The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has won a contract worth up to £4.4m to be one of the key providers for the ambitious Sharing in Growth (SiG) programme.
SiG will deliver a programme of intensive supplier development training. This will focus on tackling barriers to growth, boosting exports and growing the number of high-value jobs in the UK's aerospace and associated high-value manufacturing sectors.
NPL's product verification programme has been selected by SiG to provide the technical services and training to identify and improve product verification capability within suppliers.
Product verification is a critical part of the manufacturing process. It provides complete assurance that components and products are manufactured according to the original design specification, reducing product failure, poor performance, waste and customer dissatisfaction.
Accurate measurement is at the heart of product verification and it involves a whole range of specialist skills, equipment, processes, environmental conditions and standards. NPL's work with major manufacturers at the head of international supply chains has shown that product verification activities account for up to 20% of the cost of the finished product. Therefore, any solution to make this more effective can boost business for the UK supply chain and add billions to the UK economy.
Phil Cooper, Product Verification Programme Leader at NPL, said:
"I am delighted that NPL has been chosen as a delivery partner on the ambitious SiG programme. We are looking forward to helping to accelerate the growth of these supply chain companies, and creating new jobs in the United Kingdom"
Andy Page, CEO of Sharing in Growth, said:
"Product Verification is an essential skill needed to create a stable and capable manufacturing process. I am delighted that the National Physical Laboratory has been selected to bring their wealth of skill and expertise into the Sharing in Growth programme and help the benefitting UK suppliers to deliver globally competitive performance"
Participating companies receive a four-year programme of leadership training for the management team and business improvement training for staff that together is worth over £1 million and tailored to the specific needs of their business. Each approved supplier needs to commit resources of a matching value in time only. On-going support is then provided to ensure business improvements are sustained.
SiG is part-funded by government through the Regional Growth Fund, and supported by industry leaders including Rolls-Royce.
Notes to Editors
- NPL is the UK's National Measurement Institute, and is a world-leading centre of excellence in developing and applying the most accurate measurement standards, science and technology available.
- For more than a century NPL has developed and maintained the nation's primary measurement standards. These standards underpin the National Measurement System infrastructure of traceability throughout the UK and the world that ensures accuracy and consistency of measurement. NPL ensures that cutting edge measurement science and technology have a positive impact in the real world. NPL delivers world-leading measurement solutions that are critical to commercial research and development, and support business success across the UK and the globe.
- NPL employs over 500 scientists, based in south-west London. Its laboratory is a 36,000 square-metre purpose built measurement building housing almost 400 of the world's most extensive and sophisticated measurement science laboratories.
- SiG is part funded by a £50M grant from the UK Government's Regional Growth Fund established by the Department of Business Innovation & Skills. Rolls-Royce is also sponsoring the programme with support from specialists and leaders who can share their industry experience. Partners in Sharing in Growth include IfM Education and Consultancy Services Limited, Unipart Expert Practices, Industry Forum, Alexander Mann Solutions, Global Integration and Inspire, Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and The National Physical Laboratory.