INDUSTRY NEWS
WEST MIDLANDS MANUFACTURING SMEs ATTEND ‘BREAKING INTO DEFENCE’ EVENT ‘BreakingintoDefence:EnterOverseas
procurement processes
MarketswiththeMinistryofDefence’, which was delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice, directly addressed key priorities championed by Make UK Defence – supporting smaller manufacturers to become export-ready, building resilient domestic supply chains, and ensuring UK innovation is embedded within global defence programmes. Delivered in partnership with business
Over 60 manufacturers from the West Midlands recently gathered for an event designed to accelerate SME participation in international defence markets and to strengthen the UK’s sovereign defence capability.
support programmes across the West Midlands (including the Investment Readiness Programme), the event provided SMEs with direct access to Ministry of Defence export specialists, global primes, and regional growth advisers. The event focused on five key themes: • Navigating international defence
INVESTMENT LEADS OPUS INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTS INTO THE DEFENCE AND MEDICAL MARKETS
Opus International Products, the Warwickshire- based manufacturer of precision-engineered components, has secured its first defence and medical contracts after completing a £1m investment drive and tapping into the external backing of the Warwickshire Manufacturing Growth Programme (WMGP). The installation of seven new Yizumi machines
at its facility has given it the production capacity to move into new markets, and the firm is now supplying parts to several new sectors. It is part of a five-year growth strategy that the management team hopes will see it accelerate annual revenues from its current £7.4m level to £9m, with aerospace being another industry in its sights. Suzie Siddall, who took over as MD in 2024, said: “We were 99% reliant on the automotive
industry, supplying premium brands like Aston Martin, JLR and Lotus with interior and exterior trim products, powertrain and suspension components. “This market is extremely tough, so we made the concerted decision to diversify, gaining expert
support from the Warwickshire Manufacturing Growth Programme to identify our strengths and additional sectors where our manufacturing expertise could add real value. “This was such a valuable exercise and helped us map out a new strategicmarketing approach for
targeting complex medical components and defence, followed by the possibility of supplying into aerospace. “With two new contracts already secured and more due to confirm, I feel this new approach could
deliver £500,000 of business in the next twelve months alone.”
www.warwickshire-mgp.co.uk
www.opusproducts.com
• Understanding export controls and compliance
• Positioning SME innovation within global supply chains
• Accessing government-backed export support • Building long-term strategic partnerships. David Woodbridge, SME Engagement team
leader from the UK Ministry of Defence Exports team, commented: “With over 60 SMEs in attendance and some great interaction and feedback, I think we can confidently say we met our joint objective of helping firms in the region with their business growth. We would be delighted to work with Oxford Innovation Advice again in the future.”
www.oxfordinnovationadvice.co.uk CARDIFF PRODUCER
WELCOMES GOVERNMENT’S STEEL STRATEGY
Cardiff-based low-carbon steel producer, 7 Steel UK, has welcomed the Steel Strategy from the UK government. The new Steel Strategy includes: A
target to increase UK-made steel from 30% to 50%, acknowledging steel as a strategic national asset; A proposal to reduce steel import quotas by 60% and impose a 50% tariff on out-of-quota imports; A commitment of up to £2.5bn for investment in the steel sector. Alongside a clear commitment to
support the UK steel industry, the Steel Strategy also confirms Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) production as the future of UK steelmaking. This is something 7 Steel UK has led the way on at its site. Carles Rovira, CEO said: “By maintaining
robust steel safeguards and setting a clear path for long-term industry competitiveness, the Government is giving businesses like ours the stability and confidence we need to invest, innovate and grow.”
www.7-steeluk.com PTC ADDS CLOUD-NATIVE MBD CAPABILITY TO CAD & PDM PLATFORM
PTC has released the fully cloud-native Model-Based Definition (MBD) capability, built directly into its Onshape computer-aided design (CAD) and product data management (PDM) platform. This gives engineering teams the opportunity to add manufacturing information
directly into the 3D model early in the design process. In traditional file-based CAD and PDM systems, manufacturing data is spread across
drawings, exports and disconnected files. This approach makes product definition harder to keep current, accessible and trustworthy. PTC’s Onshape cloud-native platform, built on AmazonWeb Services (AWS), helps eliminate
these challenges by allowing teams to work from the same, always-up-to-date product definition, enabling reduced errors and accelerated design to production workflows. “Onshape Model-Based definition is a great example of how AWS and PTC are
working together to modernise engineering,” said Michael Choe, AWS general manager, US Automotive and Manufacturing. “By re-architecting core engineering tools on AWS’ cloud-native platforms, we’re
unlocking new possibilities – making them easier to deploy globally, more powerful through AI-driven capabilities, and dramatically better at enabling friction-free, real-time collaboration across distributed teams.”
10 DESIGN SOLUTIONS MARCH 2026
www.ptc.com
www.onshape.com
www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk
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