David Ralph, Chief Executive, D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership
In the past fortnight, we have celebrated the Best of Business at the DNCC Business awards.
It was great to see companies such as FC Laser, Sygnature Discovery and Spinelock win awards but more important is that these companies are leading the resurgence of advanced manufacturing across the D2N2 area.
Through the recessions of 2008 to 2012, business growth in the service sector declined but advanced manufacturing continued to grow its labour force by 4 to 5% annually.
With great world-class companies like Rolls Royce, Toyota and Nestle and their supply chains operating throughout D2N2, this area is likely to be at the forefront of delivering the Government’s Industrial Strategy particularly in bio-sciences, transport engineering and construction.
The LEP also hosted, at the University of Nottingham, alongside DNCC, a Sustainability Summit to develop a dialogue about sustainable jobs and how investment in a low-carbon economy can best be harnessed for the benefit of D2N2 companies.
The rise of advanced manufacturing and the high-skilled jobs (and higher salaries) they bring throughout the supply chain and their transition from a service-led economy bias to more manufacturing is at the very essence of our Growth Strategy.
To achieve it we need to provide the tools to develop our advanced manufacturing businesses and crucially the skills of our existing workforce and young people to access these local jobs.
David Ralph
Chief Executive, D2N2 LEP
