Sheffield City Mayor takes tough line on transport
Less than two weeks after taking office South Yorkshire’s new Mayor Oliver Coppard has is working to improve public transport.
He has already written to the new CEO of First Group challenging the company to deliver better services for South Yorkshire’s communities, and met the team at the Stagecoach depot in Rawmarsh to discuss the decarbonisation of the region’s bus network.
He has also asking regional bus operators to share six years of their patronage, performance, and financial data so officials can get on with the work required to assess the benefits and risks of franchising in South Yorkshire.
He said: “For too long our communities have had to put up with a declining, underfunded public transport network, with regular cuts to services. That’s not ok. I’m going to do everything I can to bring about improvements as quickly as possible.
“That’s why this week I’ve agreed to designate a director with a dedicated team who will take the so-called ‘franchising’ assessment forward at pace, and I’ve also taken one of the first major steps in delivering that process.
“I’m going to continue to use every lever I have to create a network that works for our communities. That includes extending free park and ride services, because right now all too many people are struggling with the cost of living. And I’m extending the Zoom Beyond pass, keeping bus fares as low as possible for 18–21-year-olds across South Yorkshire.
“Longer-term, I’m determined to fight for a world class, integrated public transport network in our region. It won’t be quick, and it won’t be easy, but that has got to be the goal.
The government have said they want to see a ‘London style transport network’ here in South Yorkshire by 2030, but right now we’re a million miles away from that goal and the clock is ticking. Without investment from government things are going to get worse, not better. We’re doing everything we can, but they need to put their money where their mouth is. We’re done with waiting.”
New study will explore nuclear reactor-based creation of hydrogen
A nine-month feasibility study at the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield will invest almost £250,000 to explore the possibilities of using advanced nuclear reactors as a route to more efficient low-carbon hydrogen production.
Led by Frazer-Nash Consultancy and the Nuclear AMRC the project will explore the feasibility of developing a hydrogen production demonstrator and test facility that simulates the heat and electricity outputs of a new generation of nuclear plant, based on a variety of small modular reactor and advanced modular reactor designs.
As well as supporting the development of new designs of SMR and AMR, the facility will help companies which are developing new technologies for low-carbon hydrogen production, enabling them to test and refine their technologies’ performance, with a goal of commercial deployment as part of a nuclear cogeneration installation in the mid-2030s.
Steve McCluskey, technology management consultant at Frazer-Nash and overall project delivery manager, says: “We are thrilled to have won funding for this exciting study combining new and emerging technologies from within the nuclear and hydrogen sectors, gaining valuable insights from industry on future trends and understanding their requirements.
“I look forward to working in close collaboration with the team members from within Frazer-Nash and the Nuclear AMRC to ensure the successful delivery of this project and having the opportunity to contribute to battling the global climate crisis in an innovative manner.”
The proposed test facility will cover hydrogen production by high-temperature electrolysis and thermochemical splitting of water. Both techniques are more energy efficient than conventional electrolysis, while avoiding the high greenhouse gas emissions of steam methane reforming.
By demonstrating how advanced nuclear reactors can effectively produce hydrogen, the new facility will accelerate the deployment of sustainable hydrogen production as part of the global transition to net zero emissions. As well as replacing fossil fuels for transport and heating, hydrogen can help decarbonise industrial processes such as steelmaking, chemical synthesis, and the production of ethanol and synthetic fuels.
Neil Murray, business development manager for advanced nuclear technologies at the Nuclear AMRC, says: “It is well understood that nuclear power will play an important part in meeting 2050 net-zero targets as a provider of baseload electricity to meet ever-increasing demands, but nuclear power’s cogenerative potential is absolutely massive and largely untapped.
“Various studies have shown that nuclear energy’s unique combination of heat and electricity can be used to produce clean hydrogen at a price similar to current renewable and fossil fuel methods, at any time of day, in all weathers, and without the need for fossil fuels or carbon capture. This demonstrator will seek to unlock the potential for nuclear as part of the wider energy mix, by answering the questions that would otherwise go unanswered until SMR and AMR reactors are operating in the 2030s.”
In the first phase of the collaborative project, Frazer-Nash and the Nuclear AMRC will work with hydrogen and nuclear industry partners to investigate the feasibility of a small-scale hydrogen production demonstrator to simulate the output of a range of AMR and SMR designs. This feasibility study will take nine months, supported by funding of around £237,000 from BEIS.
Tom Purnell, business manager for advanced nuclear and government at Frazer-Nash, says: “It is really encouraging to receive the support from BEIS for this project and a great endorsement of the contribution from advanced nuclear to achieve net zero. In collaboration with the Nuclear AMRC and with the backing of a range of both hydrogen production and advanced nuclear vendors, we are ready to truly contribute towards the delivery of a whole energy system.”
Construction set to make sustainability strides in 2022
The UK construction sector will make significant strides in tackling sustainability in 2022, as the market attempts to lower its carbon footprint in line with the Government’s wider climate change target.
Reducing carbon emissions is the area of business performance that construction leaders think will change the most in the next 12 months. According to BDO’s Construction in 2022 and Beyond, 48% of businesses surveyed as part of the annual report think their company’s carbon footprint will decrease in 2022. 66% of companies also have carbon neutral targets in place.
Last year, the Government set the world’s most ambitious climate change target to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. Globally, the construction sector is responsible for 30 to 40% of natural resource use and 30% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Paul Fenner, partner and head of construction at BDO LLP, said: “While many large companies have already embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures into their business, there is still a considerable way to go to ensure the entire sector is playing its part in meeting the UK’s ambitious climate change targets.
“With a raft of Government regulations aimed specifically at construction, such as requirements to have a carbon reduction plan in place for any public sector contract over £5 million, the direction of travel is clear.
“It’s promising to see that the wave of adoption and acknowledgement of ESG is gaining real momentum and viewed as one of the biggest areas of change when it comes to business performance in 2022. This is particularly clear in our latest Rethinking the Economy survey, which shows 60% of real estate and construction companies have declined to work with clients because of their ESG credentials.
“However, a number of smaller subcontractors simply don’t have the ability to meet the substantial costs that are associated with ESG and, as a result, this may have repercussions on future revenues. At present, many construction companies are still in survival mode and not thinking about the wider implications of ESG, but it’s vitally important that the industry does find ways and means to invest in an ESG strategy over the next three to five years to reduce carbon emissions and help save the planet.”
The Construction in 2022 and Beyond report also showed that optimism remains high in the sector, after a significant number of companies (47%) performed better than expected last year.
According to the survey, 91% of respondents feel positive about the prospects for construction in the UK – up from 87% last year. Three quarters of those surveyed also expected revenue to increase in 2022, with profitability (63%), order books (63%), headcount (61%) and capital expenditure (50%) also set to rise.
The latest official figures show that construction delivers £110 billion to the British economy and provides jobs for 10% of the country’s workforce. Overall, the construction sector output has grown by 1.1% at February 2022 when compared to February 2020, pre-pandemic levels, largely off the back of a 25% growth in Infrastructure.
Fenner said: “Construction is arguably one of the industries that has rebounded most quickly from the impact of the pandemic, with most subsectors now close to or at pre-pandemic levels of growth. This is in large part to long-term contracts spanning two to three years.
“While the outlook for construction looks bright, the sector must be mindful of the trading period that follows the end of these contracts and how this will impact on future revenue and profit. The key will be to focus on growing profitable contracts, rather than just increasing top-line revenue, while using innovation and technology wherever possible.”
The report has highlighted several long-standing concerns for the sector, such as the skills gap, supply chain resilience and ongoing materials price inflation. Three quarters of respondents stated that recruitment was the biggest challenge facing the UK construction sector in 2022, with gaps in knowledge and training, an aging workforce and the supply of overseas workers also posing a problem.
Fenner added: “Just when you thought it was safe to get back to the building site, uncertainty once again rears its head. After two years of seriously challenging conditions, the sector faces yet more trials in 2022 in the form of soaring energy prices, raw material prices, labour inflation and material shortages, adding to input costs and the evolving situation in Ukraine creating further unpredictability.
“As a result of material price inflation, low margin contracts in the industry – and the fact that Government COVID subsidies have now come to an end, resulting in tax deferrals and loans having to be repaid – there will be a real concern in the industry that a number of subcontractor may potentially fail. This, in turn, will cause issues and delays in completing contracts, which may have a spiralling effect.”
PR expert Mike Shields joins eComOne to shape digital PR offering
Lincoln-based eCommerce Growth Agency, eComOne has appointed Mike Shields to head up its Digital PR department.
Mike started his career in 2008 as a Journalist working on regional newspapers and B2B titles which then progressed to heading up PR departments in B2B, communications and international agencies.
His award-winning work has been featured across all major newspapers and hundreds of niche titles and he has helped launch several long-running business podcasts for clients.
CEO and Founder of eComOne, Richard Hill says, “Mike is a hugely respected PR professional in Lincolnshire who has already started making an impact on the calibre of our agency. His wealth of knowledge and impressive network has impressed our existing clients and we can’t wait to grow this department further by introducing retention marketing.”
“We have already won clients on the PR side of the business without massively advertising it. Our agency is going through a massive stage of repositioning and we can’t wait to shout more about our new and exciting offer!”
Mike Shields, Head of Digital PR says, “I’m really excited to be part of a team of SEO experts, the link between Digital PR and this part of marketing is intrinsic and I’m looking forward to bolstering our offering. eComOne has a wide variety of really engaging clients that I’m hoping to be able to make an impact with.”
Mike will be speaking at the Lincolnshire Business Expo, taking place on Tuesday 24th May at the Lincolnshire Showground. His presentation will be ‘Five Ways To Kickstart Your Digital PR Content’, Mike will also be joining the eComOne team on a panel discussion on wider digital marketing.
eComOne is currently going through a stage of growth, so keep an eye on the LinkedIn company profile for future job opportunities.
Apprentice training earns awards in Lincoln
The achievements of Lincolnshire apprentices, trainers and employers have been recognised at an awards ceremony in Lincoln, with winners across eight categories.
Highlights of the event included the presentation of the overall Apprentice Champion of the Year award to Molly Fitch from Louth. Nominated by First College, Molly completed a Customer Service apprenticeship through East Lindsey District Council, and overcame dyslexia and self-confidence issues to achieve a distinction in her final assessment.
Apprentice Champions were also awarded in sector categories, with the winners being:
- Health and care – Zara Lewis from Lincoln who undertook Level 3 Business Administrator with Lincolnshire Community Health Service.
- Education – Christopher Fitzpatrick from Frieston in Boston who undertook Level 3 Digital Marketing at Brooks and Kirk (Assessor Training) Ltd.
- Government and public services – Molly Fitch from Louth who undertook Level 2 Customer Service Practitioner with East Lindsey District Council.
- Visitor economy – Ben Spencer from Faldingworth who undertook Level 2 Animal Management at The Parrot Zoo Trust in Friskney.
- Construction, engineering and technology – Graeme Matthews from Lincoln who undertook Level 2 Engineering Operative at ProAmpac.
Northern Gritstone secures first close of £215 million ahead of making its first investments
A new investment company founded by the universities of Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester to help boost the commercialisation of university spinouts and start-ups in the north of England has announced a first close of £215 million.
Northern Gritstone, chaired by Lord Jim O’Neill and led by Chief Executive Duncan Johnson, is expected to begin deploying capital and making its first investments in innovative start-ups over the coming weeks.
Professor Dave Petley, vice-president for innovation at the University of Sheffield, said: “We are delighted that Northern Gritstone has received such strong endorsement from investors, who have recognised the immense potential in our universities’ world-leading research and innovation.
“This investment power will help to unlock solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges through the rapid scale-up of spin-out companies at the forefront of a range of sectors. This is a significant milestone for Northern Gritstone, and for economic growth and prosperity in the north of England.”
Northern Gritstone has attracted funding commitments from a broad and diverse base of investors encompassing local authority pension funds, high net worth individuals, institutional investors and real estate investors active in the tech and science ecosystem of the region.
These include Greater Manchester Pension Fund, West Yorkshire Pension Fund, M&G, Columbia Threadneedle, Lansdowne Partners, Bruntwood and Greater Manchester Combined Authority as well as Andrew Law, the CEO of Caxton Associates, and Keith Breslauer, Managing Director and founder of Patron Capital, both in a personal capacity.
With plans to raise £500m overall, having hit this initial fundraising milestone the company will continue to welcome further backers over the coming months. Now that the first close has been achieved, Northern Gritstone plans to begin making its initial investments into its proprietary pipeline of world class science and innovation based businesses located in the north of England.
Having launched in July 2021, Northern Gritstone was founded by the Universities of Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield to support the commercialisation of science and intellectual property-rich businesses originating from these three research-led institutions. Many of these opportunities are in the UK’s most exciting emerging sectors such as advanced materials, health technology, cognitive computation and AI.
Northern Gritstone was founded with the philosophy of ‘profit with purpose’, combining attractive returns for shareholders with wider positive, societal and economic impact, including supporting Levelling Up and high-skilled job creation in the north of England.
It announced the appointment of its first chief investment officer, Marion Bernard, in December and this month has added James Hadley to its leadership team as chief financial officer, who brings more than two decades’ experience working in the financial services sector, including most recently as CFO at a tech-focused venture capital investor.
In its fundraising Northern Gritstone was advised by Lazard Venture and Growth Banking led by Garri Jones. Its legal advisers are Macfarlanes and Pinsent Masons.
Northern Gritstone chairman Lord Jim O’Neill said: “The strong endorsement of Northern Gritstone we’ve seen from investors is testament to the huge scale of the opportunity in northern England’s world class science and innovation hubs and the spin outs they are producing. By investing in Northern Gritstone, asset managers are directly buying into the brightest prospects for Britain’s future economy.
“Today marks a significant milestone as Northern Gritstone continues to build its investor base allowing the company to deliver its philosophy of ‘profit with purpose’ which underpins all we seek to do.”
Northern Gritstone Chief Executive Duncan Johnson said: “There is rightly huge excitement about the innovative, science-led spin outs emerging from our leading research universities and the ecosystems they support, and this has been reflected in our conversations with investors so far. We are greatly encouraged by both the size of our first close, and also the range and quality of investors that the Northern Gritstone proposition has attracted.
“Whilst fundraising will continue, this first close and the backing that Northern Gritstone has received from investors so far, allows us to begin making our first investments shortly. It also importantly enables us, alongside our friends and colleagues in the wider northern venture ecosystem, to accelerate the development of a northern innovation hub to rival the UK’s Silicon Fen and ultimately Silicon Valley.”
Jane Madeley, the University of Leeds’ chief financial officer and a non-executive director on Northern Gritstone’s board, said: “This successful first close for Northern Gritstone speaks to the ground-breaking nature and world-class quality of research and innovation taking place at all three universities.
“It recognises the tremendous strength of our pipeline of spin-out enterprises. These cover a broad range of emerging technologies that will be critical in offering innovative solutions to global challenges.”
The University of Manchester deputy president and deputy vice chancellor, professor Luke Georghiou said: “Northern Gritstone will transform the investment landscape for our spin-out companies and for the North of England more generally. Our academic entrepreneurs, supported by the University’s Innovation Factory, have produced record numbers of spin-outs in the past two years.
“This huge potential can now be far more easily realised as the investments will enable them to scale-up businesses which are there to solve the world’s problems. These include new treatments for devastating medical conditions, transformative applications of data analytics to farming and exploiting the amazing properties of graphene across multiple applications to name just a few.”
New Hull city centre bakery, bar and restaurant receives £70,000 grant
A new bakery, bar and restaurant will open in Hull’s Old Town thanks to a £73,356 Levelling-Up Fund grant.
The council has published a decision record that confirms the grant to Hearth Family Ltd, who will open the unit at 10.5 King St, in Trinity Square.
The company already occupy the second floor of the unit, and this grant, along with exact private match funding, will be used to redevelop the ground and first floors.
The company have already received a Historic England grant of £22,574 that was privately matched with £5,644.
Ryan Telford, director of Hearth Family Ltd, said: “As a team we are so thankful to have been awarded this grant from the council.
“With it, we can make our dreams a reality by creating a beautiful restaurant and bakery ready to put our years of experience gained at Michelin starred restaurants to the test!
“We’re hoping to open our doors this summer where we cannot wait to welcome (and feed) the wonderful people of Hull.”
The grant has been awarded as part of the city centre regeneration projects which includes a number of grant schemes and funding projects.
Whitefriargate has benefitted from £1m from the Humber LEP’s Humber High Street Challenge Fund and secured £1.75m from Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) programme.
Funding can be used to restore heritage buildings, improve dilapidated buildings, convert buildings to sustainable use, create permanent jobs and bring unused floor space back into use.
Garry Taylor, assistant director for major projects, culture and place, said: “It is great to see another new business receiving funding to open in the heart of the Old Town. Hearth Family Ltd will be a great addition to this already vibrant area.”
It is hoped that the business will open later this summer.
7 in 10 business leaders are concerned about cyber attacks
In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the shift to hybrid working, the Institute of Directors has found that 72% of business leaders view cyber risk as a significant concern for their organisation, with 58% believing that the risk of a cyber attack on their organisation has increased.
In its poll of nearly 600 directors, the IoD also found that:
- 54% believe that every board member has enough expertise to understand the potential impact and value of cyber security in respect of their organisation
- 61% state that their organisation has appropriate controls and monitoring mechanisms in place which assure them that their cyber security measures are effective
- 46% state that their organisation ensures that cyber security is considered in every business decision
- 54% state that their organisation has an incident management plan in place for cyber attacks
- 46% state that their organisation is able to access cyber insurance cover
UK manufacturing grows at fastest pace for ten months, CBI’s new figures show
UK manufacturing output grew at its fastest pace in ten months over the quarter to May –but output still failed to keep pace with demand, according to the CBI.
However, as the volume of stocks of finished goods became less adequate compared with last month. The balance of firms expecting to raise selling prices in the three months ahead increased slightly, moving closer to March’s record high.
The survey, based on the responses of 249 manufacturers, found:
- Manufacturing output growth picked up in the three months to May (balance of +30 from +19% in the three months to April), with output increasing at the fastest rate since the three months to July 2021. Although output growth is expected to ease in the three months to July (+23%), the pace of expansion will remain comfortably above the long-term average (+9).
- Total new orders were above normal to a greater extent than last month (+26% from +14% in April), matching the record high seen in March. Export order books were above normal to the greatest extent since January 2018 (+19% from -9% in April).
- Stock adequacy for finished goods deteriorated in May (-15% from -3%). 26% of manufacturers this month said stocks were inadequate, with 11% saying that stocks were more than adequate and 54% saying they were adequate.
- Expected domestic price growth for the three months ahead picked up slightly in May (+75% from +71% in April), moving closer to March’s survey record high (+80%).
- Confidence showed a further decline in the quarter to May (-30%), while investment plans for buildings (-6%) and plant and machinery (-2%) remained weak.
Business Doncaster backs Kirk Sandall firm in securing development grants
Kirk Sandall-based Fastline Services has secured two business grants through the assistance of the Business Doncaster team, and expects to create new jobs as a result.
The Digital Innovation grant has assisted in helping the business to develop its online presence, representing them at a much higher standard than their previous website could. The funding has also helped to build an ecommerce section which when complete will increase revenue significantly.
Receiving the Productivity grant has enabled them to purchase additional plant and specialist equipment that in turn, has led to increased productivity and the recruitment of two additional employees to the installation team. It was the perfect boost to help the business expand after facing tough times during the pandemic, and as well as the funding, the business received help and advice to help keep them on the right path.
The business was launched in 2016 as a family team of two, servicing a number of sites for Amazon as a subcontractor. The company now provides direct services to some of the UK’s market leading logistic companies, including Amazon. it has also secured a framework agreement with supermarket chains, Lidl UK.
They now have seven employees and are actively recruiting for a number of other positions to help facilitate their continued growth.
MD Adam Fletcher said: “We hope our continued embryonic growth will see the business achieve a minimum 100% financial growth. We are looking to have doubled our workforce in this time and potentially increase the operational size of our warehouse and facilities.”
Fastline Services has also gone on to sell and distribute its own range of branded safety products and recently signed a reseller agreement with ASAFE, the market leading impact protection manufacturer.
