EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

NCMT names new marketing head

With effect from May 2025, Maja Foster will become head of marketing at CNC machine tool supplier NCMT. She brings relevant experience to her new role having formerly headed the marketing function in the UK subsidiary of a global machine tool manufacturer, where she was responsible for publicising the brand across Europe.

“I’m looking forward to strengthening NCMT’s position in the marketplace and championing its capabilities,” she says. “The company is built around satisfying customer demand, which means responsive engineering support, training and lifetime back-up form a core part of the service it delivers. My role is to ensure that all of these strengths are clearly communicated in the context of the machine tool brands we represent.”More information www.ncmt.co.uk

NMITE and BAE Systems sign MoU

NMITE (New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering) has signed a memorandum of understanding with BAE Systems’ Digital Intelligence division, signalling a commitment to work together and help bridge the engineering skills gap. NMITE places great value on employer partnerships in producing work-ready engineering graduates and this collaboration will bring invaluable challenges and expertise to the curriculum, enriching the educational journey of students and alerting them to career opportunities in the defence sector. BAE Systems is one of 10 new partners NMITE has welcomed in the past year. 

More information https://nmite.ac.uk/

Factories to See Electric Bills Cut

More than 7000 British factories are set to see their electricity bills slashed by up to 25% from 2027, as the Government unveiled its new Industrial Strategy last week. British manufacturers currently pay some of the highest electricity prices in the developed world, but the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will cut electricity costs by up to £40 per MW hour for electricity-intensive businesses in sectors like automotive and aerospace.

These firms will be exempt from paying levies such as the Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs and the Capacity Market. The Government is also increasing support for the most energy-intensive firms – like steel plants – by covering more of the electricity network charges they normally have to pay through the British Industry Supercharger. Such businesses currently get a 60% discount, but from 2026, it will increase to 90%.

More information www.gov.uk

NASTC opens

Stratasys has launched its North American Stratasys Tooling Center (NASTC), a new collaboration with Automation Intelligence LLC located at the latter’s manufacturing site in Flint, Michigan. The dedicated tooling hub is designed to help manufacturers validate and scale practical applications for additive manufacturing in production environments. The NASTC operates both the Stratasys F3300 and F900 3D printers, assisting in the optimisation of applications focused on critical tooling solutions such as jigs, fixtures, end-of-arm tooling and North American Automotive Metric Standards (NAAMS) blocks.

More information www.stratasys.com

Inclusivity campaign

A campaign celebrating inclusivity and diversity in industry has been launched by a specialist UK training provider. ‘I’m In-Comm, I’m Included’ is the message being championed by apprentices, learners and staff at In-Comm Training as it looks to break down some of the barriers faced by women, ethnic minorities and hard-to-engage groups considering an apprenticeship and career in engineering and manufacturing. In-Comm Training has already enlisted the support of its 20 ‘IC ambassadors’ and its 75-strong workforce to spread the message, while several employers and partners have also pledged their support.

More information www.in-comm.co.uk