Bridgwater-based Electrified Automation recently welcomed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Kwasi Kwarteng and Ian Liddell-Grainger MP to its factory to highlight how R&D in UK manufacturing needs more support to prevent its economic value being exported overseas.

Managing director Jim Winchester explained how companies, in the early stages of growth, routinely end up being saddled with debt when they try to take their business to the next level, which makes them attractive to acquisition and often results in them losing ownership of their intellectual property (IP).

Mr Winchester said: “The problem for UK manufacturing is that this creates a vacuum in the supply chain and we lose the economic opportunities associated with the scaling-up of new technologies to other countries.”

He went on to talk about the skills shortage in the sector and said: “We also need more qualified engineers and technicians to support the expansion of EV technology in the UK.”

Great British tech
Kwasi Kwarteng, said: “It was great to visit Electrified Automation alongside Ian. Firms like Electrified Automation are at the heart of our plan to grow the economy and create good, high-skilled jobs. That is why we are continuing to back our nation of innovators, supporting them in their early stages of growth with innovation funding, and giving them the tools they need to create great British tech.”

Electrified Automation has grown rapidly during its first year and has a strong order book for 2022. It helps businesses both in the UK and abroad to ramp-up manufacturing of electric motor products with its precision automated technology.

Support from BEIS funded Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) was critical in enabling Electrified Automation to accelerate the development of their technology.

APC UK CEO Ian Constance also took part in the visit. He said: “We are incredibly proud to see what our APC funding has achieved and are looking forward to watching how Electrified Automation continues to power forward.

“It is a great example of the benefits of investing in low-carbon innovation and strengthening the UK automotive supply chain. Their success is leading to growth and jobs while at the same time helping to decarbonise transport and lower harmful emissions.

“The electric vehicle transition is happening now, so we need to make sure we are supporting UK companies, across the whole supply chain, to anchor manufacturing in the UK.”