000 products to tech-savvy hobbyists as well as general consumers through a popular website and a network of over 200 retail outlets throughout the UK and Ireland.

Maplin, which has a turnover of more than £200m, moved to a 220,000 sq ft state of the art distribution centre and head office at Manvers in 2008.

The deal was revealed by Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) in its latest Industrial Market Review. For the first half of 2013, results showed that that total industrial investment across Yorkshire and the North East fell by 18% to £69.59m, compared to £85m in the first half of 2012.

The commercial property experts noted however that there continues to be healthy demand for quality product, as shown by the Maplin deal which followed from Legal & General's £23.165m purchase of Capita's call centre from Ventura House Limited Partnership in December.

Ben Roberts of the Capital Markets team at LSH said: "There is strong investor demand in the regions with a focus on high quality industrial investment opportunities. The challenge facing investors is the continuing lack of stock, which has led to a highly competitive market for the right assets."

Brookfields Park is part of the former Dearne Valley Enterprise Zone and is home to Next, Thetford, Capita, Royal Mail and Morphy Richards.

Maplin has 19 years left on its lease with the building currently producing £1m per annum which equates to £5.07 per sq ft. The 150 year leasehold was being advertised for sale with offers in excess of £12.2m which equates to a net initial yield of 7.75% after normal purchasers costs and represents a low capital value of £61.90 per sq ft.

The review also highlighted that despite a good supply of large, grade A warehouse and logistics facilities over 100,000 sq ft in the region, there is less than one month's supply left of the traditionally more sought after smaller sheds.

Looking ahead, LSH hopes that the Government's decision to allow new build developments to be exempt from empty rates for the first 18 months will go some way to kick-starting development.

LSH also expects growth within the manufacturing sector, with enquiries focussing on Design & Build opportunities at established and specialist locations, such as Rotherham's Advanced Manufacturing Park.

The review also showed that prime headline rents in Rotherham were around £4.50 to £4.75 and confirmed that Royal Mail has indeed signed up to lease the massive 151,000 sq ft Magna 34 warehouse, paying £4.30 in rent for a new Parcelforce depot.

Lambert Smith Hampton website

Images: Lambert Smith Hampton

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News: New CEO at Metalysis

Metalysis, the Rotherham-based technology innovator for the speciality metals industry, has appointed Dr Dion Vaughan as chief executive as it looks for new partners.

Metalysis holds the worldwide exploitation rights to the FCC Cambridge process which sees specialist powder metals created in a simple, cost effective process with significant environmental benefits.

The Manvers company is in the process of commercialising the technology to produce titanium, tantalum, and related high value alloys. These are used increasingly by major worldwide industries such as aerospace, marine, medical, chemical, automotive and electronics.

Dr Vaughan, a trained metallurgist who has worked across the metals, mining and investment sectors including Hatch Corporate Finance, Sheffield Forgemasters and JP Morgan, succeeds Guppy Dhariwal who is retiring, having joined the firm in 2010.

Metalysis, an investor and grant backed Cambridge University spin out, has developed the electrochemical reduction process to transform metal oxides, such as ores, directly into metal powders in a single step. Currently focusing on titanium and tantalum, the process uses less energy than traditional processes as it does not require the melting of metals, and the salt used in producing the metals can be recycled.

The process also means that innovative alloys can be tailored to have the desired properties for specific applications and the creation of cheaper metal powders is also expected to drive forward the adoption of 3D printing in specialist metal products.

Tony Pedder, chairman of Metalysis, said: "The company has performed well on its science and technology goals, which has enabled the Board and shareholders to develop a new scale-up plan for the business.

"This plan, based on simpler and cheaper production cells, is a longer term plan and so it is a natural time for Guppy, who has done a very good job in re-organising the company, to hand over to Dion Vaughan to deliver an exciting future for Metalysis."

Dion Vaughan, chief executive of Metalysis, added "Our future emphasis will be on further developing our strength in science and technology, where the company has historically performed, and on partnering with leading metals companies who can help with engineering scale-up and market adoption. The company is already making good progress in exploring such partnering arrangements."

Metalysis website

Images: Metalysis

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