FEBRUARY UPDATE

Fresh investment shows importance of sector to the region

We are delighted to announce that One North East is to provide a further £900,000 of funding for the Marine Design Centre over the next three years.

David Hewitt, above, Director at the Marine Design Centre, said: “This is great news for all those committed to the development of the sector in our region. It allows us to move forward with great confidence knowing we have the resources and investment to make a real impact over a sustained period of time.

“We have come a long way in a short space of time. We have built up a dynamic regional membership base and put strategies in place to help the sector move forward. These are based on business development, attracting fresh blood into the sector and putting in place workshops, seminars and training programmes to address skills and technology issues.

“This extra funding will enable us to build on our successes so far, enhance the competitiveness of regional marine companies, promote their capability to the international market and create new opportunities for North East companies to grow.”

Ian Williams, above, One North East Director of Business and Industry, said: “North East England is still rich in marine design skills which are highly valued around the world. Recent years have seen a decline in the fabrication of ships - but the design skills are still here and the International Marine Design Centre provides a focal point for companies to win new work and boost their skills base.

“The facility has fast become an internationally recognised centre of excellence showcasing the North East’s marine design skills and technology. The Centre’s success reflects the confidence, dynamism and entrepreneurial spirit that exists in the region.and which is now stretching out to the rest of the world.”

 

Robin takes over at NDI

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Robin Fox on his appointment as Managing Director of NDI. Robin has made a great contribution to the development of NDI since he joined six years ago and we look forward to working together to develop both organisations in the future.

One of Robin’s first major events is the NDI Annual Conference taking place on 26 -27 March 2009 at the Marriott Hotel, Gosforth Park.

Among the speakers will be Mervyn Davies, Minister of Trade and Investment, Defence Markets Worldwide. The NDI conference will include a balanced programme of talks, exchange of information on specific programmes, opportunities for business, meetings, company exhibition stands and networking. For further details and to register please click here.

 

Plans now in place for an influx of new skills

The long term future of the marine design sector in the North East has been greatly enhanced as plans for the introduction of new recruits and the up-skilling of many existing staff, now take shape.

At a recent launch event, the Marine Design Centre and its industrial partners revealed that funding had been secured from One North East to provide new skills for up to 50 companies in the marine and energy sectors. The result will be over 100 additional people with the higher level skills needed to take the sector forward.

John Lockey, above, Business Development Manager, Marine Design Centre, said: “Right now we are in discussions with a wide range of companies to assess their skills needs. Even in the current climate we are greatly encouraged by the number that are very supportive of the project and looking to address higher skills shortages, especially in marine design.”

John and the team are currently carrying out training and business needs assessments of partner companies whilst discussing with educational and training partners the introduction of master classes which will be specific to industry needs.

As part of the initiative, there will be opportunities for graduates, newly qualified apprentices and those wishing to redeploy from related sectors.

The Marine Design Centre will continue to inform members as to the progress of this initiative and how companies can engage with it. For further information, or if you would like to participate, contact John Lockey on +44 (0)191 2551710 or john.lockey@marinedesigncentre.com

 

Event News....

Bank of England Briefing & Lunch
2009: Understanding the Economic Challenges

Friday 6th March 2009; Marine Design Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne

This year it will be more important than ever to understand the economic environment we are in and its implications for your business.

The Marine Design Centre and NDI are delighted to announce that David Buffham, the Bank of England’s Agent for the North East, will give a briefing at our office in Newcastle on Friday 6th March.

Hot on the heels of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting the previous day (including the ever important interest rate decision!), David will give a valuable insight into the Bank’s latest forecasts for the economy and what the latest indicators mean for the economy and your business.

The briefing will give you a better understanding of how current international events are influencing the UK, and how the ‘bigger picture’ might impact our sector, your clients and your suppliers.

To see the full agenda please click here.

To reserve a place please contact us on 0191 255 1710 or email info@marinedesigncentre.com.

Places cost £20 (+ VAT) for Marine Design Centre and NDI members and £55 (+ VAT) for non-members. Space is limited and demand is expected to be high so act quickly to reserve your place!

 

Information is Money: Creating Added Value from your IT System.

Wednesday 11th March 2009; Marine Design Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne

Computer applications are now the de facto ‘tools of the trade’ for running our businesses, but are we getting the best from the investments we have made in IT?

This joint presentation, by Dr Kais Al-Timimi and Mr David Pearce of Daista Software Ltd, looks at some of the underlying issues of why we are not getting the best from our investment in IT systems, and discusses how we can:

• Improve operational efficiency through seamless integration of information assets 
• Reduce the cost of customising and maintaining the customisation of business applications 
• Reduce the cost of developing and maintaining bespoke and specialist software required for supporting day-to-day business operations 
• De-risk longer-term cost exposure by 'future-proofing' information assets 
• Deliver better governance through improved controls, audit trails and accountability

To see the full agenda please click here.

Places at this event are free although registration is required. Please contact us on 0191 255 1710 or email info@marinedesigncentre.com  to reserve a place. 

HMS Illustrious: North East Industry Open Morning

26th March 2009, Newcastle upon Tyne

Next month HMS Illustrious, the 2nd of the three Invincible Class aircraft carriers, returns to her roots on the Tyne. We are delighted to announce that the ship’s Commanding Officer has kindly agreed to host a Marine Design Centre open morning, featuring ship tours and discussions with the crew who man the ship and use its systems and equipment daily. The morning will round off with a networking lunch.

This is a valuable opportunity to discuss first-hand the issues naval crews face in their daily use of ship systems and equipment and a rare chance to do it in the North East.

Further details will be available soon, however space is limited so if you’d like to register your interest please do so now by emailing info@marinedesigncentre.com or calling 0191 255 1710.

Please note that we expect this event to conclude in time for people to attend the NDI Annual Conference commencing in the afternoon of 26th March.

National Composites Network: Marine Sector Masterclass

22nd April 2009, Marine Design Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne

The UK has an impressive global reputation for innovation and research in composite materials. The industry is characterised by high level skills and quality based manufacturing led by implementation of new technologies and advancements in the technical performance of materials.

The National Composites Network (NCN) is a unique Knowledge Transfer Network jointly funded by government and industry that embraces the entire UK Composites industry and its supply chain.

In this masterclass, Ajay Kapadia, Director of NCN, will give an introduction to composite materials and their applications in ships. He will discuss the lessons learned from the aerospace and automotive sectors and US defence composites R&D, and explore the future of composites in the marine sector. He will also give an overview of the resources available through NCN in investigating materials further through to application.

Further details will be available soon. If you’d like to register your interest please do so now by emailing info@marinedesigncentre.com or calling 0191 255 1710.

 

 

Tyneside to be home to new Marine Management Organisation

Tyneside will be home to the headquarters of a new body to regulate and manage the sea around England.

Marine and Fisheries Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said Tyneside is ideally placed to host the groundbreaking new Marine Management Organisation (MMO).

The MMO, part of the government’s pioneering Marine and Coastal Access Bill, will be a centre of expertise that will contribute to sustainable development, streamline regulation and improve enforcement.

Tyneside’s bid won strong backing across the North East, and Ministers decided the area had the right mix of environmental, business and academic marine interests.

The MMO’s responsibilities will include:

• a new marine planning system
• a new integrated marine licensing system 
• enforcement of sea fisheries, nature conservation and licensing using powers under the Marine and Coastal Access Bill

Huw Irranca-Davies said: "Tyneside was chosen for several reasons, not least because of its broad range and good balance of marine interests. It has a working port, a busy local fishing industry, and businesses including offshore renewable energy development, all of which fit well with the MMO’s role.

"The new organisation’s location is integral to its ability to be highly respected by everyone who uses and values our seas, and in Tyneside the MMO will be close to people and organisations who care passionately about marine protection and how we use our seas.”

David Hewitt, director of The Marine Design Centre, said:”We are delighted that the strength of the marine sector in the region was a major factor in the choice of location. We look forward to making contact with MMO in due course and to identify areas of mutual interest”

For more information click here.

 

Ocean Flow Energy Ltd springs into 2009 with further accolades

Tyneside company Ocean Flow Energy Ltd has had a great start to 2009.

The manufacturer of the Evopod tidal generator – which provides ‘green’ power for coastal communities – won the Environment Award at the 2009 Grant for Research and Development Awards, sponsored by One North East.

Meanwhile, the firm has also been awarded £20,000 as one of three North East winners of Shell Springboard, designed to support innovative solutions to tackle climate change.

With the scaled-down prototype already producing one kilowatt of energy, Ocean Flow Energy plan to develop a turbine that can produce 2.5MW when it goes to market within three years.

The firm’s eventual aim is to have farms of about 50 Evopods moored around appropriate coastal regions in the UK, producing the same electrical output as large wind farms and enough power for between 2.5 million - 4 million homes in total.

Simon Ellis, Business Development Manager at the Marine Design Centre, said: “It is great to have innovative companies like Ocean Flow Energy in the North East. The Evopod not only has great commercial potential but could have a significant impact on the UK’s carbon emissions. Congratulations to all the team and we look forward to further progress during 2009.”

 

 

Table-climbing Noble Denton

The annual league table featuring the UK's 100 private equity-backed companies, the Sunday Times Deloitte Buyout Track 100, has seen MDC member, Noble Denton, climb from 59 last year to 32 this year.

The overall findings confirm that private equity continues to create plenty of jobs for British workers, according to the survey's authors.

The league table features private equity-backed companies with the fastest-growing profits measured over the latest two years of available figures.

Marine Design Centre, director, David Hewitt, said: “While Noble Denton is an international business, it has had a base in the North East for over a year now which is working on a number of high profile contracts. It is an active member of the Marine Design Centre and has helped raise the profile of the sector in the region.”

 

 

Norwegian links continue to strengthen

A new website will continue to strengthen links between the North East and business partners in Norway. Norway is a key export market for the North East, even in today's climate last year exports rose by 23% or £31 million. Norwegian Companies are actively seeking UK products and services.

naeringsparken.com is a site for Norwegian businesses to find UK companies from whom they wish to buy goods and services. Companies can Register their company details and put themselves in a key position to do business in Norway.

This process only takes a couple of minutes and is free of charge for a limited time. The site hopes to open your business up to a whole new market of untapped potential.

The North East’s interests in Norway also stand to be bolstered by the forthcoming UK 2 Norway conference, which takes place between 16 -18 March in Stavanger. At the event, businesses from the region will be able to meet key figures from the Norwegian oil, gas and renewables markets to explore new trading opportunities. This conference, a follow-up to the inaugural UK 2 Norway conference in Newcastle last year, features industrial visits, key speakers, an exhibition and the opportunity to participate in business to business sessions with representatives from businesses and disciplines related to your own. For more information please click here.

 

Technology in the Marine sector

A survey that promises to go a long way to identifying the support marine sector businesses need to fully optimise the potential of technology and to identify future needs for accessing skills, knowledge and communications, is now being undertaken.

As an added incentive, the survey, coordinated through The North East Regional Portal, includes a free prize draw of ten hampers of locally-sourced food to the value of £30 – or, a donation of £30 to a charity of your choice.

If you would like to take part, please contact us on info@marinedesigncentre.com and we will ensure the survey is sent to you.

 

Further AVEVA Training....

We are pleased to announce 2 further PDMS courses in conjunction with AVEVA.

Not only is it great news that AVEVA are putting on the courses, but there is also the major advantage that those attending do not have the time and financial costs involved in traveling outside the region.

Equipment & Piping Design

20th - 24th April 2009

This excellent course covers a number of modules useful to equipment engineers & designers as well as instrument and electrical, architectural, piping, layout and structural engineers. The course will consist of basic functions, AVEVA Plant Design set-up, Equipment Design, Piping Design, Clash Detection, Reports and Isometric Production 

Steelwork Design

18th - 22nd May 2009

This course includes basic functions, AVEVA Plant Design set-up, Basic Steelwork Design, Clash Detection, Reports and Advanced Steelwork Design.

For full details of either course please click here.

For further details please contact us on 0191 255 1710 or email info@marinedesigncentre.com

Please contact MDC if you have other training requirements for PDMS or other CAD packages. If we have sufficient demand for particular courses we will endeavour to arrange the appropriate training!

  

Date for the diary....

Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers Annual Dinner

6th March, Banqueting Hall, Civic Centre, Newcastle

Members of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and others from the North East shipping community are invited to the Newcastle upon Tyne branch Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers Annual Dinner.

For more details please email enquiries@amundsen-smith.co.uk