botenstoff 03.11 - Human.technology Styria GmbH

the northeast of england Process
industry cluster (nePic) has
for many years been the focus of
innoVation actiVity for the chemistry
using sectors based in the
northeast of england but this is
not enough to stimulate economic
groWth.
companies and academics have worked
collaboratively to develop an innovation
strategy and on the broad action plans to
deliver the outcomes. a strategic review this
year has shown how accurate the cluster’s
2006 predictive innovation strategy and
plans were. since that time uk national
centres for Plastic electronics, industrial
biotechnology, sustainable chemistry and
high temperature Processing have been
established at the centre for Process innovation
in the northeast of england. but this
can only be part of a region’s strategy to
stimulate industrial rejuvenation and growth
says dr stan higgins ceo of nePic (ne-
Pic). if innovation activity does not bring
31 gastkommentaR
innovation alonE doEs not sustain Economic dEvElopmEnt
dr. stan higgins
north East of England process
industry cluster
room h224
the Wilton centre
ts10 4rf Wilton redcar, tees Valley
t +44 (0)1642 | 442560
f +44 (0)1642 | 442561
subsequent investment to the region, the iP
developed, which is often very mobile can
be invested elsewhere in the world. therefore
supporting innovation activity can only
be part of a portfolio of investment support
activity within any successful economic cluster.
in fact many experts would say that it
is consistent economic growth, operational
flexibility, de-regulation and available investment
capital that are the most important
factors that help increase the inflow of business
investment. however even this is still
a very shallow “hands off” view of the underlying
complexity of actually winning new
investment projects.
the northeast of england Process industry
cluster (nePic) has been successful in winning
a range of investments for the process
sector in the uk and particularly on teesside.
in fact the cluster organisation has secured
3270 jobs in this area of its work over
the last 6 years binging over a £1billion of
gross value add to the uk economy.
many investments arise from classic foreign
direct investment activity where a local subsidiary
is considered for further investment.
this can be either in its existing business
area or as a geographic investment location
for a new business opportunity. in this
case it is often the capbility of the local management
team of the subsidiary that is so
important in gaining the opportunity, even
after the location has been identified for
its potential. in this case other issues become
important, such as the efficiency and
capability of local infrastructure and supply
chain. in many cases nePic has been able
to provide support to the local management
team as well as providing detailed insight on
the productivity and efficiency issues and
specific knowledge of local infrastructure
and utilities. crucially this input has more often
than not been needed very quickly and
very early in the decision making process.
nePic’s ability to do this work confidently
and quickly has de-risked our local location
in the minds of decision making executives.
nePic’s detailed intelligence comes from
the shared values and benchmarking by
the active leaders of cluster members. this
knowledge network can very quickly assimilate
any information needed by a potential
investor. stan higgins ceo at nePic
pointed out “each potential investment
is different. We may have to answer, very
quickly, a wide variety of both in technical
and economic questions. in capturing the
investments that we have, detailed information
has been supplied on logistical issues,
skills availability, supply chain connections,
engineering capability, utility sources, land
ownership, competitive raw materials, regulatory
and planning issues, banking and
finance. We have on occasion also recommended
the first people that the project
employs in order to get underway quickly.
surprisingly we often have to answer such
questions even when the investor has had a
significant subsidiary in the region for many
years!” many of nePic’s members benefit
from this aspect of the cluster’s work as
they are often recommended to the potential
investors, so that they pick up significant
contracts right across the supply chain,
from legal advice, planning to engineering
design & construction and other outsourced
services.
£8 billion of actiVe ProJects on
toP of those deliVered
cluster members expect nePic to keep a
good overview of potential projects in the
region. “the big picture view is really important”
said higgins “Without it companies can
be completely unaware of what is going on.
even to such an extent that they become
depressed about the future of the sector. in
fact until we started to keep the intelligence
on everybody’s investment ideas, some in
the industry believed it was dying. yet today,
with nePics intelligence of 64 active
investment projects in our cluster, totalling
a potential £8 billion, this paints a completely
different picture and it has reversed the
view of the sector to many in the industry”
several major new investments have been
in the press recently from air Products, Pyreco,
ineos bio and sembcorp.
stan higgins reports that during the life of
nePic there have been 8 process factories
on its patch that have closed, while there
have been 32 factories opened, acquired
or significantly reinvested in, creating many
more jobs than have been lost in the closures.
“by keeping the big picture view we
have been able to show how the process
sector constantly rejuvenates itself. supplying
the new products demanded by an
ever changing consumer led markets of
other industrial sectors.”
stan.higgins@nepic.co.uk
www.nepic.co.uk fortsetzung seite 32