Warwickshire-based Lontra, which specialises in ‘engineering ideas’ and blade compressors, is to work with Shield Group Engineering, which has operations in Leicester, Coventry and Burton Latimer to produce “an industrial compressor that could refine prototyping techniques”.

Steve Lindsey, founder and chief executive of Lontra, said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to partner with Shield; we located our research headquarters in the Midlands to benefit from proximity to such world-class organisations.

Shield Group engineers will be able to provide invaluable input into streamlining the design of our product, improving the consistency of parts to further improve compressor reliability, and lowering the overall cost of production.

“This will give Lontra’s compressor an even greater competitive edge, with its proven efficiency and reliability joined by even lower production costs and simple assembly and maintenance.”

Chris Shield of the Shield Group said: “Recent reports have focused on UK manufacturers losing out to emerging markets, but this is not a foregone conclusion. We have demonstrated that we can out-perform emerging markets on price by using smart machining techniques and investing in the latest machining technology.”