PMG e-Newsletter Edition #93 - Dec 2017

Summary of Contents

www.mypmg.co.uk

Page

I News

PMG 40th Anniversary celebrations get off to a bright start 2 Business Secretary launches the government’s Industrial Strategy 3 Manufacturing orders strongest for nearly 30 years 3 Government publishes its Post-16 technical education reforms - T level action plan 4 Industry 4.0 - How ready is your business? 4 Other News in Brief 5

II PMG Members’ News

Alderman Tooling crowned as UK’s leading employer 6 PMG and Babcock International sponsor a successful ‘Young Women in STEM’ event at Dartmoor Zoo 7 Fine Tubes secures Nadcap accreditation for Fluid Distribution Systems 7 PCH Manufacturing further expands workforce 8 RCR Flooring Products launches Signature II armoured joint 8 Members’ Question Corner – Can you help advise this member? 9 New Members this month and PMG & its members’ in the news this month 9/10 Members’ videos etc 10

III Business to Business including grants & funding

Funding News & business opportunities 10 Business Support Sites 13 Commercial Properties to Let/Sell 13 Commercial Storage 13 Business Finance 13 Other business opportunities 13 Business contacts this month 14

IV Talent Retention & Recruitment

BD - Careers Open Day & Vacancies for Manufacturing Technicians and Engineers at BD, Belliver Way, Roborough, Plymouth, PL6 7BP. Saturday 9th December 2017

14

Talent retention & recruitment news & information 14 Apprenticeships 15 Opportunities to engage with Schools, Colleges & Other Bodies 15 Other careers related events & initiatives involving young people 16 Employees Health related issues 16

V Events, Training Courses & Other Information

Courses/Events Listings/ Training related newsletters 17 Other Specific Courses/Events either with or without dates 17

VI Community Requests & Corporate Social Responsibility Matters 20

VII Consultations, Reviews, Surveys & Calls for Evidence 20

VIII Economic News; Newsletters, Briefings & Articles

BEIS Bulletins; Economic news; Brexit Articles; Charts, Infographics & PowerPoints 22 Manufacturing articles, publications and other reports of general interest 22 Other newsletters & journals 22 Legal & accountancy news 23 Other sites of interest to manufacturers 23

Credits & Disclaimer 24

This edition is dedicated to Paula Joy Gerry 24

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 2 of 24

November saw the UK manufacturing sector move up a gear, with rates of increase in new orders and production among the best registered over the past four years. This tested capacity and encouraged further job creation, with employment rising to the greatest extent since June 2014. The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI®) rose to 58.2 in November, up from 56.6 in October (originally reported as 56.3), its highest level since August 2013. The reading is the tenth-best registered during the near 26-year series history. Markit/CIPS UK Manufacturing PMI® December 2017.

I News

PMG 40th Anniversary celebrations get off to a bright start 1. November saw the

start of celebrations for the PMG’s 40th Anniversary. Early records of the PMG indicate that a Mr Ron Elliott first acted as Secretary in November 1977 and that membership subscriptions of £100 per company were first collected in December of that year. There were 25 ‘founder members’ of whom seven are still active although the trading name or ownership of some firms has changed in the intervening period. These are: • The Barden Corporation • Fine Tubes • Ranco Controls (now Schneider Electric Controls UK) • The Wrigley Company • Brown & Sharpe (now Kawasaki Precision Machinery) • Sperry Gyroscope (now UTC Aerospace Systems) and • Meddings Machinery

Bill Murphy, Chairman of the PMG said that he was pleased that some of the founding member firms were represented at the launch event which was attended by over a dozen different companies. He said, “Over the intervening years, the PMG has grown to more than double its original membership. Plus, we’ve expanded the ways in which firms can engage within the PMG through our introduction of a range of seven different thematic subgroups – covering subjects as diverse as health & safety and resource efficiency. Plus, we’ve added regular annual events such as our Christmas Lecture”. Bill went on to say, “Yet, despite all this growth and advancement, one thing that has remained unchanged over the past forty years is our PMG Constitution which has stood the test of time. This seeks to balance both an internal focus by sharing best practice within member firms – something we’ve managed to do quite openly for many years - and an external focus where we promote our sector to the outside world – be that, for example, through our work with local schools or when we are sat as members of the Plymouth Growth Board, which I do in my capacity as Chairman of the PMG”. Plessey hosted the event and the morning’s Lean Lego simulation game was facilitated by Martin Frary and colleagues from Exelin Ltd, a dynamic and inspirational business improvement and people development consultancy, specialising in operational excellence and performance improvement through employee engagement.

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 3 of 24

Business Secretary launches the government’s Industrial Strategy 2. Business Secretary Greg Clark has today (27 November 2017) launched

the government’s Industrial Strategy, setting out a long-term vision for how Britain can build on its economic strengths, address its productivity performance, embrace technological change and boost the earning power of people across the UK. With the aim of making the UK the world’s most innovative nation by 2030, the government has committed to investing a further £725 million over the next 3 years in the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) to respond to some of the greatest global challenges and the opportunities faced by the UK. This will include £170 million to transform our construction sector and help create affordable places to live and work that are safer, healthier and use less energy, and up to £210 million to improve early diagnosis of illnesses and develop precision medicine for patients across the UK. The government has previously committed £1 billion to the first wave of Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund projects, including investing £246 million in next generation battery technology and £86 million in robotics hubs across the UK. Last week the Prime Minister announced an ambition to increase the level of investment in research and development (R&D), rising from 1.7% to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. This could mean around £80 billion of additional investment in advanced technology in the next decade, helping to transform whole sectors, create new industries, and support innovation across the country. The white paper also confirms government will be pressing ahead with a series of Sector Deals, with construction, life sciences, automotive and AI the first to benefit from these new strategic and long-term partnerships with government, backed by private sector co-investment. Work will continue with other sectors on transformative sector deals. In the strategy, the government has identified 4 ‘Grand Challenges’; global trends that will shape our rapidly changing future and which the UK must embrace to ensure we harness all the opportunities they bring. The 4 are: Artificial intelligence – we will put the UK at the forefront of the artificial intelligence and data revolution Clean growth – we will maximise the advantages for UK industry from the global shift to clean growth Ageing society – we will harness the power of innovation to help meet the needs of an ageing society Future of mobility – we will become a world leader in the way people, goods and services move

Each Grand Challenge represents an open invitation to business, academia and civil society to work and engage with the government to innovate, develop new technologies and ensure the UK seizes these global opportunities. Download the strategy - here

Manufacturing orders strongest for nearly 30 years 3. Growth in manufacturing output accelerated in the three

months to November, according to the latest monthly CBI Industrial Trends Survey. Order books also continued to fill up. Total orders were, by a small margin, the strongest since August 1988, while export order books were the joint highest in more than 20 years. The improvement in total order books was particularly marked in food & drink and chemicals, while export order books strengthened notably in chemicals, electronics and transport goods. Output is expected to continue expanding in the three months to February, although at a more moderate pace. Stocks were broadly adequate in the quarter to November, though the level of stocks was below the long-run average. Expectations for price inflation were similar to recent months, around average. Key findings: 28% of manufacturers reported total order books to be above normal, and 11% said they were below normal, giving a balance of +17% 26% of firms said their export order books were above normal, and 6% said they were below normal, giving a rounded balance of +20% well above the long-run average of -18% (matched the previous series high in June 1995). 40% of businesses said the volume of output over the past three months was up, and 12% said it was down, giving a balance of 28% above the long-run average of +4%

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 4 of 24

Manufacturers expect output to growth to accelerate in the coming quarter, with 27% predicting volumes to increase, and 14% expecting a decline, giving a rounded balance of +13% 19% of companies expect average selling prices to increase in the coming three months, with only 2% predicting a decline, giving a balance of +17% - significantly above the long-run average of +2% 12% of firms said their present stocks of finished goods are more than adequate, whilst 10% said they were less than adequate, giving a balance of +2% - below the long-run average (+13%). Full report - here

Government publishes its Post-16 technical education reforms - T level action plan 4. This publication follows the Post-16 Skills Plan, published in July

2016 by the Department for Education. It provides an update on progress made in developing policy and implementing the reforms set out in the Skills Plan. This Action Plan sets out government’s recent progress in the delivery of the T level reform programme and immediate next steps. ‘T levels’ are new technical study programmes that will sit alongside Apprenticeships within a reformed skills training system. The reforms are at the heart of a skills partnership between government, business and education and training providers – a partnership that will create the skills revolution needed to meet the needs of our economy. The reforms will deliver the recommendations from the Independent Panel on Technical Education1, chaired by Lord Sainsbury. The Panel put forward 34 recommendations to government in April 2016, including the introduction of a new framework of 15 technical routes to skilled employment, covering classroom-based training programmes (T levels) and work-based programmes (Apprenticeships). More - here

Industry 4.0 - How ready is your business? 5. The readiness assessment tool is comprehensive in its nature. It

looks beyond the technology to consider 6 core dimensions, with 37 sub-dimensions of industry 4 readiness. The core dimensions include: • Products and services • Manufacturing and operations • Strategy and organisation • Supply chain • Business model • Legal considerations

Drawing on Crimson & Co’s expertise in developing supply chain maturity assessment tools, the assessment is designed around four readiness levels (beginner, intermediate, experienced and expert). They have explicit statements of what needs to be achieved to reach that particular level of readiness for each sub-dimension. This report has been designed to enable you to complete a self-assessment of your company’s current Industry 4 readiness, whilst providing a benchmark of current Industry 4 readiness across a group of 53 companies. More - here

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 5 of 24

Other News in Brief

National • Plymouth slipped from twelfth to thirteenth in PWC’s Good growth for cities 2017 Report which was

published earlier in November. Now in its sixth year, the PWC index measures the current performance of a range of the 42 largest UK cities, and all Local Enterprise Partnership areas in England, against a basket of ten indicators based on the views of the public and business as to what is key to economic success and wellbeing. Employment, health, income and skills are the most important of these factors, as judged by the public, while housing affordability, commuting times, environmental factors and income inequality are also included in our index as well as business start-ups. As in the 2016 report, Oxford and Reading are the two highest performing cities, with Oxford increasing its lead in first place. Download the report - here

• In the three months to September 2017, the Index of Production was estimated to have increased by 1.1% compared with the three months to June 2017, due mainly to a rise of 1.1% in manufacturing. The largest contribution to the rise in manufacturing in the three months to September 2017 came from transport equipment, which rose by 3.0% followed by other manufacturing and repair, which rose by 4.4%. More - here

• Foreign direct investment and labour productivity, a micro-data perspective: 2012 to 2015 – ONS Examines the composition of firms with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Great Britain between 2012 and 2015, and their productivity outcomes compared with firms with no FDI. Firms with inward FDI were 74% more productive than non-FDI firms. Report - here

• Secretary of State for Transport, The Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP announces Connecting people: a strategic vision for rail. Yet another consultation this time on the next Great Western franchise, and an invitation to tender for the South-Eastern franchise. No mention of Dawlish and passing reference to lines from Exeter to Okehampton and Bere Alston to Tavistock. More - here; here and here.

• A recent study by CareersBox has ranked Plymouth and the South West as one of the top cities and regions in Great Britain for marine opportunities. Plymouth is the number one hotspot for marine job openings 2016-2021 with 311 job openings, followed by Inner London West with 264 job openings. The South West is the number one region for marine jobs in 2016 with 4,066 jobs, followed by the South East with 3,735 jobs. It is also ranked number one for projected number of openings in marine occupations 2016-2021 with a projected 840 openings, followed by the South East with 673. You can view the full infographic here.

Regional

• Ground broken on new Dyson facilities - A ground-breaking ceremony has been held to mark the start of work on the new undergraduate village at the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology in Wiltshire. More - here

Local • PwC to close six regional offices – including Plymouth - here • New pictures show just how cool pioneering Oceansgate will really be - here • Royal appointment for University of Plymouth academic - Dr Natasha Stephen is now on the

committee of the Royal Microscopical Society, which has been at the forefront of microscopy and imaging since 1839. More - here

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 6 of 24

II PMG Members’ News

Alderman Tooling crowned as UK’s leading employer

6. One of the South West’s leading metal engineering firms is celebrating success on a national scale, having won the Lloyds Bank National Business Awards UK 2017 Employer of the Year award. Alderman Tooling, based at Newnham in Plymouth, was announced the winner at a prestigious awards ceremony in London on 14th November, hosted by the BBC’s Naga Munchetty, and featuring Sir Mo Farah as a guest speaker. Over 1,000 companies of all sizes from across the UK entered the awards, with ten companies being shortlisted in the Employer of Year category sponsored by law firm Howard Kennedy. Having completed a comprehensive entry submission, all the shortlisted firms gave a presentation to a panel of judges, who selected the winner. Founded in 1969 by toolmaker Bill Alderman, Aldermans remains in family ownership and management today. Bill’s daughter Karen Friendship has headed up the 40-strong team as Managing Director since 2005, with Production Manager Shane Heaney and Quality Supervisor Tony McEwen also part of the senior management team. “At its heart Aldermans is a family business, both in ownership and attitude,” Karen Friendship commented. “Our inclusive, friendly culture is one of the things that makes Aldermans a special place to work, and I’m so proud of the team we have here.” This is not just sentiment, however. Aldermans is clearly proving through business metrics that a combination of culture and training is a winning formula for productivity and the bottom line. Investing in the team has been key to the company’s success; and this has included formal training in business improvement skills. 50% of the staff have completed the year-long programme so far, with plans for the remainder to do so in the next 3-4 years. “By equipping and empowering staff to make positive improvements in their work areas we not only keep our staff motivated and inspired, but see our productivity increase and costs decrease, which are key to maintaining our place in a very competitive market,” Karen continued. Diversity also matters; and the company actively supports the Ready For Work scheme through Plymouth-based charity Shekinah, giving employment opportunities to disadvantaged adults. Training the next generation is also a high priority, with between 5-10% of the workforce being in a formal college apprenticeship scheme at any time. Karen also works locally as a STEM ambassador in schools, helping to change the perception of engineering as a career choice, especially for girls. Karen concludes, “For a small company such as ourselves, the national award achievement is particularly gratifying. We believe that exceptional employment practice, with proven business benefits, can be achieved by any company of any size in any sector – and we’re proof of it.” (The photo above shows Karen receiving the award from Irena Molloy, Executive Director of category sponsor Howard Kennedy, along with host Naga Munchetty from the BBC).

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 7 of 24

7. PMG and Babcock Int. sponsor a successful ‘Young Women in STEM’ event at Dartmoor Zoo A recent careers fair, jointly sponsored by PMG and Babcock International Group and organised by Women in STEM Plymouth (WISP) at Dartmoor Zoo, saw over 150 young women plus their parents/guardians find out about the exciting careers available in science, technology, engineering and maths available in the Plymouth area. ‘Young Women in STEM’, which is in its second year, took place on the evening of 15th November and included representatives from over 30 companies from across the STEM disciplines. There was something for everyone, from medical physics to marine conservation, RAF careers to coding for digital marketing. As well as an opportunity to speak to the exhibitors, attendees also enjoyed a talk on career pathways from CSW group, after dark tours of the zoo, and a Q&A panel featuring Imogen Napper, a PhD student at Plymouth University, Emma Herbert, a Civil Engineer with Arcadis, and Megan Love, a Mechanical Fitter for Babcock at Devonport Royal Dockyard. Project Manager Becky Winston (originally a Mechanical Engineering Graduate), who led the Babcock team of STEM Ambassadors said “This event was hugely successful and proved very popular. It was fantastic to see such a huge number of young women showing an interest in STEM subjects, along with their supportive parents/guardians. It really feels like we are making progress in breaking down the gender stereotypes attached to STEM careers.” Lorna Dallas, Chair of WISP, said "As an organisation WISP aims to inspire, support and promote women in STEM in our local area – and the 'Young Women in STEM' careers fair is a key way that we achieve all three of these aims. It’s fantastic to have support from PMG and Babcock that allowed us to put on this event, and illustrates how supportive the Plymouth community is when it comes to promoting STEM careers to young women.” If you would like to find out more about WISP, please visit www.winstemplymouth.org.

Fine Tubes secures Nadcap accreditation for Fluid Distribution Systems 8. Fine Tubes has secured Nadcap accreditation for

Fluid Distribution Systems, adding to accreditations the company already holds for Heat Treating, Non-Destructive Testing, Fusion Welding and Chemical Processing. This latest award is a highly significant measure of the Plymouth-based company’s capabilities in the manufacture of titanium (Ti-3-2.5) hydraulic system tubing for the aerospace industry. Fine Tubes is one of the very few suppliers qualified to produce the high-pressure titanium tubing used in the hydraulic systems on the Airbus A350 and A380. Together with its other four Nadcap accreditations, this new achievement qualifies Fine Tubes for the industry-recognised AS5620 industry standard required by Boeing for its suppliers of titanium hydraulic tubing. Phil Adderley, Director, Quality & Technical for Fine Tubes, commented, “Securing this fifth Nadcap accreditation very definitely puts us at the forefront of the industry and will significantly strengthen our position when bidding for new contracts. Customers will know that they can have every confidence in our ability along with our adherence to quality procedures and the compliance of our products with the most-demanding standards.” Nadcap is an internationally-recognised accreditation system, administered by the Performance Review Institute (PRI), covering all key manufacturing and production processes used within the aerospace industry. To secure its Fluid Distribution Systems accreditation, Fine Tubes was audited by an independent industry expert against a series of stringent checklists. More - here .

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 8 of 24

PCH Manufacturing further expands workforce 9. PCH Manufacturing has added

four new members of staff to the workforce as they successfully expand into external markets. Two new window fitters, a maintenance engineer and PVCu surveyor have been employed as we support industry in Plymouth following a successful year for the company. The new members of staff join on the back of six new apprentices who were added to our business recently as we support people who want to learn a trade and work in a manufacturing environment. Louise Turner, Head of PCH Manufacturing said: “To make two large successful appointments over the last few weeks has been fantastic for the business. We’ve added ten people in different areas which has been superb for team morale. “It shows that we need staff to meet the demands of the business and that we are making positive changes to meet the pace of the orders coming in. It also allows us to teach apprentices and upskill current staff to ensure they deliver the very best products for our customers. “The two window fitters we have employed actually came from another local firm which goes to show that PCH Manufacturing is an employer that people want to work for – something that was reflected in our recent Investors In People Gold accreditation. It goes to show that PCH Manufacturing has an important role to play in the future of industry in Plymouth.” PCH Manufacturing offers bespoke engineering and manufacturing solutions throughout the South West. To see a full range of products and to request your quote for doors, windows, gates, railings, signs or any other project then please visit us at www.pchmanufacturing.co.uk. The full story appears - here

RCR Flooring Products launches Signature II armoured joint 10. RCR Flooring Products Ltd, which manufactures the

Permaban brand of armoured joints, has launched its latest innovation. Permaban Signature II is an evolution of the original award-winning Permaban Signature joint first launched in 2012. With its distinctive half-hexagon shape, Signature prevents the wheels of materials handling vehicles from dropping between the two sides of the joint. Vehicles can therefore cross at any angle without causing impact, because the joint itself never bears any weight. No impact means no damage to the joint or the vehicle. Signature is used worldwide by RCR applications companies, and as part of many RCR Flooring Systems. Signature II achieves a new ‘industry first’, both in terms of material and manufacturing: the joint is made from glass reinforced nylon (GRN) using an injection moulding process. A strong, advanced composite, GRN is lightweight yet extremely robust and is used to manufacture products such as automotive parts, industrial bearings and safety helmets. “Using GRN in joints brings huge benefits for building owners and flooring contractors alike,” commented Lee Brockway, Global Sales Director of RCR Flooring Products which owns the Permaban brand. “The manufacturing process ensures exceptional product accuracy and consistency. Because of its light weight, it’s easy to ship and handle on site. It is UV stable and cannot rust, so Signature II can be used inside buildings, across doorways and externally too. But the key benefit is that it prevents impact damage to vehicles and joints, which dramatically reduces floor and vehicle maintenance costs, for the lifetime of the building.” Signature II is supplied in short lengths of 1.2m which can be clipped together easily. Square dowel bars ensure good load transfer, and these clip into place to guarantee precise alignment. The product is supplied in dark grey to blends discreetly into the majority of industrial floors, but other colours can be produced for clients with specific requirements. Signature II is being launched in three popular heights – 125mm, 150mm and 175mm. More information is available at www.permaban.com

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 9 of 24

Members’ Question Corner – Can you help these member(s)?

Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) Does anyone know anything about implementing a PPAP system in a sub contract environment? Or an alternative question; do any members of the PMG already use a PPAP system that wouldn’t mind me asking a few questions? Kind regards, Andy Short, Engineering Manager, Meddings Engineering. Tel: 01752 310153 or mob: 07791 119353 AShort@meddingsgroup.co.uk Quality Consultant We are looking for a quality consultant to support us get to the next stage with our ISO9001 certification. We currently have ISO9001;2008 and need to get to

ISO9001;2015 by May next year…. (not a big ask surely) 😊 Look forward to your reply. Kind regards, Kelly Ellis, Business Development Manager, Composite Integration Ltd. Tel: 01752 849998 em: Kelly.ellis@composite-integration.co.uk www.composite-integration.co.uk Support for First Aiders Not a question as such, but a message from John Durston, Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd. I think your first aiders may find this useful. Network Rail have shared this good practice with us. I have played with the program and found it to be very easy to use. The program works on all smartphone operating systems and is free. I have forwarded the information to all our first aiders and will add it to our next site newsletter so all staff are aware of this program. Help Requested in Designing an Hydraulic System We have a project that we are currently working on that will require an automatic hydraulic clamping system (used for opening and closing/holding a mould shut). Although we have a wealth of experience in mould design and a good idea about how to make the automation side work well, we are looking to engage a partner who we could work with to design the hydraulic system. Please could you circulate this around your group to see if there is anyone who would be able to help us? Kind Regards, Will Harris, Business Development Engineer, Composite Integration Ltd, Saltash Parkway Industrial Estate. Tel. 01752 849998 will.harris@composite-integration.co.uk www.composite-integration.co.uk Volunteer with either an HR or IT background sought As well as my work with Spinnaker I also act as Treasurer for the Plymouth branch of Citizens Advice. We are currently looking to fill a couple of knowledge gaps within our board of trustees and were hoping that we could find someone with either a HR or IT background to join us. I thought that the PMG would be a good source of individuals who could potentially add a lot of value to a brilliant local charity. I would be really grateful if you could pass on my details to anyone you think may be interested in volunteering with us. Thank you for your time, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries. Kind regards Craig Ford, Finance Controller, Spinnaker. Craig.Ford@spinnaker.co.uk Tel: 01752 294980.

Do you have a business-related question that you need resolving? – If so, pl. email me: stevegerry@dsl.pipex.com New Members this month … None this month

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 10 of 24

PMG & its members in the news this month plus PMG member newsletters • Aldermans – Autumn Update - here • Babcock has taken on 220 new workers at Devonport Dockyard – here • Babcock and BMT to support development of UK’s future surface ships – here • Defence contractor Babcock plays down Brexit impact worries - here • A consortium comprising Steatite with OXIS Energy, MSubs and the National Oceanography Centre

(NOC) has achieved what it set out to do by developing a pressure tolerant Lithium Sulfur (Li-S) battery that's capable of powering autonomous vehicles to ocean depths of over 6,000 metres. More - here

• Pipex px - Plymouth workers secretly behind the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers - A Plymouth company played a crucial role in building part of the new HMS Queen Elizabeth - here

• Plessey returns to the limelight with unique silicon process - here

Members’ videos, website and social media postings, etc: • Aldermans – YouTube channel - here • Princess Yachts Int have added two new videos to their series entitled ‘Inside Princess’, here - it’s

called ‘Mock Ups’ - here and ‘Sea Trials’ - here

If you’re a PMG member and you’re reading this and wishing your firm’s news story was also posted here, then next time, please let me know and send me a link to your press release. No one is excluded - stevegerry@dsl.pipex.com

III Business to Business – including grants & funding

Funding news & business opportunities – including company profiles of potential overseas partners • The Carbon Trust Green Business Fund – for SMEs only – here • Overseas companies are looking to work with you and your company! – 3/11 – here; 10/11 - here; 17/11

- here; 24/11 - here • Apply for innovation funding - If you’re a UK-based business or research organisation, you may be able

to compete for government-backed funding to: o research and develop a process, product or service o test your innovation ideas o collaborate with other organisations Use this service to: o search and apply for innovation funding o submit, track and manage your applications Start now o Meet the manufacturing and materials team within Innovate UK - here o Innovate UK – Nov - here o Innovation Matters newsletter – o Innovate UK - Competitions: Registrations now open – Nov - here o Innovate UK's essential tips to grant funding – video - here

• Data Analytics Innovation Voucher Expressions of Interest - If you are a micro, small or medium-sized business, local authority, charity, or not-for-profit-organisation, and you need help with your data analytics, then apply now for one of our Data Analytics Innovation Vouchers (DAIVs)! Our DAIVs allow an organisation up to £2,000 (excl. VAT) to work with experts within the Centre, across the Universities of Essex, East Anglia, Kent, and the London School of Economics. You can use the voucher to access consultancy from our world class researchers to review your data and improve your analytics, or it can be used to upskill your staff with data analytics training. More - here

• Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator - A new £9.2 million Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator to help strengthen the global competitiveness of British industry. Over the next four years the IEEA will aim to lower costs and increase the number of available energy efficient technologies for a range of industrial sectors, through demonstration of near to market innovations. The programme is open to all sectors and

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 11 of 24

is technology neutral, targeting near-commercial innovations that will have the largest cross-sectoral impact on industrial energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. The first competition is now open from September 2017 to January 2018. The deadline for applications is 31 January 2018, however, this is not a hard deadline; rather the deadline is flexible. The IEEA is funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and will be delivered with support from engineering firm Jacobs and infrastructure specialist AMEC Foster Wheeler. The funding is anticipated to unlock a further £11 million of investment from the private sector to support the demonstrations. More - here

• The South West Academic Health Science Network (SW AHSN) aims to build a culture of improvement and innovation within the NHS. If you are a South West-based company with a health and care product that you believe meets the needs of the NHS in the South West region, then we would like to discuss this with you. Please contact stuart.monk@swahsn.com for more information.

• Information about Innovate UK’s health and life sciences programme for businesses that want to seek funding or find connections. Our growing, ageing population and the burden of diseases are among our greatest societal challenges. We need new approaches to healthcare, food production and quality. Innovate UK supports business in finding solutions to these challenges. Innovation in health and life sciences is enabled by new technologies from bioscience and medical research, and by expertise in engineering and physical sciences. Many see the 21st century as ‘the age of biology’. New developments in how we understand and work with biological systems will open up important opportunities. The agriculture, food and healthcare industries represent a global spend of over £20 trillion. But private investment in UK healthcare firms is often slow. Our aim is to bring together technology developers and those redesigning the way therapies and other treatment options are selected and delivered. This will help businesses to develop market leading solutions. We also aim to help the agri-food sector in the UK transform from low-tech to high-tech. This will help improve productivity on farms, attract investment and develop global market opportunities. More - here

• IUK Launches Biomedical Catalyst 2017 Round 4: Primer Award Funding Competition - The Biomedical Catalyst is a partnership between Innovate UK (IUK) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). It provides responsive support to the most innovative life sciences opportunities, regardless of scientific approach. The aim of this competition is to support the development of innovative healthcare products, technologies and processes. These can include: • disease prevention and proactive management of health and chronic conditions; • earlier and better detection and diagnosis of disease, leading to better patient outcomes; • tailored treatments that either change the underlying disease or offer potential cures. £4 million is available in Primer awards. This is for projects that carry out technical evaluations through to proofs of concept in a model system. IUK expects projects to range in size from £200,000 to £1.5 million (total project costs). Projects should last 12 to 24 months. Projects can focus on feasibility studies or industrial research to support projects that are developing or testing out new healthcare products, technologies or processes. To lead a project the applicant must be a UK-based small or medium-sized enterprise (SME). It can work alone or in partnership with other SMEs or research organisations. The project must be carried out in the UK. IUK welcomes applications from any sector or discipline. The deadline for applications is midday on Wednesday 7 February 2018. More - here

• Innovate UK Announces Sector Competitions in Manufacturing and Infrastructure Systems - Innovate UK (IUK) is investing up to £19 million to support innovation across the manufacturing and materials and infrastructure systems sectors. Funded projects will target opportunities that offer significant changes in productivity and cutting-edge innovations. The competition has two strands: a manufacturing and materials strand, and an infrastructure systems strand. The manufacturing and materials strand aims to encourage and broaden innovation in the manufacturing and materials sector. Projects should target opportunities for significant changes in productivity and in cutting-edge innovations with significant potential for encouraging growth in all parts of the UK economy. Projects should range in size from £50,000 to £2 million and last between six months and three years and must address at least one of the following areas:

o Innovation in a manufacturing system, technology, process or business model. o Innovation in materials development, properties, integration or reuse. o A manufacturing or materials innovation, rather than a product innovation.

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 12 of 24

The infrastructure systems strand aims to encourage innovation in infrastructure systems that provide critical services for the economy, environment and society. Projects should range in size from £25,000 to £3 million and last between three months and three years. They must show significant innovation in at least one of the following priority areas:

o Smart infrastructure o Energy supply and systems o Connected transport o Urban living

To be eligible for funding applicants must be a UK-based business or research and technology organisation (RTO) and carry out their project work, and intend to exploit the results, in the UK. Projects with costs under and including £100,000 can be single or collaborative but must be led by an SME, while projects over £100,000 must be collaborative and involve an SME. Proposals in both strands must improve business growth and productivity or create export opportunities for at least one UK SME involved in the project. A portfolio of projects will be funded and projects may focus on technical feasibility, industrial research or experimental development. The lead applicant must first register online before completing and uploading the online application. The deadline for both strands of the competition is 31 January 2018. More - here

• The Fifth Accelerating Innovation in Rail (AIiR 5) competition. Innovate UK is managing a collaborative R & D competition on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT) to accelerate innovation in the UK rail sector, to enable technologies to be readily and rapidly integrated into the railway system. The Fifth ‘Accelerating Innovation in Rail’ (AIiR 5) competition call will open on 18 September and businesses will be able to apply for a share of £7.9 million of funding to develop technology prototypes in the broad areas of:

o Intelligent trains. Advances in computational power, communications, automation and sensing give the railway the potential to develop and deploy intelligent rolling stock. Such trains can reduce the railway’s reliance on complex and expensive infrastructure and control systems, making the network more cost effective and improving capacity, punctuality and reliability.

Minimal disruption to train services. Railway rolling stock and infrastructure need to meet the future needs of passenger and freight customers. The railway must therefore make these more reliable, more readily available and easier to maintain. More - here

• £3 Million Fund to Develop New Airport Screening Innovations - The Government has announced a £3 million fund to support innovative research to develop new ways of detecting explosive devices concealed in electrical items at airports. More - here

• Sustainable Travel Grants - The Council match funded grants scheme offers funding of up to £5,000 for employers to provide facilities or initiatives to encourage employees to leave their car at home and travel to work by foot, by bus or by bike. The grants could be used to provide facilities, including improved cycle storage or lockers for staff or initiatives such as a dedicated car share service to subsidised bus passes. The scheme is currently closed but will reopen for the next round of funding between January and March 2018. Please check the following page for updates and information: here

• $2 Million International GoFly Competition Open for Innovators to Create a Personal Flying Device - The GoFly Prize Competition has been established as a global challenge for the creation a personal flying device that is ‘safe, useful and thrilling’. The device should be capable of being flown by anyone, anywhere and it should be a device for all: young and old, city-dwellers, country-dwellers, experts and novices. The aim of the Prize is to foster the development of safe, quiet, ultra-compact, near-VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) personal flying devices that are capable of flying twenty miles while carrying a single person. The competition has a total prize value of $2million (£1.4 million) to be awarded. More - here Phase I Registration deadline - April 4, 2018; Phase I submission deadline - April 18, 2018

• New Topic Launches under Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies (LEIT) Pillar of Horizon 2020 - The European Commission (EC) has launched a new Topic under the Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Biotechnology and Advanced Manufacturing and Processing Work Programme, part of the Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies (LEIT) pillar of Horizon 2020. The EC recognises that the abundance of SME equipment manufacturers with the capability to offer world-class products is one of Europe’s key strengths in manufacturing. A further strength is the large number of actors possessing off-the-shelf prototypes ready for experimentation and for market uptake. To increase their global visibility and to further support digitisation of manufacturing, industrial online platforms need to be developed for use on the market. This topic aims to address this challenge by providing funding for proposals that design and build the digital platform that brings together suppliers and users in a

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 13 of 24

transparent and efficient way, and populate it with adequate product information. This will constitute a set of pilot implementations intended to sell ‘plug and produce’ industrial equipment and services to customers globally. The platform should therefore facilitate B2B transactions and host associated services in the form of digital product models, allowing users to simulate the capabilities of the equipment on offer and its compliance to standards. This will ultimately boost product quality, transparency and usability based on Return on Experience. More - here posted 28 November 2017 Deadline: 08 March 2018.

Business Support Sites • The Heart of the South West Growth Hub provides the key access point for business support in the Heart

of the South West LEP area; Devon, Plymouth, Somerset, and Torbay. The Growth Hub is the Heart of the South West LEP’s main mechanism of engaging with businesses across the area. More – here

• The Heart of the South West Growth Hub - News – here • Cornwall & IoS Growth Hub – website - here – latest newsletter – 13/11 - here; 29/11 - here • GAIN - Growth, Acceleration & Investment Network. The GAIN Exchange (including the GAIN GrantFinder,

FinanceFinder and Connect forum) - here. • Green Business Fund – here • Green Business Directory – here • SWMAS Ltd - We help and inspire ambitious manufacturers to develop their capabilities - here • TDA - Government funded support programmes – here • Plymouth City Council – Plymouth Business News – subscribe - here

Commercial Properties to Let/Sell – • Plymouth City Council Commercial Property List - If you want to find any Plymouth City Council-owned

land or property, have a look through our list and get in touch should you be interested. Click here to view all Council-owned properties. If you'd like our help to find a commercial property such as an office, retail or industrial space, fill in our commercial property search form and we can help find the right place for you. Click here.

• Rightmove – Vickery Holman - here

Commercial Storage

• I'm writing from Tidea Storage Ltd based in Crediton, Devon. We have over 500 pallet spaces available in our warehouse. I understand your members have their own facilities, however, I wanted to touch base and see if anyone is looking for any additional, longer term storage space at this time. Our site is covered by CCTV. The racking can fit standard and euro pallets up to 1.5m high Price is £2.50 per pallet per week plus £3 RH&D. We can accept deliveries from 6pm-8pm Mon-Fri and 9am-4pm on weekends If you have any questions, please let me know. Ed Woodley, Manager, Tidea Storage Ltd em: edward.woodley@gmail.com Tel: 07446 185 632.

Business Finance

• The British Business Bank. We are a government-owned business development bank dedicated to making finance markets work better for smaller businesses. Whether you’re looking for finance to start a business, grow to the next level, or stay ahead of the competition, we’re delivering greater volume and choice of finance. More - here

• Business Growth Fund or ‘BGF’ was established in 2011 to help Britain’s growing smaller and medium sized businesses. Backed by five of the UK’s main banking groups – Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, RBS and Standard Chartered – BGF is an independent company with up to £2.5bn with which to make long-term equity investments. Our mission is to unlock the potential of fast-growing UK businesses that need long-term capital to drive their future success. We are looking for companies that have robust and realistic expansion plans, with the flair, business acumen and desire to reach for new heights. More - here

Other Business Opportunities • Workplace Wellbeing Charter - Has your organisation signed up to the Workplace Wellbeing Charter

yet? The Charter is now widely recognised as the business standard for health, safety & wellbeing across England offering clear structure that organisations can use to develop health, safety & wellbeing strategies and plans. Signatories also receive discounts to many of the Livewell Southwest Wellbeing courses too.

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 14 of 24

For more information or to sign up please contact wellbeingat.work@nhs.net or 01752 437177 or www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/wellbeingatwork

Business contacts this month: • ADG Newsletter – architects - here • BCR Business Report – Are you ready for energy legislation DCP 228? - Oct – here • DHL Supply Chain insights - here • Essential 6 - Thriving at Work Stevenson/Farmer Review - here • The Caffeine Partnership – Extra Shot | The Real Key To Business Growth - here • Sponge – newsletter - here & What works in compliance training? - here

IV Talent Retention & Recruitment

BD - Careers Open Day & Vacancies for Manufacturing Technicians and Engineers at BD, Belliver Way, Roborough, Plymouth, PL6 7BP. Saturday 9th December 2017 11. Come along anytime between 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Discover BD. Creating medical technology,

devices and laboratory equipment across the healthcare continuum, we serve with one single and relentless human purpose: advancing the world of health. This is how we make a difference in human health across generations. This is our work and passion. Our vast 27-acre site on the edge of Dartmoor National Park is regarded as one of Plymouth’s premier manufacturing facilities. We manufacture a broad range of blood collection products including the BD Vacutainer Blood Collection Tubes©, Needles and Syringes. To meet the future demands of our customers we are expanding and investing in talented individuals to help us on our journey. We are currently recruiting for Production and Moulding Technicians, Engineering Technicians and Process Engineers. We offer a variety of shift patterns, competitive rewards and long-term career opportunities. For more information on current vacancies, please click here Join us at our Open Day to discuss career opportunities and discover how you could become part of our growing team.

Talent retention & recruitment news & information • Made Here Now – an initiative to change perceptions of UK manufacturing - here • New GCSE 9 to 1 grades – video - here & here • Degree Apprenticeships - more - here • Labour Market information

o Plymouth Labour Market Profile - here o Markit/REC - Report on Jobs – Nov – Staff appointments increase at softest pace for six months –

here o CBI/ Pertemps Labour Market Update – Nov – EMPLOYMENT FALLS SLIGHTLY AND REAL PAY

GROWTH REMAINS NEGATIVE, BUT THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE STAYS AT A 42 YEAR LOW - here • New engineering guide for parents – Courtesy of Engineering UK, a parents’ guide to engineering

careers is now available. This is the latest in the suite of free Tomorrow’s Engineers careers resources, developed collaboratively with the IMechE, ICE, IET, IOP and Royal Academy of Engineering. All the latest resources have been recently updated to reflect new gradings and qualifications. More - here

• Talent Retention Solution – TRS - For Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering (AME) Careers – TRS has been set up by a group of senior industry leaders, the Skills and Jobs Retention Group, in response to a request made by the former Secretary of State for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS). Its purpose is to provide an industry led and sector focused programme through which to facilitate the deployment and retention of key AME skills across the UK. - See more - here - Video - here

• University of Plymouth Knowledge Transfer Partnerships - Do you want to grow your business through collaboration and innovation? Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) is the programme that supports innovation and promotes business growth. KTPs (part funded by Innovate UK) provides resources and expertise to thriving organisations who wish to innovate, expand or improve their competitiveness and productivity. Innovate UK have recently announced additional funding for financial year 2017/18 to support KTP projects particularly if they align with the priority themes of

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 15 of 24

Manufacturing & Materials, Emerging & Enabling Technologies, Health & Life Sciences, and Infrastructure Systems. To find out more please call 0800 052 5600 or click on this link - here

• Greenpower Education Trust is a UK based charity with an outstanding track record in kick starting careers in engineering. We help unlock potential and spark enthusiasm for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) through the excitement of motorsport. We’re currently looking for employer partners to join forces with our teams, so that each student experiences the exciting world of industry. If you would like more information, please contact- vaughan.curnow@greenpower.co.uk

• Gradsouthwest’s SW Grad Scheme Directory is a guide to the range of graduate schemes, programmes and traineeships available in the South West. Covering Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Bristol & the West of England; the Directory aims to help those graduates that want to work in the South West find graduate employment. Entries are FREE to employers - they just have to run a scheme with roles in South West England! We would love for you to provide feedback, and make additions and alterations to the Directory to make it even better in future years. Download your copy now by clicking - here

• LikeToBe is an online platform that connects students with professionals for impartial, real careers advice. Founder and polar adventurer. Antony Jinman, believes that currently careers guidance is disconnected from reality- and that is where LikeToBe comes in! – see more - here

• Unlocking Potential – Grads for Growth o More - here o Grads for Growth - here

Apprenticeships A concise employer guide to apprenticeships has been published on GOV.UK. This guide gives a succinct overview of apprenticeships and is particularly useful for those employers considering apprentices for the first time. In addition, further apprenticeships documents have been updated and are now available on GOV.UK: • How do I employ an apprentice? (A6 postcard) • Higher and Degree apprenticeship fact sheet • A parent’s guide to apprenticeships • The complete Which? University guide to higher and degree apprenticeships • Trailblazers explained – here The following documents are aimed at young people considering an apprenticeship: • A guide to apprenticeships • A to Z of apprenticeships

Heart of the South West Apprenticeship Service - Provides fully funded training and support to equip your business with the skills you need to grow. The service can provide businesses in Devon and Somerset with: • Recognised accredited qualifications and bespoke training courses for their employees to

enhance their skills and progress into apprenticeships. • Business support to enable you to take advantage of Apprenticeship opportunities that work for

your business. Businesses can take advantage of one or both of these opportunities. The programme is co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). This means that there is no cost to the business. The service is managed by Serco and delivered through a network of high quality training providers. To find out more about Apprenticeships, and to enquire about eligibility for funded training available through the Heart of the South West Apprenticeship Service, contact Kirsty Mottram on hotswapprenticeships@serco.com T: 01752 968026

Opportunities to engage with Schools, Colleges & Other Bodies • Eggbuckland Community College - Y13 Mock Interview Scheme, where we hope to see our students

interviewed within the workplace. More here. Could you support us pl. If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me. Many thanks Lynn Harris, Careers Co-ordinator, Eggbuckland Community College, em: lharris@eggbuckland.com W: www.eggbuckland.com T: 01752 720086

• The Engineering Development Trust (EDT) is looking for a few mentors for some students in the South Devon area and we were wondering if there were any engineers or professionals within the PMG member firms who are maybe retiring and would like to mentor a few students? The commitment is doing two visits a year to the student in their place of work, each visit lasting about an hour. Exact date

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 16 of 24

and time of each visit is organised between the YINI student and mentor, so it’s very flexible, but roughly 6 to 12 weeks into placement for first visit and 6 months in for second visit. We have full mentor packs and will ‘buddy’ up for training. Any help will be much appreciated. Contact - Chris Ward, Director – Placements, EDT – Engineering Development Trust. Tel: 07968 323376, email: c.ward@etrust.org.uk

• Mentoring in Schools - Mentors work with a small group of students aged 11 -15. The programme is designed to: - · raise their aspirations · provide them with life skills · improve their confidence · inspire success The benefits of becoming a mentor: · access to our Enterprise Adviser Network · knowledge sharing · community networking Please contact: schoolsmentoring@cswgroup.co.uk for more information. Mentoring Co-ordinator, Caroline Ward for Devon, Torbay, Plymouth and Somerset - Tel. 07786 856243

• Opportunity to be a Guest Lecturer on a new Business Economics Course at Plymouth University - The University of Plymouth is introducing a new course this year, called 'Markets and Industries'. The course explores the challenges of the economic environment from a business perspective, looks at how best to evaluate competition and market conditions and therefore decide upon appropriate business strategies (e.g. pricing, advertising etc.). We would very much like to involve the local business community in this course and we wondered whether there would be any of your PMG members willing to give a short (30 min-1 hr) case study presentation of their business and its economic context? A one-page document with a short description of topics and where/how we are hoping to involve local businesses can be found here If you would like to find out more, please contact Panagiotis (Panos) Tziogkidis. Tel: 01752 585553, em: panagiotis.tziogkidis@plymouth.ac.uk

• Mount Tamar School - We are a special needs school based at St Budeaux - I attach a link to our website which will give you a better idea as to what we do. http://www.mounttamar.org.uk/ We have recently been visited by Ofsted and have been graded as Good with Outstanding. Therefore, as part of our continuing drive to be the best, we have set a major milestone with regards to career pathways. We would love to get in contact with you to arrange for a chat / meeting and look at the way forward for guest speakers into school, assemblies and various other options. Many thanks Chris Holl, Assistant Head Teacher, Email: choll@mounttamar.org.uk Phone: 07872 634898 / 01752 365128

Other careers-related events & initiatives involving young people • Industrial Cadets - The new industry standard for workplace experiences - here • Tomorrow’s Engineers - here • Welcome to tSpace - Torbay Skills Platform for Advice on Careers and Employment - here • Could you be a STEM Ambassador? STEM Ambassadors use

their enthusiasm and commitment to encourage young people to enjoy STEM subjects. They open the doors to a world of opportunities and possibilities which come from pursuing STEM subjects and careers. If you would like more information visit www.stemnet.org.uk/ambassadors/ or call Samantha Ansell on 01392 215501

• The Enterprise Adviser Network - The Network creates powerful connections between local businesses and schools and colleges. The Enterprise Adviser Network pairs senior business volunteers with schools and colleges in the Plymouth and surrounding area with a focus on developing their strategic careers and enterprise policies. The network creates powerful, lasting relationships with the leadership teams to develop effective employer engagement plans to equip young people with the skills they need for the world of work. If you are interested in exploring how you can have a positive impact on the career and employability skills of the students of today for the work force of the future please contact Jacqueline Vaughan - Enterprise Coordinator jacqui.vaughan@cswgroup.co.uk for more information or visit www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/get-involved/enterprise-adviser-network

Employees Health related issues • Livewell SW - Walk & Talk Plymouth Health Walks Programme October – December 17 – here • Wellbeing at Work - Nov – here

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 17 of 24

V Events, Training Courses & Other Information

Courses/Events Listings/Training related newsletters • ACAS SW e-connect – Nov – here • Buckingham Lean Enterprise Unit (BLEU) short courses - here • Carbon Trust events - here • CIPD Training & Events newsletter – Nov – here • City College Plymouth – Business Skills Workshops - here • City College Plymouth - Employer Events - here • City College Plymouth – Short courses - here • Connecting Devon & Somerset events - here • Cornwall College Business - here – Business Training Guide - here • Cranfield University courses - here • DCBC events - here • Department for International Trade – SW events horizon – here • EEF events - here • Essential 6 – H&S courses - 2017 calendar of events - here • Exelin events - here • Heart of the SW Growth Hub events - here • High Value Manufacturing Catapult - here • KTN – latest events – here • Livewell Training Programme - here • Plymouth STEM Calendar - here • Raven Dragon courses – NLP specialist - here • SA Partners newsletter including Shingo Master Class – here • SSG Training Services – A-Z Course Listing - here • SWMAS Events – upcoming - here • The Manufacturer events - here • The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) - here • Torbay Development Agency – upcoming events - here • UK India Business Council – events - here • University of Cambridge - Institute for Manufacturing - Courses and Events - here • WEAF events – here

Other Specific Courses/Events/Webcasts

• Uncovering Colossus - or from Ludgate to Los Alamos - Public lecture by Brian Randell, Emeritus Professor of Computing Science, Newcastle University – 17:00 - 18:00 on 5th Dec 2017 at Stonehouse Lecture Theatre, Portland Square Building, University of Plymouth - In the early 1970s Brian Randell began a study of the work of Charles Babbage’s earliest successors – having stumbled on the work of the Irish pioneer Percy Ludgate – and began to plan an overall historical account of the origins of the digital computers. He investigated the late Alan Turing's work, and learnt about a highly secret programmable electronic computer that had been developed in Britain during World War II. He revealed that this computer was named Colossus, and had been built in 1943 for Bletchley Park, the UK government’s code-breaking establishment. He attempted unsuccessfully to get this machine declassified. However, in 1974 and 1975, two books (The Ultra Secret and Bodyguard of Lies) were published about Bletchley Park's war-time work on breaking German messages that had been encrypted using Enigma. These books caused a great sensation, and provided Brian with an excuse to try again to get the Colossus Project declassified. This led to his receiving official permission to undertake a detailed investigation of the project. As a result, he was permitted to reveal for the first time, at the 1976 Los Alamos Conference on the History of Computing, the work led by T H (Tommy) Flowers at the Post Office Dollis Hill Research Station on the construction of a series of special-purpose electronic computers for Bletchley Park, machines which all predated ENIAC, an American machine which had until then been regarded as the world's first electronic computer. This lecture is open to all and everyone is welcome. RSVP: Sue Kendall, Faculty of Science and Engineering (email: sue.kendall@plymouth.ac.uk / tel: +44 1752 584504). More - here

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 18 of 24

• Wednesday 6 December 2017, Michelmores are holding our Employment Law Seminar in partnership with Hays Recruitment. The seminar is on Employment Law Risks of the Office Christmas Party. Michelmores, Woodwater House, Pynes Hill, Exeter, Devon, EX2 5WR. 9am for refreshments, commencing at 9.30am due to finish at 10.30am. Tom Stenner-Evans, Senior Associate in the Employment Team, will be leading an interactive and thought-provoking session on the employment law implications of the dreaded Christmas Party (and staff events generally). At a time when allegations of sexual harassment at work are surfacing everywhere from Hollywood to the Houses of Parliament, this talk will touch upon three key considerations: the extent to which the employer is liable for the actions of its employees; steps that can be taken by the employer to reduce any legal risk; and practical tips to ensure that employees feel able to raise such concerns open. Book today! Limited places are still available, please RSVP to events@michelmores.com

• Manufacturing 2075 - Exhibition Opportunity - Theme for 2017: Materials Future Wednesday 6 December 2017 at Cranfield Campus, Cranfield University - The one-day symposium will start with a set of keynotes from manufacturing thought leaders, social science experts, educationists and technology innovators and then there will be a series of brainstorming sessions to capture delegate imaginations. We shall publish a post-symposium report to stimulate a long-term manufacturing research and education debate in the UK and around the world. The symposium will also host a future technology exhibition related to the future of manufacturing. Our sponsors, technology providers, research groups and professional organisations are invited to participate in the exhibition, showcasing their latest, emerging or future potential technology solutions to the challenges of Manufacturing and stimulating delegate thinking. It promises to be a truly thought provoking and unique atmosphere and Cranfield hopes you can join us for this inaugural global forum, exploring Manufacturing 2075. Exhibit your research free of charge. Contact events@cranfield.ac.uk for more information. If you would like to participate in the exhibition get in touch. Please visit the website for more information and to register. here

• The UKABC Sizzling Southeast Asia Roadshow continues! Plymouth Science Park, 1 Davy Road, Derriford, Plymouth, PL6 8BX, Thu, 7 Dec. 2017, 10:30 and Thu, 7 Dec. 2017, 17:00. Southeast Asia presents a unique opportunity for British investment to explore a region which is strategically placed, dynamic, high in growth and has strong demographics. It is one of the most fast-moving and competitive regions in the world. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the third fastest growing economy behind India and China, and in fact actually attracts more foreign inward investment than China. ASEAN includes 10 diverse markets ranging from the advanced and accessible economies of Singapore and Malaysia to the developing, high-growth markets of Cambodia and Myanmar and it is no exaggeration to say that there are opportunities for UK companies across all sectors. Join us for a half-day seminar including: o Presentations from market, cultural, industry and exporting experts o Hearing from companies who have already successfully exported to the region o Q&A panel session o Opportunity for 121 appointments with our experts More - here The organisers of this event are also keen to hear from potential case study firms who are already exporting to ASEAN countries – contact - georgina.martin@ukabc.org.uk

• SWMAS - Leadership - The Fundamentals - Devon - 9:30am - 1:30pm Thursday 7th December 2017 at Exeter Racecourse, Kennford, Exeter, Devon, EX6 7XS. Free. An introduction of the requirements needed to understand how teams develop, to enable managers to lead successfully by recognising how effective teams operate, being aware of differences in preference, drive, and styles, and knowing where to focus priorities. More – here

• Social media advertising to find new overseas customers - by Export for Growth – Thu 7 December 2017 09:30 – 13:00 at Plymouth Science Park, 1 Davy Road, Derriford, Plymouth, PL6 8BX - It's a small world and almost everyone these days uses social media. But is your business using social media advertising to its full potential? There are endless ways to engage with new customers on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter and we are here to help you learn the best strategy for

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 19 of 24

your business. This hands-on workshop will explain how and why you should embrace these platforms to create real growth in international markets. From direct sales to brand awareness to lead generation, you will learn how to access new territories and increase sales through some of the most popular platforms around today. More - here

• The next Digital Plymouth December Meetup is happening on the 7th December at The Loft at 7pm. Save the date for a magical night filled with fantastic speakers, networking opportunities and more! We will have more information coming soon on the speakers and the tickets will go on sale on the 1st November. Keep up to date, follow us on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Book - here.

• Insider: Hinkley - The Power of Supply Chains - Friday 8th December at 7.30am. Bridgwater Rugby Club, Bridgwater - With Hinkley Point C, EDF is bringing to the region both the largest construction project the South West has seen for generations, but also a major employer and investment in the region for decades to come. This event will examine opportunities around the supply chain, discussing how local suppliers and services can connect into the ecosystem the development is creating, looking at the wider impact to communities both locally in and around Bridgwater, but also further afield across the region. We will discuss the impact of this major infrastructure investment into developing a new generation of skills in the region and examine the proactive ways in which the skills vacuum will be filled. We will also look at how the region can capitalise on this opportunity in order to create a world-leading knowledge economy. More - here

• SWMAS - Employee Engagement - Cornwall - 9:30am - 1:30pm on Tuesday 16th January 2018 at

Lanhydrock Hotel and Golf Club, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL30 5AQ. More - here

• GDPR Implementation and Compliance Workshop by SAMPSON HALL Ltd on Thursday, 18 January 2018 at 09:00 until Friday, 19 January 2018 at 17:30 at Plymouth Science Park, 1 Davy Road PL6 8BX - This two day workshop has been designed to give business owners and those involved in implementing GDPR a better understanding of the regulations and to help them to design their own plan to work towards becoming compliant. The two days will include group work and practical activities that are applicable to your own business. £354 – £1,188. More - here

• Registration of Interest for the South West Skills Conference – 19th January 2018 in Somerset. The joint Local Enterprise Partnerships of the south west are inviting key growth sector businesses to attend a conference to take place in Somerset in January 2018 and we would value receiving your registration of interest for this event. This conference benefits from being specifically designed to reflect the south west’s economy, its growing sectors, and will explore the views and ideas of business leaders from the south west in relation to its key resource; people. Apprenticeships as part of your workforce and retention of employees at a time of low unemployment and significant competition in sector resource pools, will be key topics. The conference will comprise of an events day (18th January 2018) at venues across the South West, and the main conference on 19th January 2018 being held in Somerset. Registering your interest does not obligate you to attend. Formal invites that include the event programme will be issued for you to confirm your attendance in the very near future. Please follow the link below to read more, and to register your interest. here Sent on behalf of the South West Local Enterprise Partnerships and principal event sponsor, EDF Energy.

• Beyond the business as usual: Innovate UK in the South West. Thursday, 25 January 2018 at 9:30am until 3:00pm at Sandy Park, Exeter - Register now for your chance to network and engage with senior executives from the Innovate UK family, Local Enterprise Partnerships and Business Clusters who can offer advice on which funding & collaborative opportunities might be right for you and your innovation. The event will provide information on: Opportunities to turn innovation into commercial gain: Innovate UK Funding to make these a reality; Initiatives that are happening within the region that you could get involved in. Why attend? - Are you are an SME or researcher looking to collaborate on emerging local innovation initiatives? Are you part of a smaller collaboration or an individual business looking into feasibility ideas and interested in hearing about core competition grants, innovation loans, KTPs? Do you want to be inspired? More - here

• PMG & Building Plymouth Apprentice Jobs Fair 2018 – Saturday 10th March at Plymouth Guildhall. • University of Plymouth, Mechanical and Marine Engineering, Project Open Day. Thursday 17th May

2018.

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 20 of 24

• The 2018 Materials Research Exchange & Investor Showcase (MRE2018), organised by Knowledge Transfer Network and Innovate UK and supported by EPSRC and Dstl will take place at the Business Design Centre, London on 12-13 March 2018. More - here

• Have you registered for Department for International Trade Webinars yet? - Registering for DiT webinars will help you with exporting - for free. More - here

VI Community Requests & Corporate Social Responsibility Matters etc.

Plymouth Santa Fun Run on Sunday 10 December

12. Bond Dickinson have teamed up with Saltram Rotary, the Herald, Jeremiah's Journey and Dame Hannah Rogers to support them with this year's Plymouth Santa Fun Run on Sunday 10 December. Since its inception in 2010 the Santa Fun Run has become a staple of the Plymouth Christmas season, and raised tens of thousands of pounds for some amazing charities. It's a great way for team building, getting good publicity and having fun. Plus, the Herald provide tremendous coverage of this great event. We are very keen that the business community should get involved in a fun way to raise money for some brilliant Plymouth charities. I wondered if PMG members might be interested in hearing more about the Santa Fun Run, and the fantastic charities which are to benefit this year. Craig Moore, Partner, Direct: 01752 67 7639 and Mob: 0777 979 9150. More - Craig.Moore@bonddickinson.com

CSR Related appeals, events, websites & newsletters • None this month

VII Consultations, Reviews, Surveys & Calls for Evidence

Great Western Rail Franchise Public Consultation - Moving Britain Ahead

13. We’re asking for views on future services across the Great Western network. The Great Western franchise is one of the largest and most diverse rail franchises in Great Britain. It is currently undergoing the most substantial programme of improvements in its history. Thanks to a multi-billion pound investment in new trains, electrification and other infrastructure enhancements, as well as investment by the current franchise operator, the service will have been transformed by the end of 2019. The consultation covers a range of issues for both the medium and longer term. Let us have your thoughts on:

• how services can be improved • what a future franchisee should be expected to prioritise

We’re looking for views from: passengers; communities; businesses; local authorities and other interested parties. More - here. This consultation closes at 11:45pm on 21 February 2018.

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 21 of 24

The Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan – Update 14. On 31 July 2017 Plymouth City Council, South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council

submitted the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan to the Secretary of State. Wendy Burden BA DipTP MRTPI and Yvonne Wright BSc (Hons) DIPT&CP MSc MRTPI were appointed as the Inspectors to the Plan. Since then the Inspectors have been busy reviewing the Plan and all of the supporting documents and on 10 November the Councils received information detailing how the examination will be run. The Inspectors' full Draft Hearing Programme can be found within EXC8 below. Please note that this document is currently a draft and is subject to change.

EXC6 Joint Local Plan Examination: Inspectors' Guidance Note

EXC7 Joint Local Plan Examination: Inspectors' Matters Issues and Questions

EXC8 Joint Local Plan Examination: Inspectors' Draft Hearing Programme V1

When and where will the examination hearings take place? The examination will commence on Tuesday 30 January 2017 and run for several weeks; most sessions will be held at the Ballroom, New Continental Hotel, Millbay Road, Plymouth PL1 3LD. Details of venues for the sessions in South Hams and West Devon will be released in future updates. Full details and all updates on the examination process are available to view at: https://www.plymouth.gov.uk/plymouthandsouthwestdevonjointlocalplanexamination Who can attend the examination hearings? Only those who have made representations during the last consultation and seek changes to the plan in relation to the issues to be discussed (EXC7), have a right to be invited to and participate in relevant hearing sessions. The Inspectors have now confirmed names of the participants that have been invited to speak, as set out in EXC8. However, the sessions are open for anyone to observe. Who to contact? Robert Young is the Programme Officer and is responsible for the administration of the examination. He is impartial, is not an employee of the Councils and works under the Inspectors’ direction. The Programme Officer’s contact details are as follows: email: robert.young@plymouth.gov.uk Tel: 07384 242454 Address: c/o Joint Local Plan Team, Strategic Planning and Infrastructure, Plymouth City Council, Ballard House, West Hoe Road, Plymouth, PL1 3BJ. For any other queries not related to the examination hearings please contact the Joint Local Plan Team: email: plymouthplan@plymouth.gov.uk or strategic.planning@swdevon.gov.uk Tel: 01752 305477

The Manufacturer’s Annual Manufacturing Report 2018

15. The Annual Manufacturing Report 2018 is specifically designed to gauge the mood of manufacturers, to see how they are responding to an unprecedented series of pressures that offer hope and fear in almost equal measure. From the great promise of new digital technologies to the gaping uncertainties of Brexit and the ever-looming skills shortage, it is important to find out how manufacturers are coping. Let us know how you feel – the survey is very simple and quick to take, no more than five minutes, and will have an important bearing on how policymakers react in the coming months. Take the 5-minute survey

The report will be published in February 2018 and anyone completing the survey will receive a complimentary print copy. The Manufacturer has been producing this piece of research for 9 years, view Annual Manufacturing Report 2017. Kind regards, Nick Peters, editorial director, The Manufacturer

Surveys this month: None

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 22 of 24

VIII Economic News, Newsletters, Briefings & Articles BEIS Bulletins –

• Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) – None this month. • BEIS Twitter feed - here • Industrial Strategy - here

Economic news • Bank of England - Agents' Summary of Business Conditions – Nov - here • Bank of England November Inflation Report - here • Deloitte Monday briefings - here • HM Treasury pocket databank (1/12) – here • House of Commons – Manufacturing key economic indicators – (1/12) - here • UK Economy at a glance – FT - here

Autumn Budget 2017 • Francis Clark - here • Budget brings welcome (ratings) relief – LSH - here • Budget as viewed by TechCityUK - here • Bishop Fleming - here • Budget as viewed by Business West - here

Brexit Articles • Brexiteers claim that trade on WTO terms would be fine. Wrong. In practice, almost no countries trade

with the EU on WTO terms alone. Economist - here Charts, Infographics & PowerPoints etc

• The front lines of gender inequality – McKinsey - here • Marine Jobs in Great Britain - here

Interesting Webinars, Video and other media • 2017 SW AHSN Conference – here

Manufacturing articles, publications and other reports of general interest • An Industry 4 readiness assessment tool – WMG – enables you to assess your business’ present

readiness - here

• Do you have the right leaders for your growth strategies? – McKinsey - here • Emerging trends in global advanced manufacturing: challenges, opportunities and policy responses -

University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) - here

• Explained: Samsung's fast-charging graphene-enhanced batteries - here

• Foreign direct investment and labour productivity, a micro-data perspective: 2012 to 2015 – ONS Examines the composition of firms with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Great Britain between 2012 and 2015, and their productivity outcomes compared with firms with no FDI. Report - here

• Line of Sight: Eye Tracking Cuts Training, Boosts Safety on Factory Floor - here • What the future of work will mean for jobs, skills, and wages – McKinsey Global Institute - here

Other newsletters & journals • 3D Printing Industry – 28/11 - here • ACAS SW - Winter newsletter - here • All Party Parliamentary Manufacturing Group newsletter – Nov - here • South West Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications - Apogee newsletter – Nov - here • ATI Elevation newsletter – Nov - here • Barclays - The Engine Room: a briefing for the manufacturing, transport and logistics sectors – here • BCG – Editors’ selection – Nov - here • Carbon Trust – Nov - here • City College Plymouth – Employer Link – Autumn/Winter 2017 - here • DCBC News Update – Nov - here & here • Down to Earth - Sustainable Earth Institute – Nov - here

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 23 of 24

• Heart of the SW LEP newsletter – Nov - here • Hinkley Supply Chain newsletters – here. Register - here. • Innovate UK – Nov - here • Innovation Matters – Nov - here • Just Auto Weekly newsletter – here • KTN Emerging & Enabling Technologies – Nov – here • KTN Complex Systems News – Nov - here • KTN Sustainability & Circular Economy – Nov - here • McKinsey: November Highlights: Global banking in a rut - here • Peninsula Rail Taskforce newsletter – Nov - here • Plymouth City Council - News and events for local businesses – Nov - here • Plymouth Science Park newsletter – Nov - here • Professional Engineering – 17/11 - here • RSA and Cities of Learning - here • Secondary and post-16 STEM learning – Nov - here • Semta Skills Agenda – Nov - here • SET Squared Partnership newsletter – Nov - here • SW Academic Health Science Network – Nov - here • SW Skills Newsletter – Nov - here • TDA Business Newsletter (Torbay) – Nov - here • Wellbeing at Work - Nov – here • Windpower Offshore Weekly (latest news) – here

Legal & Accountancy news • ACAS e-connect – Employment Law Update – Nov - here • Beers Solicitors Employment law bulletin – here • Bishop Fleming - Payroll Bulletin - October -– grant update Autumn - here & here • Bishop Fleming – Business & Tax Update – Autumn - here • Bond Dickinson – Employment law timeline - here. • Foot Anstey – Employment and Pensions - Nov - here • Pinsent Mason – latest legal news – 24/11 - here

Other sites of interest to manufacturers:

• http://source.theengineer.co.uk/ • http://www.chemweek.com/home/ • http://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/ • http://www.industryweek.com/ • http://www.imeche.org/news • http://www.manufacturinginfo.co.uk/ • http://www.prw.com/subscriber/index.html • http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industrial-manufacturing/index.jhtml • http://www.reinforcedplastics.com/ • http://www.thecqi.org/Knowledge-Hub/Qualityworld/Current-issue/ • http://www.themanufacturer.com/ • http://www.techuk.org/ • http://www.worksmanagement.co.uk/

Credits: The Editor of this newsletter is grateful to various news sources for stories contained either herein or in previous editions, including: insidermedia.com; Plastics & Rubber Weekly; The Manufacturer and Plymouth Herald

Image credits: PMG, Alderman Tooling, Women in STEM Plymouth, Fine Tubes, PCH Manufacturing, RCR Flooring, Bond Dickinson, HM Government and Steve Gerry. NB: Some weblinks are only accessible temporarily until the release of the next edition of this newsletter. Pl. contact the editor if you cannot access the link you require. stevegerry@dsl.pipex.com

PMG e-Newsletter - December 2017

Page 24 of 24

If you want to read what some people are saying about this newsletter please see here and scroll down towards the bottom of the screen. All comments are unsolicited. Please send me your own if you wish!

Disclaimer: The information contained in this newsletter is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by the PMG and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information, products, services, or related graphics contained here for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

In no event will the PMG be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of products or services referred to within this newsletter. Throughout this newsletter you are able to link to websites which are not under the control of the PMG. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. The editor’s contact details are as follows:

Steve Gerry Secretary to Plymouth Manufacturers' Group 23 Nursery Close, Tamerton Foliot, Plymouth PL5 4QG : 01752 795034

: 07585 445 346

: stevegerry@dsl.pipex.com : www.mypmg.co.uk

: http://stevegerryconsulting.co.uk/

Paula Joy Gerry This edition of the PMG newsletter is dedicated to Paula Joy Gerry who passed away, aged 57, on Saturday 4th November. Paula courageously battled breast cancer for five years since first being diagnosed in September 2012. Thank you to all those PMG member firms and colleagues who have donated towards the crowdfunding collection set up in Paula’s memory. The money raised will be divided between local cancer charities including the Pals of Plymouth Oncology, Outpatients and Chemotherapy (POOCH) and St Luke's Hospice for their outstanding 'at home' outreach service. The crowdfunding facility will remain open until the beginning of the New Year and can be accessed via https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/paula-gerry