University of Sheffield AMRC welcomes innovative SMEs

The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) welcomed a group of innovative SME nuclear sector supply chain companies to its South Yorkshire facilities to explore collaboration opportunities for driving innovation into the industry.

Key figures from Engage Technical Solutions Ltd, Capula and PES Performance were shown the AMRC’s flagship buildings in Sheffield and Rotherham by Matthew Farnsworth, commercial director at the AMRC, who highlighted the AMRC’s position at the forefront of nuclear technology research and development (R&D).

The companies were given a tour by the head of the AMRC’s nuclear manufacturing team, David Stoddart, who showcased some of the AMRC’s advanced manufacturing techniques being tested and employed in the nuclear sector. Seth Roberts, software developer at AMRC, led a tour of the Factory 2050 facility which included industry 4.0 demonstrators and Factory+.

As part of the visit, there was a deep dive into each company’s capability offerings, which revealed clear synergies and collaborative opportunities to enhance their service provisions. Mike Maddock, managing director at PES Performance, said it was a valuable day of collaboration, reaffirming the crucial role of supply chain partnerships in tackling the challenges of a rapidly evolving world in the nuclear and defence sectors.

“This proactive and forward-thinking discussion reinforced my belief that unlocking the full potential of small, innovative, and solution-driven businesses is key to delivering end-to-end capabilities for primes and large organisations. Historically, the supply chain has struggled to fully harness and promote this strength, but by fostering an innovative mindset—while remaining agile and results-focused—we can redefine productivity and impact.”

The companies, which showcased their complementary capabilities to innovate and enhance solutions, were given an overview of the AMRC’s journey, along with current key capabilities and programmes, and heard about its strong regional connections with its local community in South Yorkshire, as well as its sites in north Wales and Lancashire.

William Child, domain lead for nuclear at Engage Technical Solutions, said it is these regional connections that offer significant advantages, bringing opportunities and commercially advantageous capabilities to areas eager for manufacturing, industry and innovation.

He added: “The AMRC has some fantastic industrial capabilities, and with its focus on technology readiness levels three to six, it bridges the gap between academia and industry. Its appetite for innovation and technological solutions to complex problems is something that is shared by Engage, PES and Capula.”

David Stoddart, head of the nuclear manufacturing group at the University of Sheffield AMRC, said small and medium sized businesses – like Engage Technical Solutions, Capula and PES Performance – are the lifeblood of the UK economy but that the barriers to entry into the nuclear industry are often difficult to overcome.

He added: “The AMRC has a strong track record of collaborating with companies to bridge this gap and enhance their offering. Our work with a wide range of organisations puts us in a unique position to spot synergies between SMEs and bring them together to develop compelling solutions for nuclear industry primes.
“We aim to foster collaboration to create a robust supply chain for the nuclear sector. The recent visit reflects this approach, exploring collaboration opportunities to drive advanced manufacturing innovations.”

The deep dive highlighted PES’s specialism is in scanning and use of LIDAR, geotagging and geomapping, which combined with its prototyping and precision engineering capabilities means it can be used for a myriad of complex applications.

Mike Maddock, managing director at PES Performance, said: ““With the government mandating a minimum 25 per cent SME inclusion in all projects, there has never been a more strategic opportunity to drive efficiency, enhance value for money, and position SMEs at the heart of industrial transformation. Collaboration is not just beneficial; it is essential.”

Capula explained how its integration services and advanced panel build capabilities bring a wealth of value to the nuclear section, while its digitalisation and cyber security capabilities marks it as a partner of choice for our nuclear clients, helping them maximise the value of their operational assets in a secure environment.

Richard Stone, head of digital at Capula, was proud to support Engage to collectively collaborate with the AMRC to drive innovation and excellence in digital transformation.

He said: “Our commitment to engineering excellence, and tailored advisory services through our REACH programme, enables us to continue to support our industrial clients as they navigate the digital landscape. Seamlessly integrating cutting-edge technologies to optimise and manage operational disruptions, we help improve asset efficiency through intelligence to ultimately contribute to our clients’ achievement of sustainable growth.”

Engage offers technically adept, security-conscious project, programme, and portfolio management expertise, honed in highly regulated industries. The visit heard how its corporate knowledge and familiarity with the nuanced way to deliver excellence in public sector environments, coupled with its engineering management and IS&S capabilities, sets it apart from the competition when considering how to optimise the delivery of technically focussed packages of work, from projects to change initiatives and concept analysis to sustainability through disposal.

William Child, domain lead for nuclear at Engage Technical Solutions, said: “Engage’s professional services expertise and experience of managing projects, programmes and portfolios in highly regulated industries is a unique optimiser of our clients’ capabilities. Delivering with excellence is what Engage does, and with our engineering pedigree we have the technical prowess to make the difference.

“Bringing together people and companies to collaborate for the advancement of all is a professional pleasure, especially when it is at the forefront of such fascinating emerging technologies.”

University of Sheffield AMRC welcomes innovative SMEs. Left to right: Claire Machin from Engage, Richard Stone from Capula, William Child from Engage, Mike Maddock from PES Performance, Matthew Farnsworth from AMRC, Neil White from Capula, David Stoddart from AMRC Nuclear Manufacturing Group, and Mark Vaux from PES Performance