< PreviousINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS20Business Link www.blmforum.netThe fight for high speed broadband inthe county has been long and hard.Campaigns have been well-documented, but there have beenmassive leaps in recent years andamong the many claims, at least for thelikes of Lincolnshire’s LEP, are promisesto push for respectable speeds for allrural broadband customers. Being ableto do business from the less populatedand remote places in the county will notonly spur businesses to take uppremises in our wonderful countryside,but will also boost businessessurrounding them thanks to anincreased supply chain.North Yorkshire faces similarproblems, with more spread outpopulations than the built up west andsouth regions of the county, broadbandin this location up until recently hasbeen unreliable. Superfast NorthYorkshire is also doing its best tocombat this. As well as improvingspeeds, they are also increasingawareness for businesses to make useof being online that they may not haveconsidered.Face to face support, trainingworkshops and even financial rewardsor grants are on offer for those whotake up their offer, so it really pays to atleast show interest or look into whatbeing online can offer businesses.Delicious connectionsIn a bid to show how wellLincolnshire is performing withbroadband speeds, onlincolnshirerecently staged a cookalong which wasconducted via an internet connection-fed Skype call.Trainee students from BostonCollege’s Hospitality and CateringDepartment were given a privatecookery lesson by head chefs fromhead chefs Mark Cheseldine fromReform at The Castle Hotel and PhilHenson from The Electric Bar andRestaurant at DoubleTree by HiltonLincoln via a Skype video call. The chefs were based in one ofLincoln College’s kitchens and used thetwo-way live stream to help thestudents cook a restaurant standardtwo-course meal, offering advice. The Lincolnshire County Council-runbroadband project arranged the cook-along to help demonstrate thepossibilities superfast broadband offers. Councillor Colin Davie, ExecutiveMember for Economic Development atLincolnshire County Council, says,“Good connectivity offers a multitude ofpossibilities, and pupils are alreadyusing it for homework. This kind ofinteractive set-up could be the nextphase in offering students the chance toget hands-on experience and guidancefrom top industry professionals withoutneeding either party to travel anddisrupt their day. “It’s a great example of how we canuse the Internet to enrich lives andlearning across the county.”You can see pictures and whathappened via the twitter hashtag#cookdigital. Fast andlooseConnecting to the internet in our region can sometimes befraught with problems. Attempt to access a website anywhereother than a major city or its outskirts and you’ll be able tomake a cup of tea before it loads. That is, until now.20-23:Layout 1 27/9/13 11:52 Page 1Business Link 21www.blmforum.netINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONSTruly wireless?Hull-based telecoms company Connexinis actually aiming to deliver superfastbroadband to the masses after completinga new WiFi network across the city. The superfast network covers almostevery home and business in the city withplans to extend the service further afield inthe coming months. The companybelieves the carrier-grade network willincrease competition for superfastbroadband in the city, which can only be apositive. After all if companies work bothtogether and against each other, itencourages the potential for innovationwithin this rapidly-growing sector.The system uses a network of mastspositioned on high-rise buildings andprivate land rather than traditionallandlines and cables to deliver broadbandinto homes and businesses.Connexin Managing Director FurqanAlamgir says, “We want to deliver high-speed broadband to the masses and makeaccess to the internet much easier andfaster. Our network will increase thecompetition for superfast broadbandservices in Hull, where KC traditionallydominate the market for telecoms. “I think it will be really good for the local22 Just to show howeffective a solidconnection can meanto businesses,onlincolnshire recentlyheld a cook off viaSkype. Hull broadband companyConnexin have installedan innovative networkhooked up via high risebuildings around the city. 20-23:Layout 1 27/9/13 11:52 Page 2EUROPEAN UNIONInvesting in Your FutureEuropean RegionalDevelopment Fund 2007-13•Intensive face to face supportfrom specialist business advisers; •Training workshops and skills masterclassesdelivered by expert trainers; •Business development eventsto provide opportunities for businesses acrossNorth Yorkshire; •A financial incentive schemeworth up to £700 for eligible businesses. FREEBUSINESS SUPPORT FOR ELIGIBLEBUSINESSESACROSS NORTH YORKSHIRE AND YORK – BROUGHT TOYOU BY SUPERFAST NORTH YORKSHIREContact us now to get involved Call: 0845 002 0021 Visit: www.sfny.co.uk Email: enquiries@sfny.co.ukINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS22Business Link www.blmforum.neteconomy. We hope it will help attractnew businesses to the area.” Last year, the company signed anexclusive agreement with Hull CityCouncil to install wireless access pointson top of high-rise buildings across thecity. The completed network has beenbuilt to “carrier-grade” standards so itcan support both domestic andbusiness users who want superfastdownload and upload speeds.Customers have no need for a landlineand installation can take less than anhour once the engineer is on site.The potential that such projects bringto businesses are manifold. The abilityto communicate more freely and openlyand the amount of material able to bedownloaded, shared and collaboratedon will really help set up those whoharbour ambitions of being a truly ruralbusiness yet still resolutely modern.As more and more news of thisburgeoning sector rolls in, we’ll ofcourse be sharing it with you too viawww.blmforum.net and on Twitter@blmforum. onlincolnshire also demonstratetechnology and what it can dofor businesses such as this 3Dtelevision that requires noglasses to be worn.The ability to communicate more freely and openly andthe amount of material able to be downloaded, sharedand collaborated on will really help set up those whoharbour ambitions of being a truly rural business yet stillresolutely modern.20-23:Layout 1 27/9/13 11:52 Page 3Business Link 23www.blmforum.netINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONSAs a business, investing in cutting-edge technology can often come at ahigh financial cost. To help, theLincolnshire County Council-runonlincolnshire project is helping peopleaccess the latest digital equipmentthrough its Lincolnshire TechnologyHubs, being set up across the county.The first was launched in Mablethorpeat the end of May, and a further four aredue to be launched in Boston, Louth,Lincoln and Horncastle in the comingmonths. Equipment will vary at eachsite, but you can expect items such asmotion sensor kits, 3D printers and 3Dscanners, iPads, GoPro video camerasand mobile phones with4G connectivity.Councillor Colin Davie,Executive Member for EconomicDevelopment at Lincolnshire CountyCouncil, says, “The Technology Hubsrepresent an exciting development forthe onlincolnshire project. They offerlocal businesses the opportunity tosample and experiment with a range ofdigital equipment free of charge,network with other businesses, andtest-drive equipment before making abig financial commitment. We’re hopingthat businesses will embrace theservices available and use what we’reoffering to develop and grow.”The hubs are part-financed by theEuropean Regional Development Fund.All of the equipment can be borrowedand used for free by eligible businesses,with just a small charge to coverinsurance costs and materials used. Keep up to date with news about thehubs, and find out more about whatthey offer by visitingwww.onlincolnshire.org, following@onlincolnshire on Twitter or joiningthe onlincolnshire page on Facebook. LincolnshireTechnology Hubshighlight newsolutionsEUROPEAN UNIONInvesting in Your FutureEuropean RegionalDevelopment Fund 2007 - 13www.onlincolnshire.orgThis project is part funconed by the East Midlands European RegionalDevelopment Fund Programme 2007 to 2013 and is managed byLincolnshire County Council (LCC). The Department for Communiesand Local Government is the managing authority for the EuropeanRegional Development Fund Programme.Join the onlincolnshire team at the latest Lincolnshire Technology Hub launch!Wednesday 30th October, drop in between 10am – 4pmEnterprise Zone, Boston CollegeAt the hub you can:• use a laser cutter and a 3D printer • learn more about cutting-edge technology and how it can help you• access workshops and connect with other businessesTwitter: @onlincolnshire / #BostonHub Facebook: www.facebook.com/onlincolnshireEmail enterprise@boston.ac.uk or call 01205 365701 to find out moremaking the broadbandconnection20-23:Layout 1 27/9/13 11:52 Page 4Exerting energy in the estuaryThe Humber ports are undergoing exciting times andto meet the new demands from customers, AssociatedBritish Ports have undergone a reorganisation of itsHumber ports to bring its operational and commercialteams under one umbrella, covering Hull, Goole,Grimsby and Immingham. The new organisation will beled by John Fitzgerald, currently ABP Port DirectorGrimsby & Immingham.Before he takes up his new role, we met John at theport offices in Grimsby to discuss the present andfuture...The major news at the moment is undoubtedly theopening of Grimsby’s new River Terminal. How big is thatfor the region?It’s a £26 million investment – the largest in the Port ofGrimsby since it was opened in 1852. It’s very significant and,from my point of view, is a real milestone for the Port ofGrimsby. It comes at a very interesting time, too, becauseGrimsby and Immingham have always been managed jointly,but certainly in my time here, all the focus and majorinvestment has been on Immingham. That’s understandable –it’s the busiest port in the country and you drive the growth byinvesting.But what we’ve done with the River Terminal, plus all theactivity related to offshore wind, is fantastic. We’re doing lots atImmingham as well, but to be able to talk very positively aboutGrimsby, and the transformation that’s taking place, is verysatisfying.What do the new facilities offer?Well, we started our automotive business when the firstVolkswagen ship arrived in 1975, and since then the lock hassatisfied the demands of that European car trade. But inevitablyPORTS24Business Link www.blmforum.netships are getting bigger and wider, and our competitors haveriverside facilities. We needed to future-proof the port becauseall the new car ships being built wouldn’t fit in Grimsby. Wewere already finding that business that should naturally cometo Grimsby was going elsewhere because the ships couldn’tfit.In the few weeks we’ve been open, we’ve already welcomedmuch larger ships carrying double the volume of cars, so in avery short time, we’ve justified the investment. Last year,Suzuki came to Grimsby for the first time and I’ve no doubtthat decision was made because of the new terminal and theflexibility it will provide them. So it’s been satisfying in termsof growing business with our existing customers andintroducing new customers.We’re also pleased a lot of the new terminal was built in theUK. I’m really satisfied that something as fundamental as thepontoon came from Graham Construction.How do you emphasise the value of the region’s ports asa whole?The costs of distribution in the UK are disproportionatelyhigher than the costs of moving items across the water – seafreight is cheaper than road freight, so if all things were equal,you would bring your ships in close to where your market was.The ports have been the lifeblood of ourregion’s success for generations – but it’s asector that requires continuous investmentand innovation to ensure they remainsuitable for their clients’ changing needs.The rise and rise of renewable energy hasshone a strong spotlight on the ports againso over the next few pages we examine theircurrent state – starting by speaking to one ofthe region’s major figures.Welcomingthe worldJohn Fitzgeraldwith RobinWoolcock, formerManaging Directorof VolkswagenGroup UK, on theGrimsby RiverTerminal24-31:Layout 1 27/9/13 12:01 Page 1www.blmforum.netPORTSThat’s easy if all ports are the same, but of course they’re not.So you look at somewhere like Grimsby and Volkswagen,who are soon to become the largest car manufacturer in theworld. They have to serve the whole of the UK from Scotlandto Cornwall, and to do that they use three ports on the EastCoast. Grimsby is by far their largest because it’s in the centreof the UK, but of course if you can’t take your ships in, youhave to go elsewhere. So these developments are driven byour customers, but also by our own estimation of the marketas a whole.Immingham is playing a major role in renewableenergy...The IRTF is the first biomass terminal to support thegradual transformation from burning coal to burning biomassto generate electricity. We’re involved in what will be thelargest terminal in the UK with our friends at Drax, so we’respending well over £75 million on that terminal. That will beopen in October and it’ll have new storage facilities, a new railterminal and an upgrade of the rail infrastructure. That’svitally important as Immingham is such a vital component ofthe UK rail freight sector – at the moment about 30% of theUK’s rail freight begins or ends at Immingham, and as weprovide more opportunities, we need to enhance the facilities.The MV Ems Highway discharges the firstcars onto the Grimsby River Terminal. PHOTO BY DAVID LEE PHOTOGRAPHYIn terms of renewables, there’s obviously a lot of focus onoffshore wind and there are some exciting developments onthe North Bank. Here on the South Bank we’re already in thebusiness with the numerous offshore wind operations andmaintenance bases we’ve set up at Grimsby, and you onlyhave to look at the companies involved – Centrica, E-On,DONG. They’re major players and they’ve come here first.Business Link 25CARLBOMSHIPPING LTDThe ships agent forthe HumberDOCK OFFICE, IMMIMNGHAM,N E LINCOLNSHIRE, DN40 2NUTel: +44(0) 1469 571387Fax: +44(0) 1469 571023Email: agency@carlbom.co.ukWWW.CARLBOM.CO.UK24-31:Layout 1 27/9/13 12:01 Page 2PORTS26Business Link www.blmforum.netWith the UK’s largest developmentsites adjacent to deep water ports, theregion can offer Original EquipmentManufacturers and their supply chainsthe opportunity to co-locate to makecost reductions on a major scale.Grimsby is already established as anoperations and maintenance base andservicing Rounds 1 and 2 offshore windfarms through Centrica, RES andSiemens. Of course, the ports alsobenefit from being part of the UK’slargest Enterprise Zone, offering fasttrack planning and tax breaks, as wellas being named a Core Centre ofRenewable Engineering in theGovernment’s National InfrastructurePlan.The benefits for the region as a wholefrom exceptional port facilities can’t beoverestimated. The recent LondonSetting sailfor successAs John Fitzgerald points out, ourregion is well-placed to benefitfrom its ports, but it depends oncontinual investment andinnovation. That’s certainly thecase, and if the Green Port Hulldevelopment finally goes ahead –and we’re hearing whispers thata decision may be imminent,maybe even by the time you readthis – it will highlight our regionas one of the most impressivecollections of ports andportcentric logistics facilitiesanywhere in the world.Setting sailfor successInternational Shipping Week served as acelebration of the port sector as awhole and many distinguished guestsfrom our region were invited to ABP’scelebrations, including Alan JohnsonMP, whose constituency has the port asa major employer.At ABP’s event, Chief ExecutiveJames Cooper announced the findingsof the group’s recent economic impactstudy, showing that in 2012 ABPcontributed £5.6 billion to the UKeconomy and supported 84,000 jobs.The study, undertaken by Arup, alsodemonstrates that ABP’s currentplanned investment of £450 millionpromises an extra £1.6 billion for theeconomy in the years ahead. That’s inaddition, of course, to the numerousother developments at other ports inthe region.24-31:Layout 1 27/9/13 12:01 Page 3Business Link 27www.blmforum.netPORTSbusiness as well as the port.“We feel that the Port of Immingham,and the Humber, is currently goingthrough an innovative phase and to bepart of that is exciting and on that basiswe believe we are in the right place atthe right time.”The region is hoping to attract furthermajor companies, with the newHumberPort branding, which bringstogether numerous local port-basedbusinesses, being seen for the first timeas part of a recent trade mission to thePort of Rotterdam. With feedercontainer traffic to the UK representing11% of Rotterdam’s trade, the missionaimed to build commercial and portrelationships to divert more of thistraffic from the UK’s southern ports.29 Hull company SWS Towage areenjoying success in NorthernIreland, opening a new operationat Belfast Harbour in response todemand from port userswas therefore an easy decision to makeand within weeks the company saw adramatic improvement in services.The Immingham Container Terminalat Immingham, where both linerservices operate from has undergoneseveral upgrades over the last fewyears, and Tschudi are particularlyimpressed with the flexibility of workinghours and turnaround times forcontainers it offers. As Tschudi pointsout, “Since coming to the port ofImmingham we have seen manychanges and developments year onyear. Apart from the Dry Bulks andContainer terminal, it is the introductionof the green energy and renewablesector which has brought anotherdimension to the port, which manylocal businesses welcome as they hopeto see the benefits and growth in theirJohn Fitzgerald emphasises theimportance of the ports not just beingin the right location, but having the rightfacilities, and companies that havemade a success of working from theports can vouch for that. One of themore recent arrivals is TschudiShipping Company, who have beentrading for over a century but only inthe last few years have they begun tohave a presence in the UK. Tschudi chose Immingham as themain port for their Norway containerservice back in 2007 and in 2009 theyalso moved their Baltic containerservice from Felixstowe to Immingham.This came about after they noted howwell the Norway service wasperforming and the ease of the porthandling. Moving the Baltic servicefrom a deep sea port to a short sea portPHOTO: ABP/DAVID LEE PHOTOGRAPHYIt’s not just companies in the Humber that are benefitting fromthe high quality port facilities. Sheffield City Region, for example,are promoting their closeness to the ports as a major draw fortheir own logistics sector24-31:Layout 1 27/9/13 12:01 Page 4PORTS28Business Link www.blmforum.netWe currently provideconsiderable service tobusinesses in the transport sectorOperating regionally between Yorkshire, Lincolnshireand the Humber Bank. We provide first class staffand quality LGV1/LGV2 drivers to work flexible shiftson a day to day basis with over 150 on our books.We also offer specialist drivers who have variedexperience in all fields of transport operation. Ourrecruited drivers are qualified for the operation ofADR,Tilt, Container, Tautliner, Fridge, Bulk Tipperand many more requirements.Quayside House, Estate Rd 2, Grimsby, DN31 2TGTel: 01472 352356www.towerstaffsolutions.co.ukPHOTO: SUTTERSTOCK.COM/MONKEYBUSINESSIMAGESDelivering Quality on me, every me!Humber Ports Logiscs Ltd (H.P.L), Lancaster Approach, North Killingholme, Immingham, North Lincolnshire, DN40 3JZTelephone - +44 (0)1469 541387Fax - +44 (0)1469 541210Email - info@humberportslogiscs.com www.humberportslogiscs.comHumber Ports Logiscs offers a service with over 35 yearsexperience in transport & shipping. Based in the heart of theHumber, geographically suited to serve all five major ports on theHumber bank.Offering a wide range of knowledge and experience. Ranging fromcargo handling, vessel operaons, warehousing and distribuon toGeneral and Domesc Haulage, providing a full logiscs soluon.24-31:Layout 1 27/9/13 12:01 Page 5IMMINGHAM - ROTTERDAM - HELSINKI - TALLINN - KLAIPEDA - DRAMMEN - ESBJERG - IMMINGHAMWEEKLY SERVICE:NORTH SEA / BALTIC SEABusiness Link 29www.blmforum.netPORTSPaul McGrath of PD Ports Humber has reported growth incontainers from Rotterdam at 5% year on year, and says, “Thetrade mission enabled new commercial relationships to beforged and we believe that a joint approach to winning newbusiness brings faster results.”HumberPort is now working with the council and otherpartners to look at a similar visit to Bruges later this year,attending TransRussia in April 2014, which is the world’sbiggest logistics exhibition and to host a showcase ofinternational activity in the Humber late next year.It’s not just companies in the Humber that are benefittingfrom the high quality port facilities. Sheffield City Region, forexample, are promoting their closeness to the ports as a majordraw for their own logistics sector. The Sheffield City RegionLEP has launched a Logistics Sector Group to act as an ‘officialadvisor’ to the LEP and portcentric logistics are beingpromoted alongside the likes of the SHIFT freight terminal andRobin Hood Airport.In addition, many other companies can benefit from the30 Viking Odessa, operatedby K Line, recentlyarrived from Germanyand discharged 1437Volkswagen Group UKvehicles at the newGrimsby river terminal.The Viking Odessa is thelargest ship ever to sailinto the Port of Grimsby.The study, undertaken by Arup, alsodemonstrates that ABP’s current plannedinvestment of £450 million promises an extra£1.6 billion for the economy in the years ahead.24-31:Layout 1 27/9/13 12:01 Page 6Next >