Advanced Engineering Show
Five Coventry and Warwickshire companies showcased new products at one of the UK’s leading engineering shows.
Penso, the Envisage Group, AP Racing, Ricardo UK and MIRA were invited to the Advanced Engineering Show 2014 at the NEC by the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub.
The Growth Hub, which was established by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), is focused on providing a wide range of support and advice to businesses of all sizes in all sectors across the area.
Coventry-based Penso launched its carbon fibre tailgate, Envisage unveiled a unique hand-crafted boot lid skin and AP Racing showed its new aluminium brake calipers. Leamington-based Ricardo UK showcased the latest generation of their high-speed flywheel energy storage technology and MIRA in Nuneaton brought along a bespoke battery system for commercial electric vehicles.
Craig Humphrey, Managing Director of the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub, said it had been extremely worthwhile to attend the two-day show.
“The Advanced Engineering Show is one of the key UK shows for advanced manufacturing and engineering,” he said.
“We had the opportunity to talk to potential inward investors to Coventry and Warwickshire to encourage them to join the supply chain and promote the companies already located here as well as the services offered by the Growth Hub.
“We asked Penso, Envisage, AP Racing, Ricardo and MIRA along and they revealed some of the exciting and cutting-edge products that they have been working on.
“We wanted to put our Growth Hub on the map in the advanced manufacturing and engineering industry as part of our long-term goal to encourage firms to do business with each other, to locate here and to become part of a supply chain which is an integral part of the sector in the UK.
“All the Growth Hub account managers attended which meant we had the opportunity to talk to potential businesses because although this event was centred on advanced manufacturing and engineering, we are here to provide advice and help to firms in all sectors.”
Cllr Kevin Maton, Coventry City Council Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment and CWLEP board member, said: “I was really impressed by the whole show and by the Coventry and Warwickshire companies in particular. They were very skilfully demonstrating their advanced manufacturing expertise to the show’s visitors and every one I spoke to was in the process of recruiting skilled workers.
“What was really clear to me was that Coventry and Warwickshire is rich in these high-tech companies and that our two universities are helping to train and educate industry ready engineering graduates.
“We are making this sub-region great again – there is a lot to be proud of and we are working hard to support businesses who share our drive and ambition.”
In the picture: From the left, Michael Collins (Penso), Lucy Booth (MIRA), Gus Bhandal (Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub), Craig Humphrey (Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub) and Glen Hall ( Ricardo)