EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Knighthood for IET president Warren East

Business chief and president of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Warren East, received a knighthood in the King’s New Year Honours list for services to the UK economy and net-zero ambitions. An inspiring engineer and leader with a career that spans 40 years, East has made significant contributions to the engineering and technology industry. His award of Knight Batchelor is in recognition of his work as a business leader, formerly holding CEO positions at chip manufacturer ARM and Rolls-Royce Plc, and championing future direction for a net-zero world.

More information www.theiet.org

£10k support for ‘green’ operations

The UK’s last remaining manufacturer of resin-bonded abrasives is looking to boost its export sales and ‘green’ its performance after securing nearly £10,000 of grants. Swift & Whitmore, which supplies more than 200 different abrasive products, has tapped into support from Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM) in Dudley to help target £8m sales and decarbonise its operations. Managing director Janette Tierney says: “BGWM has been a fantastic source of advice, guidance and financial support, putting us in a strong position to defy economic uncertainty and increase sales in 2025.”

More information www.bit.ly/4jrSmLZ

University And TWI In R&D Partnership

A mutual aspiration to generate engineering and AI-driven solutions that deliver real-world
industrial impact has led to the formation of two new Innovation Centres by first-time
partners the University of Huddersfield and TWI Ltd: the Precision Engineering Innovation
Centre and the Applied Artificial Intelligence Innovation Centre. The former will focus on
machine tool technologies, the design and control of manufacturing machines, dimensional
metrology (calibration and use of measuring equipment to quantify the physical size and
shape of objects), surface metrology and precision manufacturing. 
More information www.hud.ac.uk

30 Years Of Innovation In Pfronten

With its in-house exhibition in Pfronten, DMG Mori offers an exclusive platform for
partnership-based exchange, inspiration and the presentation of groundbreaking
innovations. On 10-21 February 2025, customers, suppliers and other trade visitors are
invited to get to know ‘machining transformation’ (MX) up close. Five new machines will
make their world premieres.
“DMG Mori first opened its doors for the Pfronten open house 30 years ago,” says Irene
Bader, board member at DMG Mori. “Today, the exhibition has evolved into an established
industry event. With our 2025 open house we’re kicking off a year full of innovations and
the diverse possibilities of MX. I’m looking forward to many discussions and personal
meetings with customers, partners and visitors from all over the world.”
More information www.bit.ly/3Wfv8yu

Lean workshop kickstarts investment

A precision engineering specialist has completed a £650,000 investment drive to help it
boost efficiency and create a new inspection department. Technoset, which employs 27
people at its factory in Rugby, took learnings from a Warwickshire Manufacturing Growth
Programme lean workshop to create a more streamlined process flow and a world-class
production and inspection cell.
Two Star SL 10 sliding-head lathes headline the recent investments, alongside two new
Mitutoyo Crysta-Apex CMMs. “We’re always looking at ways to improve our manufacturing
performance,” says managing director Adam Land. “Discussing and learning about different
best practice approaches at the lean workshop crystalised our thinking and gave us the
confidence to continue with our £650,000 investment.”
More information www.warwickshire-mgp.co.uk