29 April 2013

Alstom becomes MTC’s 50th member

Alstom, the global leader in power generation, transport and infrastructure, has become the 50th member of the pioneering Manufacturing Technology […]

Alstom, the global leader in power generation, transport and infrastructure, has become the 50th member of the pioneering Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry.

Alstom, which has major UK facilities in Rugby, Stafford, Wolverhampton, London, Bristol and Newcastle as well as other locations, is celebrating joining the £40 million MTC as a prestigious Tier One member, joining the likes of Rolls Royce, Airbus, HP, GKN and Siemens.

Alstom was officially welcomed to the MTC family by the centre’s Chief Executive Clive Hickman and the firm will begin the first stages of bringing projects to the centre almost immediately.

Rainer Ludorf, Vice President of Alstom’s thermal power operations said the company was extremely impressed by the MTC’s approach to technology and innovation, its close working relationship with major universities and its impressive roll call of industrial members.

“What attracted us was the potential to work closely with non-competitive companies and academic institutions and to leverage that relationship to advance innovations and technology which will benefit us all. Our membership of the MTC will allow us to benchmark technological progress, and advance that by working jointly with the MTC and other members,” he said.

He added, “We see the relationship complementing our existing research and development efforts not only on the scientific side, but also manufacturing processes which can improve the way the shop-floor operates.

He said he was also hopeful that Alstom could take part in the MTC’s growing apprenticeship scheme, particularly working with the company’s Rugby facility.

Clive Hickman said he was delighted that a company with the prestige and reputation of Alstom had become the 50th member of the MTC.

“We look forward to a very fruitful relationship with Alstom. The MTC demonstrates a ‘can do’ attitude and the fact that we are a young and flexible organisation is proving to be of enormous benefit to our members, as are the impressive capabilities of our engineers, technicians and support staff,” he said.

Alstom has a presence in more than 100 countries worldwide. With almost 100,000 employees it turns over more than £15 billion a year and invests in excess of £600 million in research and development.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre opened in 2011 following a £40 million publicly funded investment. It is a partnership between some of the UK’s major global manufacturers and three forward-thinking universities: Birmingham, Nottingham and Loughborough as well as TWI Ltd, the operating division of The Welding Institute.

The MTC aims to provide a competitive environment to bridge the gap between university-based research and the development of innovative manufacturing solutions, in line with the Government’s manufacturing strategy.

The MTC is one of a consortium of seven centres across the UK which form the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, established by Government in 2011 to provide a stimulus for British manufacturing.

Clive Hickman said the centre was established to prove innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in an agile environment in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions.

“The MTC provides a high quality environment for the development and demonstration of new technologies on an industrial scale, providing a unique opportunity for manufacturers to develop new and innovative processes and technologies in a low risk environment,” he said.

He added, “Our incredible growth from a standing start is based on work generated by our members who have already shown faith in us to deliver new processes for them, as well the support of our research partners, the commitment of MTC employees and support from the UK Government. We have developed a strong aerospace, automotive and ICT expertise and we are active in around half a dozen sectors currently.”

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