| Norfolk, UK is set to be home to a €6mn ($7mn)
engineering centre of excellence thanks to an innovative partnership between
Norfolk County Council, Group Lotus plc, the East of England Development
Agency, South Norfolk Council and Business Link.
The centre, which will operate as one of EEDA’s Enterprise Hubs,
will be built on three acres of land close to the Lotus headquarters at
Hethel and feature a dozen workshops and 15 adjacent office units, meeting
rooms and a range of high quality training facilities.
It will provide start-up accommodation for new and existing small businesses
with tenants offered "easy in and out" terms in the expectation
they will outgrow the centre within a few years, creating room for their
successors.
The new centre will be actively supported by Lotus and will provide a
major boost to the region's strategy to become a leading centre for engineering
and innovation worldwide. The centre will provide the ideal start -up
facilities for entrepreneurs to realise their novel concepts and solutions.
Members of Norfolk County Council's Cabinet met June 21 and agreed that
the County Council should be the lead agency for the running of the Centre,
backing the project to the tune of £3.25mn– mainly through
a loan.
Among the benefits which the new Centre will offer are:
A further opportunity to build on the excellence of Norfolk’s automotive
and engineering heritage
A raised national and international profile for Norfolk
A boost to high value business start ups which will be more likely to
stay in Norfolk
A major opportunity to tackle the decline in the manufacturing and engineering
sectors
A raising of skills at a range of levels, and a broadening of the area's
economic base
Other organisations backing the project include the East of England Development
Agency €745,000 ($906,000), Shaping the Future €507,000 ($616,000)
and South Norfolk Council. Business Link is also providing support through
revenue funding of around €97,000 ($72,000)per year.
If planning permission is granted, work could start on site this December
with the building in operation by January 2006. A large number of courses
are already planned, in partnership with City College, EAGIT Ltd, the
Engineering Employers Federation and a bid is being prepared for it to
become a centre of Vocational Excellence. Further talks are already underway
with universities and colleges from further afield to explore the possibility
of bringing advanced level courses to the centre.
The Cabinet report agreed by members today listed a number of advantages
of having the Centre at Hethel, saying that Lotus is a world renowned
company known for innovation which would use the training capacity the
new Centre would provide, as well as offering the services of some of
its world class engineers.
In addition, Lotus will support the 'entrepreneurs in residence' with
the use of its Test Track, Engine Test and Design resources where possible.
Members considered a number of financial scenarios but have concluded
that - with tight financial management of the project - it is unlikely
the Authority will be called upon to make good any revenue shortfall.
Alison King, leader of Norfolk County Council, said: "This is a tremendously
exciting project for Norfolk and we have, today, taken a decisive step
forward in our bid to create a centre of engineering excellence in the
County.
"By working imaginatively and creatively with organisations with
a world class pedigree such as Lotus, I believe we can help the spirit
of enterprise in engineering to grow and prosper in the years ahead, spreading
the message far and wide that Norfolk is a good place in which to do business."
Victor Kiam, deputy chairman of Group Lotus, is extremely excited about
the Engineering Enterprise Hub: "Lotus has been located at Hethel
for nearly 40 years and in that time has effectively founded the motorsport
and automotive industries in the east of UK.
"Hethel is the perfect location for this Enterprise Hub as Lotus,
being an international organisation, will mean global awareness for this
valuable venture.
"We look forward to welcoming into the county a new wave of exciting
new business start-ups which will further cement Norfolk’s position
as one of UK’s leading centres of engineering innovation."
David Marlow, EEDA’s CE, said: "We have a great opportunity
here to build on the region’s success in performance engineering
as evidenced by the globally acclaimed success of companies like Lotus.
"It gives Norfolk and the region the opportunity to encourage the
development of innovative and high growth performance engineering businesses
of the future, exhibiting high levels of R and D and innovation, all of
which contribute to internationally position the region as a centre of
knowledge based manufacturing.
"EEDA’s enterprise hubs are a series of pioneering projects
located in areas across the region such as Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire
and now Norfolk, which build upon and enhance existing expertise and facilities
and focus on providing greater assistance to start-up companies, particularly
in the high-tech sector. EEDA aims to encourage the hubs to link together
creating a strong technology transfer network and a culture of sharing
expertise which can only benefit the development of the region’s
economy. The Hethel hub will form part of the internationally recognised
and networked Motorsport Valley cluster, contributing to enhancing its
competitive advantage and innovation position globally."
John Halliday, South Norfolk Council Cabinet Member for the economy said:
"South Norfolk has a long and distinctive heritage in motorsport
and engineering. We recognised this and worked closely with Norfolk County
Council to develop the concept. This project will help prepare current
and future industry for the challenges of a global, cutting-edge sector.
Being recognised as the easternmost point of the world-renowned Motorsport
Valley is also a great testament to the potential of local firms. We are
committed to preserving the existing knowledge, innovation and skills
that are the pride of South Norfolk, building on the success of Lotus
and Bentley for the benefit of all and creating exciting new firms in
the process."
Geoff Carruth, operations manager at Business Link for Norfolk, said:
"In an industry which has been hit hard by global changes, the Engineering
Hub will provide a focal point for advanced training, sources of expertise,
and potentially provide a basis for exploring new products and markets.
In addition to having access to prestigious premises, businesses will
be able to gain advice and assistance with product and process, company
and skills development, and will be helped to find products, markets and
expertise which have previously been difficult to access."
|
|
