Photo: Department of Business and TradeHundreds of high skilled jobs are to be created in Sheffield after Taiwanese advanced manufacturing company
Walsin Lihwa (WL) last week announced a major investment that will boost the UK’s steel industry and advanced manufacturing sector. The positive news will create over 200 jobs by 2028 in a first phase, and marks the first step towards the company’s plans for a major presence in the UK, with further job creation and investment expected from WL in South Yorkshire and the UK in the coming years.
The investment from WL will establish a new superalloy forging facility and research and development (R&D) hub following an upgrade of its existing
Special Melted Products (SMP) factory in Sheffield, which will be focused on producing speciality steel and nickel components for aerospace jet engines and energy industry products.
The investment is expected to create good, well-paid jobs, with average salaries expected to be over £40,000 a year. The news follows Deloitte’s latest survey of finance officers which has found the UK is the joint top location for investment in the world and data out this week from Make UK and BDO which finds that manufacturing in the UK has recovered to 2019, pre-pandemic, levels in every region.
The investment is a major boost to the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy which launched last month and had identified opportunities in growth-driving sectors like this as priorities for government support. A vote of confidence in South Yorkshire’s world-class strengths in advanced manufacturing, clean energy and defence, it will back the growth corridor across the northern city regions.
New melting and superalloy forging capabilitiesNotably the investment will introduce new melting and superalloy forging capabilities – a new strategic manufacturing capability to the UK – which will reduce domestic producers’, such as Rolls Royce, reliance on imports. These capabilities will aid the UK’s aspirations in aerospace, steel, nuclear and defence as set out in the modern Industrial Strategy, contribute resilience towards supply shocks and will help grow Sheffield’s manufacturing sector, which was valued at £1.4 billion in 2023.
Baroness Gustafsson, Minister for Investment, recently said: “Our modern Industrial Strategy is all about having more high paid jobs in the industries of the future, in communities right around the UK. This investment is a major vote of confidence in Sheffield’s world-class manufacturing sector and couldn’t match our ambitions better. Our Steel Strategy later this year will set out further support we will take to boost the steel sector and encourage investments like this, and we look forward to hearing from Walsin Lihwa about their ambitious UK growth plans, delivering on our Plan for Change.
Once the forging facility is established, WL will establish an R&D centre in the next phase later in the decade, focused on strengthening the company’s capabilities in materials and digital technology innovation and contributing to a growing aerospace and defence cluster in South Yorkshire. The ne facility will generate hundreds of new well-paid jobs and apprenticeships, with a range of future-proofed skills and expertise in manufacturing operations, welding, melting, metallurgy, engineering, machining, material science, data analytics, and other high-value career opportunities.
Significant milestoneBaroness Gustafsson recently attended the site with WL’s chairman Yu-Lon Chiao to celebrate the investment and to hear more about the company’s plans for UK growth. Mr Chiao, recently said: “The UK possesses a vast market in aerospace, energy, and nuclear power sectors that is unparalleled by Taiwan. This investment marks a significant milestone in SMP’s development and underscores WL’s firm determination for global expansion.”
Commenting on WL’s investment, Gareth Stace, director-general of UK Steel, said: “The substantial investment that SMP is making in expanding its capabilities and capacity is tremendous news for local people, and the UK. This is sign of trust in British steelmaking and manufacturing, pushing forward valuable investment plans and establishing skilled careers. SMP plans mean we are onshoring supply chains for industry giants like Rolls-Royce, meaning investment goes directly back into UK jobs and the economy.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard said: Walsin Lihwa choosing to invest in SMP and build their new R&D centre in South Yorkshire is a huge vote of confidence in our region’s talent, innovation and expertise, and the advanced manufacturing ecosystem we are creating here. I promised to build a bigger and better economy in South Yorkshire, creating good jobs in the industries of the future. So I am proud my office has been able to provide support that has helped to unlock this major investment, offering new jobs and opportunities, and bolstering our world leading steel industry.
“We have always been known for our strengths in cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and industrial excellence. Walsin Lihwa’s investment builds on our legacy, re-affirming South Yorkshire’s place at the heart of UK high-value manufacturing and innovation.”