The MTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre) is playing a pivotal role in a major new £17m initiative to accelerate the development of a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell system that could power commercial aircraft before the end of the decade. Project HEIGHTS – a three-year programme led by Intelligent Energy – aims to advance the company’s modular 300 kW aviation fuel cell platform, IE-FLIGHT 300, for use in next-generation aircraft.

MTC has secured £1.2m in funding from the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) to support the work. It will utilise the latest design tools and state-of-the-art metal additive manufacturing equipment to reduce the weight and size of critical components developed and tested in the HEIGHTS project. The work will be completed in a way which will also enable these parts to be manufactured on a commercial scale.

More information www.the-mtc.org

Smart Manufacturing Week 2025 says it welcomed 13,319 attendees across two action-packed days at the NEC in Birmingham earlier this month. The event combined the latest technology with an extensive educational programme and a vibrant show floor. Adding extra flair were celebrity look-a-likes, movie robots and live music, creating a dynamic atmosphere that celebrated innovation and industry. 

With 456 exhibitors on the show floor, attendees explored hundreds of cutting-edge products and solutions driving the future of industry. Exhibitors enjoyed strong footfall across both days, supported by a steady buzz of conversation and energy. The dates for the Smart Manufacturing Week exhibitions next year have been confirmed as 3-4 June 2026. 

More information https://bit.ly/4kzvXfK

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

A 94,000 sq ft artillery facility was officially opened by Secretary of State for Defence John Healey earlier this month. The site, which will become operational by the end of the year, will house a state-of-the-art factory specialising in artillery expertise that will make Sheffield the home of UK howitzer production. The facility will also create 200 new high skilled jobs and support more than 60 businesses across the UK supply chain.

“This new factory is a big boost for South Yorkshire and a significant step forward in strengthening our British defence industrial base,” said Healey. “This is a vote of confidence in our world-leading defence sector and skilled British jobs.” The facility will later evolve to develop and produce a range of different combat systems.

More information www.baesystems.com

The Government has announced a record £2.5bn investment in fusion energy, which includes support for a new prototype fusion energy plant in Nottinghamshire. The prototype plant, known as STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production), will be built at the site of the former West Burton A coal power station near Retford and Gainsborough. The project’s delivery is expected to create over 10,000 jobs.

A groundbreaking and world-first scientific endeavour, STEP works by combining hydrogen gases, deuterium and tritium, which are heated to over 150 million degrees Celsius and confined within a powerful magnetic field. The energy produced can be used to create steam and turn a turbine, ultimately generating electricity.

More information https://step.ukaea.uk/