Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg yesterday visited aerospace and space engineering group e2v to see thecontribution that investments from the UK Regional Growth Fund are making to the UK’s manufacturing and technology sectors.
Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg toured e2v’s ProWaveTM facility, which is directly benefiting from a £6million Regional Growth Fund (RGF) grant. ProWave uses industrial scale microwave technology that is being developed entirely in the UK. It reduces energy usage and increases yields in the processing of bulk materials across a range of industries.
Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg then toured a clean room facility. They met and spoke with employees, including some of e2v’s latest intake of apprentices and graduates working across e2v’s range of high precision products and services.
Earlier this year Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, announced the award of the RGF award to e2v.The grant enabled investment in capacity and facilities to create jobs and increase design, engineering, manufacturing and test capabilities in their ProWave industrial processing systems.
e2v is one of a group of companies whose success is a critical part of the economic wellbeing of the UK economy. Exporting approximately 70% of its UK output, and the UK based headquarters of a global high tech manufacturing and service organisation, with operational centres in the US and Europe, e2v is a true UK success story for export driven high technology manufacturing.
Keith Attwood, chief executive of e2v, said “The RGF funding has made a significant contribution to our ability to accelerate investment and create jobs for our ProWave business, both within e2v and with our partners and suppliers.” He added “I hope that showing Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg where this money is being spent will demonstrate that the UK is getting a good return on the investment. This country has a proud history of successful manufacturing and technological innovation, which, through the efforts of companies like e2v, is alive and thriving and contributing to economic recovery. ”
“This has been a fantastic opportunity to meet some of the people in jobs created by Regional Growth Fund money and see the hi-tech kit that e2v have been able to invest in thanks to it,” said Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. “All in all 336 new jobs will be created at e2v and across its supply chain. Working with companies like e2v to create jobs and grow their business like this is key to our recovery.”
