Lincoln selected to showcase net zero robotic farming at COP26
With an estimated 37% of the world’s greenhouse gasses being produced by the agri-food industry, the UK Government has selected the University of Lincoln, UK, to share with COP26 its cutting-edge robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technology which is influencing the future of sustainable food production.
The UN Climate Change Conference COP26 takes place in Glasgow from 31 October 2021, aiming to bring together nations in accelerating action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology (LIAT), a specialist research institute of the University of Lincoln, will be exhibiting at the public-facing ‘Green Zone’ exhibition alongside numerous industry leaders at the forefront of climate science.
Lincoln’s researchers will be exhibiting ‘Robofruit’, one of many state-of-the-art agri-tech projects, which uses AI and novel picking technology to harvest ripe fruit. This research has long-term environmental benefits including reduced food waste by better utilising crops It will also help to address labour shortages in the UK, driving the route to larger scaled use of robotics and AI in agriculture.
The University of Lincoln has one of Europe’s largest academic research centres for agri-robotics. Research carried out by LIAT aims to drive industry sustainability by addressing labour shortages, the need for global food production and to reduce the environmental impact of the farming sector.
LIAT and partners are also responsible for Robot Highways, one of the world’s largest robotic farm demonstration projects which delivers a vision for the future of farming. Robots assist farmers by carrying out essential, energy intensive physical farm processes such as picking and packing fruit and treating crops to reduce critical pests and diseases – all powered by renewable energy.
The COP26 exhibition will showcase various field activities – including agri-forestry, robotic harvesting and crop care as well as packaging, digitalization and the employment of artificial intelligence.
Dr Amir Ghalamzan-Esfahani, Associate Professor in Robotics at the University of Lincoln, who will be showcasing Robofruit, said: “We are demonstrating to the world how robotics and automation are shaping the future of UK and international farming and food production.
“The University of Lincoln is at the forefront of the UK’s agri-tech and agri-food developments, with our research and teaching supporting innovation and developing workforce skills alongside partners across our food and farming sectors. Together, we aim for a net zero emissions across the industry.”
Professor Simon Pearson, Director of the University’s Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology, said: “The Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology is supporting and enhancing the future of food and agriculture productivity, efficiency, and sustainability through research, education, and technology.
“We are honoured to be selected as one of the few UK universities to be selected by Government to showcase at COP26.”
The University of Lincoln will be exhibiting at COP26 between 1 and 12 November. Whilst one of the University’s robots will be at COP26, a wider pool of technologies and speakers will be present at the FPC Futures Conference on 4th November at the Lincolnshire Show Ground, where members of the public can see technologies up close and speak to researchers.
University staff and students will also be showing support by hosting a week of activities to encourage people on campus and across the wider community to learn more about climate action. More information can be found at www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/abouttheuniversity/sustainability/climateweek/
Recovery grant helps IT business serve more customers
A forced office move and reduced revenues due to the global pandemic meant Ashby de la Zouch-based business IT support provider UKBITS, faced an uncertain future last year. However, with the benefits to the environment caused by the lockdown coming into focus, the business developed an idea to not only do their bit for the planet but also develop another source of income.
Microbusiness UKBITS was founded in 2006 by Simon Kilmister and Pete Rowell. Technician Tom Brecknell and Sales Coordinator, Helen Sutton make up the team of four. The IT company focuses on all aspects of business IT support, from desktops and laptops through to servers, cloud-based solutions and anything in between. The small team prides itself on offering a personalised service with no long-term contracts, supporting sole traders, charities and larger businesses across the East Midlands as well as international businesses with localised outlets.
Since its inception, the business has had a close relationship with the Business Gateway Growth Hub, and values the advice and guidance offered.
Helen commented: “Two of us were furloughed last year and although we retained our clients, many of them reduced their spend with us. Revenue was falling and although we looked into government Covid grants, we were ineligible for all of them as we didn’t pay business rates.”
“It was during a regular catch up with Business Adviser, Aruna Bhagwan we found out about the Leicestershire Recovery Grant and our ideas began to formulate around a recycling project.”
‘Ashby IT Recycle’ was created after the team successfully received a £3,000 grant. It works on a repair, resell or recycle principle. When clients upgrade equipment, they often want to get rid of their old items. Ashby IT Recycle take these off their hands and repair them for resale or, after wiping them of any private data, break them down into components for recycling. This service along with IT advice is open to individuals as well as businesses, opening them up to a wider audience.
The small grant has been used to set up a new recycling area in their warehouse with the purchase of a computer, label printer, camera and racking for storage. The project has gone down well, and the business will continue to offer this service going forward with the potential to create a new role in the future. Over the last 6 months Ashby IT Recycle has helped 105 new local customers and is establishing itself as the “go to” for securely recycling used IT equipment.
Helen has also attended several Business Gateway and Digital Growth Programme webinars, both face to face and online, following advice from Aruna on which of these would be the most beneficial.
She added: “It’s useful to keep learning and I’m a big fan of networking. The sessions keep you engaged, they are easy to watch and I always leave with something useful.”
Now that Covid restrictions have eased, UKBITS is finding that most customers are reverting to their original monthly agreements and support hours. However, Helen says they continue to advertise and are running new sales campaigns.
“Aruna gives us the confidence to drive forward. She has contact with other businesses and her feedback helps you realise that you’re actually doing well.”
“Catching up with her regularly helps you focus. As a small business, we wear lots of different hats. It is easy to get away from my core role of sales, but I want the business to succeed and Aruna reminds me about what needs to be done to help us grow. We all need that from time to time!”
Aruna commented: “I’ve enjoyed supporting Helen and the team. We’ve worked together to formulate new marketing campaigns and bounced ideas off each other. She is always willing to try new suggestions and it’s lovely to hear they have felt so supported, particularly during such a difficult period.”
“I’m also pleased she has got so much out of the webinars, particularly the sales and social media sessions. It’s not always easy to identify what’s right for you especially when there are so many events out there, so I was happy to provide some guidance where I can.”
Budget benefits for Leicestershire’s small businesses
The Chancellor’s budget, which was announced on Wednesday, contains some good news for small and medium businesses in Leicestershire. The Business Gateway is keen to ensure that local businesses are aware of the positive changes that affect them and has produced a list of the main points that are relevant to SMEs and Microbusinesses.
There is good news for businesses keen to go green and investment that will create green jobs in the region. Leicestershire retail, leisure and hospitality sector received a 50% business rates cut to help it continue to recover after lockdown. Pubs also receive a boost with a duty reduction for draught beers.
Leicester’s theatres, museums and galleries get a welcome extension to tax relief which will also double for a period of time. For young people seeking employment and local companies looking to expand, apprenticeship funding has been increased along with the national minimum wage. The logistics and haulage sector which has been under strain recently also gets some relief in the form of investment in driver facilities and a tax freeze.
Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, Chairman of Morningside Pharmaceuticals, said: “It’s a landmark budget from the Chancellor today, covering a number of very important parts of the economy, where extra investment and rate reliefs will stimulate growth now and well into the future.
“The Chancellor’s £7 billion tax cuts in Business Rate Relief for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sectors – the largest in 30 years – will go a long way to supporting areas of the economy which have been most significantly damaged by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns. As Chairman of Leicestershire’s Innovation Board, I was particularly pleased to see that there was also an important focus on nurturing innovation.”
Investment expert, Lawrie Chandler of Edale, who is delivering the Business Gateway’s Access to Finance webinar programme, added: “Small businesses should also be pleased to see an extension to the Recovery Loan Scheme. It was due to close in December but has been extended to June 2022, so businesses have more time to take advantage of this source of low-cost loans to help them grow.”
Lawrie is leading a Business Gateway webinar on this topic on 4 November. Interested businesses can book their place here: https://bit.ly/3FJRI8F
Budget headlines that benefit Leicestershire’s small and medium businesses include:
– making business rates fairer and timelier, reviewing them every three years
– an investment relief to encourage businesses to invest in greener technologies.
– a new 50% business rates discount for the retail, leisure and hospitality sector, up to £110,000.
– cutting the main duty rate on alcohol from 15 to 6%
– a 5% reduction in the rate of duty on drinks from draught barrels of over 40 litres
– extending tax relief for museums and galleries to March 2024.
– Doubling tax relief for theatres, orchestras, museums and galleries
– Increasing apprenticeship funding to £2.7bn in 2024/25.
– £30bn to create new green industries of the future
– Planned rise in fuel duty scrapped.
– Investment relief to encourage businesses to adopt green technologies such as solar panels.
– Funding to develop more green transport options, including zero emissions vehicles.
– new funding to improve lorry park facilities, the suspension of the HGV levy will be extended for a further year until 2023 and vehicle excise duty will be frozen for HGVs
– £6.1bn to boost the number of zero-emission vehicles, develop greener planes and ships, and encourage more trips by bus, bicycle and foot.
– £620m of new funding for public charge points and targeted zero emission vehicle grants
– The National Living Wage will increase by 6.6% to £9.50 per hour.
Midlands contractor is set to double turnover after building on successful foundations
A construction group with bases in Stoke on Trent and Derby has positioned itself for growth, with its turnover set to double by 2024, thanks to support from Lloyds Bank.
Caxton Builders Midlands Ltd formed in 2010 to create brickwork subcontracting packages for blue chip construction companies across the UK. Thanks to significant growth over the last 10 years, the group now encompasses four businesses that specialise in different areas of the construction market.
In August 2020, Caxton Group purchased Stofix UK – a ventilated brick façade system – resulting in it becoming the UK and Ireland’s sole distributor of the product. The firm works with architects and external building contractors to create and design cladding panels for both commercial and residential developers. The panels are then manufactured off-site, making it easier to install, while reducing the on-site build time needed compared to conventional brickwork.
In March 2020, the majority of Caxton Group’s clients had to temporarily pause operations due to the Covid-19 pandemic. To ensure trading continued and that all 42 members of staff would receive full pay, the firm secured a £950,000 Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILs) via Lloyds Bank. Thanks to the support, Caxton Group was able to recommence operations quickly once restrictions allowed and begin onboarding new projects and clients.
To facilitate this growth and to support cashflow while waiting for invoices to be paid, the firm secured a commercial finance facility from Lloyds Bank. A further £500,000 funding package was also received, enabling the business to take on additional clients.
Now, Caxton Group expects to increase its turnover to £15m during 2021, up from £13.5m in 2020. It has also secured work until 2024, and expects turnover to double during this time, reaching £24 million. To support these growth plans, the firm plans to hire 20 new employees.
John Webber, Group Chairman at Caxton Group, said: “We’re quite early on in our new partnership with Stofix but we’re already seeing outstanding results. Our customers know that the service we offer is of high quality, and thanks to the loyal base of clients we’ve built up across all of the businesses, we’re in a great position to grow even more over the coming years.
“Thanks to the support from Lloyds Bank, we managed to have financial stability during what was a hugely challenging time. This meant we knew we could look after our staff, and clients, while gearing up for what is turning out to be a very successful year.
“We look forward to expanding more over the next few years and welcoming both new employees, and clients, to the business.”
Phil Poyser, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank, said: “Companies from all sectors, especially those that had to halt trading during the height of lockdown, have had significant hurdles to overcome. To see firms like Caxton Group not only survive but also thrive while supporting new jobs is just fantastic.
“We’ll continue to be by the side of business across the UK as they position themselves for a successful future and capitalise on growth opportunities for years to come.”
Bray & Bray bolsters dispute resolution team with key appointment
East Midlands law firm Bray & Bray has bolstered its growing dispute resolution team with the appointment of Richard Woodward as an Associate Solicitor.
Richard Woodward joins the firm from Midlands law firm Flint Bishop where he trained as a solicitor, and will work in the dispute resolution team that is headed up by commercial and civil litigation specialist Lorna Trueman.
A registered member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS), Lorna Trueman joined Bray & Bray as Head of Dispute Resolution in 2020 from a leading regional law firm where she headed up the eight-strong dispute resolution team.
In her role at Bray & Bray, Lorna, who is also a Partner at the firm, provides advice on a range of litigation matters, with significant experience in advising all types of businesses, including PLCs , SMEs, sole traders and partnerships. A significant part of her practice also includes complex and high value contentious probate disputes. The appointment of Richard will help accelerate the dispute resolution team’s ambitious growth plans, as Lorna explains:
“Richard’s skills and experience make him the perfect fit for Bray & Bray, and will further enhance our ability to provide an outstanding level of service to clients.
“As demand for the very best quality of advice in dispute resolution continues to rise due to the current economic climate and related challenges for businesses, there is a great deal of potential for growth across both our client base and our team. As a team, we look forward to playing a part in the firm’s continued growth and success.”
Tim Gladdle, Senior Partner and Head of Corporate & Commercial Law at Bray & Bray, said: “Lorna and Richard’s appointments represent significant additions to the firm. Their proven specialist skills and expertise will help strengthen our high level of client service and are a clear indicator of our focused strategy for sustainable growth and continued excellence.
“As Head of Dispute Resolution, Lorna has extensive experience in complex and high value commercial litigation, the backbone of which is providing her excellent advice and guidance to commercial businesses in disputes relating to contract, land, civil fraud, professional negligence and landlord and tenant issues. She is also highly skilled in dealing with contentious probate claims, having built a strong and established practice in this area.”
“Disputes occur in both business and personal matters and it is important that our clients have the very best legal experts onside to ensure a swift and favourable resolution.” Tim adds. “The appointment of both Lorna and Richard provides Bray & Bray with the opportunity to further enhance and develop our portfolio of legal expertise throughout the firm.”
A Budget or more a spending spree as opposed spending review
James Pinchbeck, Partner at Streets Chartered Accountants, offers his assessment of the Autumn Budget.
“Listening to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget live, who would have thought that over the last 18 months we have experienced one of the biggest economic shocks and seen unprecedented levels of financial intervention from a government to support our economy and public welfare. It would be interesting to know if anyone has or was able to tot up the sums of money, billions and millions, pledged and earmarked in terms of public spending over the next few years.
It certainly seemed to be a Budget based on our economic and social prosperity being driven by investment in both the public and private sector. Whilst few predicted that this would be a Budget of tax hikes, it was not unreasonable to think it might have included some, or some inkling of future changes. It looks like balancing the books is dependent on business innovation and investment, along with public sector and consumer spending giving rise to tax revenues from direct and indirect taxes. With Government borrowing at a level not seen since the end of the Second World War, there is surely a risk of a bumpy ride ahead if growth targets are not achieved and levelling up doesn’t really lead to levelling up.
The current rise in inflation is being, in part, attributed to increased and renewed global demand, particularly for goods following lockdown. This has led to supply chain issues along with increased energy costs linked to increased manufacturing and supply to meet such demand. It is given this background coupled with low interest rates that inflation will settle down and so too will supply chain issues. However, perhaps workforce shortages will still be a real concern. The OBR forecast that the UK economy will return to pre-pandemic levels by the turn of the year.
Looking at the plethora of public sector spending announcements, few would disagree with much needed spending being allocated to our health service, education and infra structure projects, especially those that lead to a real levelling up. Those in the public sector will welcome the lift on the freeze for public sector pay increases.
More specific announcements, for businesses in particular, included the reduction in Business Rates for those in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors including a 1-year discount of 50%, more frequent revaluations – every three years from 2023; and relief for adopting solar panels and a 12-month rate holiday on property improvements.
For those businesses looking to make capital investments, the £1m Annual Investment Allowance will be extended to March 2023, instead of ending in December.
The arts, museums, entertainment and culture sector will no doubt applaud the announcement that the covid support and recovery Creative Tax Reliefs will not only be doubled but that they will now remain in place until April 2023.
Whilst considering relief those involved in innovation, including research and development, will be delighted to hear about the enhanced reliefs available for R &D, along with increased funding available to support such activity through Innovate UK. For those undertaking research involving cloud computing and data, they will be pleased to hear that such costs are now eligible for tax relief.
Whilst the increase to the National Minimum Wage, for those aged over 23, from £8.91 to £9.50 an hour was announced before the Budget, few were perhaps aware of the pending changes to alcohol duty which focused going forward on these being ‘simpler, fairer and heathier’ – a key winner certainly seems to be English sparking wines and draft pulled beers/lagers all benefit from lower duties.
Moving on to fuel duty, but not advocating a drive to the pub, the good news as we face unprecedent prices at the pump, was that fuel duty will again be frozen.
It would be easy to think perhaps there was little in this Budget, in some ways it would be difficult not to agree. Perhaps the test will be around the impact and effectiveness of what seems to be an unprecedented public sector spending spree. In the Chancellor’s own words, it certainly seems like ‘an age of optimism’.
For further in-depth commentary of the Autumn Budget & Spending Review 2021 you can still register for our virtual presentation at 12noon till 1pm on Thursday 28th October. All those registering and unable to join us live will receive a link to the presentation recording and a digital copy of our Budget Summary.”
https://www.streetsweb.co.uk/about/events/autumn-budget-2021-spending-review/
Don’t sell carbon easily or cheaply, warns CAAV
Sequestered carbon is too important for farmers to sell it easily or cheaply, warns the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV).
With all the talk about carbon, the rise in carbon trading schemes has accelerated at pace as pressure mounts on all businesses to reduce their carbon footprint, and as farmers look to capitalise on their assets before losing Basic Payment. However, sequestered carbon is too important for farmers to sell it hastily as it’s likely it will matter more to keep it for their own businesses, explains Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the CAAV.
“Not only is the value of the carbon stored in farmers’ soils and woodland likely to increase in coming years, signing up to selling it might unwittingly tie them into restrictive agreements,” he warns.
“More importantly, net zero isn’t just a target for corporate organisations to achieve through offsetting. Farmers will also need to find and use their own sequestered carbon to offset their own emissions. Selling carbon early will make that harder for the farmer,” he says.
“Very basically, the simple business of being a farmer is about managing carbon, and if you are in a position where you can’t touch the carbon you have sold, this will limit your ability to farm.”
Farmers also need to consider what penalties might be included in an agreement if they are unable to meet the carbon sequestering goal, explains Mr Moody. “If you commit to plant trees or ensure a percentage of carbon in your soils in a legal agreement, and then the land is compromised by events such as fire, disease or flooding, what fines could you be subject to and what is your liability?”
Farmers also need to consider how long they would be tied in for and the impact this could have on things like developing and selling the land.
“Instead, it could be safer to enter into agreements where farmers are paid to manage land in a carbon friendly manner like improving their soils, rather than just selling the carbon,” he advises.
Even if farmers are considering their options to manage or plant woodland to sequester carbon, there are things to be wary of. “At farm level, the price is not great,” says Mr Moody. “One hectare of oak woodland could have gained £2,000 worth of carbon after 80 years with one of the main woodland carbon schemes. There just isn’t a great deal of value to sell.”
And any area of woodland farmers think they can sell the carbon from will be smaller than they anticipate, as part of it will have to be kept back as a buffer for contingency and risk management while vulnerable to failure, disease and fire.
Farmers might also unknowingly get tied into conservation designations, meaning they can’t fell trees when or if they need to. In particular, woodland under schemes will have to be replanted, even if it could be felled.
Plus, woodland won’t be properly offsetting carbon unless it’s there for 100 years, says Mr Moody. “If it’s felled before then, much of the carbon held in the tree will be lost.
“However, it’s important that carbon is stored in one way or another on farm – helping the farm to be net zero – and it might be that it’s better through soils.
“Selling soil carbon could help farmers in the short term, but fetter them in the medium and long term,” says Mr Moody. “The value isn’t as great as people assume and the constraints could be crippling. All that glitters is not gold.”
Local search firm reveals hidden property risks across the Midlands
Local property search firm, X-Press Legal Services Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire is revealing the risks that you should look out for when buying a property in the region.
Before a buyer commits to buying a property by exchanging contracts, they need to know as much as possible about it- especially anything that may affect its future value or their enjoyment of it.
Property searches are enquiries made on a buyer’s behalf by a solicitor or conveyancer to various authorities that hold information about a property, the land it sits on or factors that may directly (or indirectly) effect it.
X-Press Legal Services provides these expert property search reports to the local conveyancing sector. Producing hundreds of thousands of property search reports each year, coupled with its experts on the ground, X-Press has an in-depth knowledge of the potential risks that are particular to the Midlands and the Peak District.
Ben Wheeler, owner of X-Press Legal Services Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire comments: “Along with the common property search risks such as flooding, contamination and planning- each region of the UK has its own particular search risk given the geology and industrial history of the area.
“Over our many years of providing search reports, we have a pretty good idea of the risks our region is most likely to reveal. Our team then supports local conveyancers to deliver a complete picture of not only the property, but the area surrounding it.”
Risk factors specific to the area is mining and radon.
Ben comments: “The history of lead mining in Derbyshire dates back to the 1200s, but may have even been productive in Roman Britain- especially at Odin Mine near Castleton, the region’s oldest lead mine. There are thousands of shafts across the limestone landscape of the county, and these can cause risks with modern developments- heightening the risk of subsidence and issues with ground stability and contamination, as lead is poisonous.
“Another common risk search throughout the region is Radon – it is something which is checked for in every property search across the UK, but the Derbyshire Dales has been designated as a radon affected area. This means properties across the area have more than a 1% chance of having a level of radon, higher than the action level set by the government.
“Although a dangerous risk if not detected, once detected, it is easy to remedy, and the solutions should last for many years. Methods to solve the problem can vary, from adding or replacing ventilation bricks on outside walls, to installing a pump that blows air into the property, or adding radon-protective membranes to an extension or new development.”
In the UK last year, over £400 million was wasted on failed property transactions in England and Wales. For the consumer, this could mean one in three people losing a significant amount of money in failed attempts to buy or sell their home, and for some- this could put an end to their residential sale or purchase for good.
Ben adds: “It is important to remember that you may have found the perfect property, but that the location can have hidden risks. We have an in-depth understanding of the risks present in our region associated with property transactions, and we put that knowledge to good use with our conveyancing clients- protecting consumers buying or selling a property.”
Beckhoff brings next-generation building automation to DMC
The Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC) has partnered with Beckhoff Automation Limited to bring completely automated building control to the DMC’s state-of-the-art engineering and production facility at Silverstone Park. Intended to optimise factory and office conditions as well as monitor and minimise energy consumption, Beckhoff is working with the DMC team to digitalise and automate many of the building’s key systems.
Often, important building systems like lighting, shading, ventilation, heating and cooling are designed separately, with little to no consideration of their interaction. Not only can this have a negative impact on a building’s energy efficiency, but it can also be detrimental to the building’s intended function. At the DMC, Beckhoff’s focus is on maintaining optimum conditions on the production floor and ideal working conditions within the office and meeting spaces.
Collecting high-frequency data from all available streams – including a variety of sensors throughout the facility as well as the additive manufacturing and finishing equipment itself – Beckhoff’s PC-based control platform will manage building systems in real-time. Referred to as holistic building control, Beckhoff’s solution capitalises on all available information to simultaneously maintain production quality and consistency while ensuring staff can work comfortably by regulating temperature, humidity, light and air circulation.
Beckhoff’s real-time building management will significantly reduce the DMC’s energy costs, using only what is required and precisely when needed. With fast and granular energy monitoring capabilities the system is also able to observe energy quality at the machine level, monitoring power quality while reporting any anomalies or potential issues.
The flexibility of the Beckhoff IPC platform allows integration of real-time machine data to ensure production quality and can be obtained by non-invasive means via cross-platform cloud communications from any number of sources – something that is scheduled for 2022. Beckhoff’s distributed control system will also enable continuous self-diagnostic features, collecting operational and lifetime data to provide the DMC team with valuable insight and inform predictive maintenance.
Lighting requirements will be determined via motion sensors and lux meters, with the platform automatically balancing natural and artificial light. Dimmable LED lighting in combination with deployable window shades will ensure that all areas of the building have uniform and comfortable light, with minimal glare on workstations and surfaces.
Not only are the shades used to regulate light, but also building temperature. Linked to the other building systems, deployment of the shades is dictated by a sun position algorithm that also takes into consideration shadowing from surrounding structures at different times of the year. Even within the same room, Beckhoff’s platform can adjust heating, cooling, ventilation, shading and lighting requirements to establish consistency throughout.
To provide DMC staff and visitors with real-time visual information of all systems linked to the Beckhoff platform, a large overview screen will be located in the DMC’s foyer. This highlights system activity and conditions and well as machine productivity. This critical information is also accessible via a panel on the factory floor as well as on staff smartphones, for effective remote monitoring.
Bradley McEwan, Business Development Manager at Beckhoff Automation, commented: “The DMC will be a showcase for Beckhoff’s industry-leading building automation systems. As one of the most advanced additive manufacturing facilities in the world, environmental control of the factory floor is essential to reaching and maintaining extremely high part quality. At the same time, those working in the facility’s office spaces need to be comfortable, so, we are able to monitor and manage these separately – even in different areas of the same room.
“Our platform takes advantage of data from across the facility, interpreting this enormous volume and automatically adjusting key building systems like lighting, shading, ventilation, cooling and heating for the optimal environment. We look forward to our continued work with the DMC team, refining one of the UK’s most advanced AM engineering and production facilities.”
Kieron Salter, Chief Executive Officer at the DMC, added: “The DMC is all about embracing frontier technologies, connectivity and digitalisation. It follows that the building itself be a part of this ambition. When it comes to additive manufacturing, controlling the environment in which parts are made is critical to maintaining an exceptionally high quality standard. Beckhoff’s automated platform will ensure that the building can rapidly adjust conditions in the production room in real-time – a hugely beneficial factor in part consistency.
“The system will also ensure that our team remains comfortable and productive regardless of season, weather or lighting while simultaneously minimising our energy consumption. It will be a fantastic and instrumental addition to the DMC and we look forward to continuing our work with the Beckhoff team.”
Headquartered in Silverstone Park, the DMC will realise the disruptive potential of additive and connected manufacturing. Providing serial production parts and technology solutions, the DMC was created by leading engineering company KW Special Projects and made possible through significant investment from the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP).
Award-winning wealth manager adds to senior team
Nottingham-based wealth manager Fiscal Engineers has further strengthened its acknowledged expertise in financial transition by recruiting a new member to its senior team.
David Jones has joined the multi-award-winning company as Senior Financial Planner, bringing more than 20 years of investment industry experience and insight to his new role.
As well as advising individual clients and devising bespoke strategies, he will have oversight of all financial planning at the firm and sit on the business’s Investment and Risk Committee.
He said: “I’ve been aware of Fiscal Engineers’ reputation for a long time. The company is extremely well known for the quality of its advice and how well it looks after clients.
“But what has amazed me is that the reality even exceeds the reputation. The collective focus on achieving the best possible outcomes for clients is truly exceptional.
“The overall sense of a ‘Fiscal family’ is also unique. It’s obvious that everyone here shares an extraordinary passion for going beyond expectations and seeing clients flourish.”
Jones, a Chartered Financial Planner and a member of the Personal Finance Society, has held a number of investment and advice-related roles during the past two decades.
He has worked for boutique firms such as Chesterton House and industry giants such as Standard Life. He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment.
Fiscal Engineers founder and Executive Chairman Shane Mullins said: “The depth of our financial planning is essential to how we help clients navigate milestone periods of transition.
“Our job is to provide the expertise, structure and discipline that these landmark events demand. David brings all the skills needed to do that and makes our offering even stronger.”
Established in 2000, Fiscal Engineers has earned dozens of awards for financial planning, wealth management, financial advice and innovation during the past decade alone.
The company, which also has offices in Birmingham and London, provides bespoke services for business owners, entrepreneurs and other individuals with substantial investment needs.
