Industry News
WO: Secretary of State for Wales, Cheryl Gillan, has welcomed the news that ferry services between Pembroke Port and Rosslare are set to continue for at least another 10 years, safeguarding the future of up to 60 skilled jobs locally and ensuring continuation of vital economic activity in Pembrokeshire, by carrying over 300,000 passengers and 80,000 freight units across the Irish Sea each year.
BIS: An £11m investment will test the safety of electronic systems found in aircraft & cars. ‘Chipir’ will be the first dedicated facility outside of the US to look at how silicon microchips respond to cosmic radiation. It will use an intense beam of high-energy neutrons produced by ISIS, a set of super microscopes that enable scientists to study materials at a level 10,000 times thinner than human hair.
Cosmic radiation has the power to cause the failure of electronic systems, particularly in aircraft & road vehicles. Problems can range from wiping a device’s memory to complete destruction of the electronics. The new neutron beam line will replicate the cosmic radiation affecting microchips from 100 years of flying time in the space of an hour. The findings will help manufacturers build more reliable electronic systems, which will in turn make planes and cars safer.
ScotGov: The East of Scotland Investment Fund (ESIF) has secured £1.8m from the European Regional Development Fund to support the creation of up to 1,000 new jobs and new market opportunities for SMEs over the next 5 years. The Fund can be used towards working capital or the purchase of equipment, plant or business property.
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BIS: The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is providing £10m for 3 major projects to address fundamental research questions in developing low carbon vehicles. These projects have been developed by EPSRC with the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) through the Low Carbon Vehicle Innovation Platform Integrated Delivery Programme.
WAG: Two major advances that will help the Welsh Assembly Government meet its renewable energy aspirations by creating renewable energy from the sea have been announced by Environment Minister, Jane Davidson. The Minister spoke at the Marine Energy Pembrokeshire Industry Seminar and announced the completion of a 3 year project that has ‘mapped the marine energy resources contained within Welsh waters’.
The project - entitled the Marine Renewable Energy Strategic Framework (MRESF) – has resulted in 5 groundbreaking & detailed reports on marine development. The reports cover key environmental issues such as the potential risk of fish colliding with wave or tidal devices.
The Minister also announced that the Welsh Assembly Government and The Crown Estates have formalised their intention to work together to support Wales’ capacity for marine energy manufacturing and would jointly sign a letter of intent. This is the first agreement of its kind between The Crown Estate, the body that owns the seabed around the UK, and a Devolved Administration.
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STFC: The market for supplying highly specialised technology for the construction of next generation light sources and particle accelerators, which enable breakthroughs in treatments for cancer and sources of cleaner energy, is a dynamic & growing industry. Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) has become the preferred technology for the design, development & construction of many of these large international experimental machines, but until now there has been no manufacturing capability for SRF in the UK.
However, a collaboration between Essex-based company Shakespeare Engineering Ltd and ASTeC (STFC's accelerator science & technology division) means that the UK will soon be able to bid for work to supply SRF technology components for light source & particle accelerator projects around the world.
ScotGov: ScottishPower Renewables’ £40m tidal array development will harness the power of the Sound of Islay and generate enough electricity for over 5,000 homes (more than double the number of homes on Islay) following approval by the Scottish Government. The 10 Megawatt facility will further develop emerging tidal energy technology, provide economic & community benefits to Islay & Jura and cement Scotland's position as a global leader in marine energy.
ScotGov: A £2.5m loan fund to support district heating networks and cut emissions is to open for expressions of interest this week. District heating distributes heat through a network of pipes to provide space & water heating in homes or offices.
The Scottish Government's scheme will offer loans on a commercial basis for both renewable and low carbon technologies. It will be delivered by the Energy Saving Trust and expressions of interest are being invited (form will be available on EST website from Monday, March 21).
A new heat mapping tool to help councils plan local heat strategies is also due to be published at the end of the March 2011. The map will be a useful tool to help identify opportunities to maximise the use of heat within all planned new developments (industrial, commercial & domestic) and refurbishment projects, including local skills & services. A report to Ministers by the Wood Fuel Task Force is due to published on Monday 21 March, updating estimates of wood fibre availability. The report will be available on Forestry Commission Scotland's website.
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ScotGov: Clydesdale Bank, Lloyds, RBS, Santander and other investors are increasing access to finance for businesses by investing almost £40m in the Scottish Loan Fund (SLF). This announcement means a total of more than £94m is now available through the SLF to eligible SMEs.
Managed by independent fund managers Maven Capital Partners, the SLF is a product introduced by the Scottish Investment Bank (SIB), which is a division of Scottish Enterprise. Maven expects that the fund should issue its first loan offers to Scottish companies in April 2011.
Also published last week was the SME Access to Finance Survey which shows that, while there are signs of improvement, lending remains a major issue for firms trying to access new finance for investment and growth.
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