EuroWire July 2024

Corporate News

MACH 2024 hailed a success MACH 2024, the UK event for inspiring, innovating and connecting manufactur ing, saw thousands of visitors filling the five halls at the NEC in Birmingham over the week-long show in April. The 2024 edition of the exhibition gained a six per cent increase in the number of visitors, with the full attendance of the event approaching 30,000 people. Exhibitors showcased their latest engineering-based manufacturing tech- nologies and solutions, including demonstrations and product launches. the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) and sponsored by Lloyds Bank, MACH brings together suppliers of machine tools, cutting tools, metrology equipment, additive manufacturing (3D printing), surface engineering, robotics and automation, sheet metal, metal forming and fabrication technology, and specialist software. The event gave an opportunity for buyers and visitors to see the latest products and technologies from a line up of more than 500 exhibitors. Greg Capp, sales director at Sodi-Tech, commented, “Footfall has been the most in a long, long time. On day one we got enough enquiries to last us for the next six months. This has been our best MACH ever, and we are looking to book our stand again for 2026.” Another exhibitor – DTS (UK) – sealed a multi-million deal with WEC Group Owned and organised by

The E&D Zone at MACH 2024 was a popular attraction

James Selka DL, CEO at the MTA, said, ”Attracting new talent into the engineering-based manufacturing sector is a key driver for the MTA. “The dedicated E&D Zone at MACH continues to be our biggest opportunity to inspire a future generation into engineering as an exciting career.” and development) was again sponsored by global metal-cutting specialist Sandvik Coromant. The zone included a range of exhibitors from different sections of the engineering industry as well as hands-on activities provided by organisations such as University of Wolverhampton Racing, F1 in schools and World Skills. MACH 2026 will take place from 20 to 24 April, again at the NEC, Birmingham. Manufacturing Technologies Association www.mta.org.uk www.machexhibition.com The E&D Zone (education

involved in such an important project. Not only will electrification greatly enhance the transport infrastructure in southern Turkey, it will also deliver significant environmental benefits. We pride ourselves on providing solutions to the challenges our customers face and look forward to supplying this project with the world-leading rail synonymous with the British Steel name.” UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK government’s export credit agency, has underwritten €781mn of financing to support construction of the 286km railway. With financing provided through UKEF’s buyer credit facility, Rönesans Holding will finish construction of the Mersin-Adana-Gaziantep High Speed Ltd. Andy Guy, operations/sales director for DTS (the UK agent for Correa), said, “MACH 2024 has been one of the best yet and this deal with WEC Group has been a real highlight.” A key point of the first day’s seminar programme was the launch of the MTA’s latest ‘True Impact of Manufacturing Report’, which revealed the positive impact that manufacturing is having on the UK economy. Among the key findings of the report, manufacturing accounts for £518bn of UK GDP and supports 7.3mn jobs; “making things” accounts for 34.5 per cent of all UK goods and services exports; and the median wage in manufacturing is 11 per cent above the national average. Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, delivered a keynote speech that included an insight into thinking behind current and future UK government policy and how this aligns with both the immediate and future needs of UK manufacturing.

Multi-million-pound contract for high-speed rail British Steel has secured a multi-million pound contract to supply rail for a new high-speed electric railway in Turkey. Railway on behalf of the Turkish Ministry of Transport, with British Steel as one of the key suppliers.

Erman Ilıcak, president of Rönesans Holding, said, “By upgrading the existing railway line to a high standard railway line, we will be actively reducing negative environmental impact while offering a lower-carbon travel alternative and significantly enhancing the region’s industrial connectivity and trade.” The rail – 60E1 in grade R260 at 36m in length – is to be manufactured in Scunthorpe, UK. British Steel https://britishsteel.co.uk

The manufacturer will deliver tens of thousands of tonnes of track for the project connecting Mersin with the cities of Adana, Osmaniye and Gaziantep in southern Turkey. It will help create a lower-emission transport link between Turkey’s second-largest container port and inland cities more than 150 miles away, with the project expected to reduce CO 2 emissions by more than 150,000 tonnes per year. British Steel president and CEO Xijun Cao said, “We’re delighted British Steel has been awarded this contract, and to be

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July 2024