Deep-tech innovation organisation Digital Catapult is opening a new office for South Gloucestershire, Bristol and Bath, strengthening its long-term commitment to working in partnership across the southwest of England and Wales. Delivering shared economic and skills ambitions, Digital Catapult is primed to offer in-demand innovation services to local start-ups and businesses, including technological consultancy, accelerator programmes and access to Digital Catapult’s network of laboratories. The new facility is located on the Bristol & Bath Science Park.More information www.bit.ly/4bIOcOg

A change in management is taking place at the UK subsidiary of grinding and erosion machine manufacturer Vollmer Group. After many successful years, Martyn Cross will step down from his role as managing director in April 2026 and retire, with Christopher Hellyer taking up the position. Apprentice-trained, Hellyer began his professional career as a service technician before moving into sales, where he gained more than 33 years of experience in senior positions. He will take on his new responsibilities gradually and work closely with Cross over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.

More information www.vollmer-group.com/en-uk

The ability to deliver engineered solutions for real-world moulds and tooling is helping an Exeter-based technology specialist record another year of growth. Rapid Fusion, which is based in a £750,000 state-of-the-art demonstration facility, has seen demand for its large format additive manufacturing solutions increase again, with domestic and international sales secured for its Apollo, Zeus and Medusa products. This string of orders has taken revenues past the £2m mark for the first time in its three-year history and lays the foundation for the company to accelerate the roll-out of its latest solution – Cerberus.More information www.rapidfusion.co.uk

MA Ford Europe has acquired Tamworth-based Mercian Cutting Tools as part of its strategy to increase UK manufacturing capacity and enter new markets. The company will now integrate Mercian’s custom tool production capabilities into its structure. Alongside core products that include drills, reamers and milling tools, much of Mercian’s production is focussed on the manufacture of custom tools that demand complex multi-function profiles, including step drills, hydraulic porting and specialised routers. These key attributes made the business highly attractive to MA Ford.

More information www.mafordeurope.com