FEATURE SPONSOR STOKE & STAFFORDSHIRE FOCUS
SUPPORTING SMES ENGINEERING SKILLS
The world-renowned Keele University Science and Business Park exemplifies the high level of engineering skills on offer in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. The expansive site is already home to Siemens Wind Power’s R&D centre of excellence, enabling teams of specialist engineers to work closely with researchers and academics to develop exciting innovations for the onshore and offshore wind turbine industries.
STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY Nearby, Staffordshire University’s Centre for Energy Efficient Systems specialises in research and design work for power electronics and renewable energy systems, while its Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Technology offers a specific focus on power transmission, and its Renewable Energy Supply Chain Opportunities (RESCO) programme helps suppliers to exploit commercial opportunities created by the expansion of low carbon and renewable energy markets on the university’s doorstep.
ELECTRONIC AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING EXPERTISE The wealth of electronic and electrical engineering expertise in the area has also been instrumental in attracting major industry names to Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.
Smaller companies are also switching on to the considerable advantages to be gained from choosing to make Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire their home. Power generator specialist Broadcrown and loadbank producer Crestchic are among those opting to make the most of the area’s substantial communications, infrastructure and workforce assets.
Firms choosing to emulate their success by moving to the area can expect a very warm welcome from the Stoke-on- Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, which has a successful track record of supporting inward investors to ensure that they benefit from the easy availability of shovel-ready industrial sites and comparatively low market rent and wage levels.
TAILORED BUSINESS SUPPORT New business start-ups and established companies wishing to move to the area can also benefit from a wide range of tailored business support packages, including site location, mentoring, market intelligence and relocation assistance through the Make It Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Inward Investment Service, as well as a generous range of finance packages through the Regional Growth Fund and loans of between £10,000 and £50,000 through local initiatives such as the Stoke-on-Trent Business Loan Fund.
INWARD INVESTMENT SUCCESS The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Local Enterprise Partnership has been ranked among the top three in the UK for its many successes in attracting inward investment to the area and supporting firms to relocate quickly and easily.
ABB moved its innovative ABB University, which features interactive laboratories and high-tech training and demonstration facilities for customers and the firm’s own engineers, to the Stone area. Similarly, GE Power Conversion has chosen Kidsgrove for its design and manufacturing base, employing more than 400 staff.
The quality of the inward investment service on offer has also won praise from Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk, who said that “there are business success stories right across the region and it is fantastic to see ambitious firms growing, creating jobs, and demonstrating that this is a great place to do business.”
Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Click to view more info
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
59
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116