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Welsh engineering has the ability to revolutionise the economy and provide young people with the skills to succeed in a modern world, the Secretary of State for Wales will say today as he meets representatives from Miskin-based engineering company Renishaw (Thursday 25 October).

The global company, which has 80 offices in 36 countries, specialises in precision measurement and healthcare, supplying products and services used in applications as diverse as jet engine and wind turbine manufacture, through to dentistry and brain surgery.

The Miskin site employs over 400 staff, including apprentices studying towards STEM qualifications. Mr Cairns will tour the facility, which specialises in precision manufacturing and metal 3D printing, as well as Renishaw’s Healthcare Centre of Excellence, which includes the production of dental structures and implants for facial reconstruction.

The Welsh Secretary will also hear first-hand how Renishaw is preparing young people for a career in engineering when he meets Stephen Pickles, Process Development Technician and Apprentice of the Year for Wales at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru in 2017.

The visit comes during the UK Government’s Year of Engineering campaign, celebrating the world and wonder of engineering with the aim of boosting engineering in every part of the UK, ensuring everyone has the skills needed to thrive in a modern economy.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

Building on Wales’ strengths, the UK Government wants to work closely with businesses and industry to support and grow our engineering capabilities and ensure we have the skills in place to secure a strong, resilient economy that is fit for the future.

That is why we’re investing in the skills, industries and infrastructure of the future via the Industrial Strategy. This will build on the foundations of productivity, including encouraging innovation, securing good jobs, driving major upgrades in the UK’s infrastructure and attracting investment by making the UK the best place to start and grow a business.

All of this has the capacity to create prosperous communities in every part of the country, and companies like Renishaw are helping us achieve that ambition, training hundreds of people in south Wales to realise their potential and make a valuable contribution to our economy.

William Lee, Chief Executive of Renishaw said:

Renishaw has invested over £45 million in our facility near Cardiff since 2011 as part of a long-term commitment to developing our presence in Wales.

The Secretary of State will see how this investment is benefitting people across South Wales, including an extensive education outreach programme centred on a dedicated facility at the site for primary and secondary schools. This is all part of ensuring that young people have the necessary skills to help develop our business over the coming years, allowing us to sustain the company’s growth for the future.

Find out more about the UK Government’s Year of Engineering campaign and sign up to be a partner

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has today (25 October) launched a £60,000 fund to develop and test pollinator habitat mapping – identifying where new habitats will provide the greatest benefit for bees and other pollinators.

This will help to boost the number of pollinator-friendly landscapes and protect the health of our bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies, moths and hoverflies, as set out in the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan.

These species are critical to our countryside and the food industry through the work they do to pollinate plants and crops.

The project will involve partnering with organisations such as Natural England, Buglife, The Wildlife Trusts and other bodies working on habitat mapping and the conservation of pollinators.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said:

Bees and other pollinators are vital contributors to the beauty of our landscapes, our economy and our £100 billion food industry.

Today’s announcement to fund pollinator mapping shows our clear commitment to help these wonderful creatures to thrive by creating wildflower rich areas around our towns and countryside.

Ben Bradley MP has run a brilliant campaign to better protect our pollinators and to leave our environment in a better state for future generations. He deserves all our thanks.

The government is also announcing today investment in two projects to create pollinator-friendly landscapes:

• The Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s “West Country Buzz” project in North Devon which seeks to grow a partnership of land managers, farmers and NGOs to improve and connect habitats for bees.
• The Martin Down farmer “Super Cluster” in Hampshire, led by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, farmers and landowners. This will provide training and advice to enable three farmer clusters to protect and enhance wildlife, including pollinators.

The value of the UK’s 1,500 species of pollinators to crops is estimated to be £400 – 680 million per year due to improved productivity. Past losses of flower-rich habitats are known to have driven a loss of diversity in our pollinators, which is why this funding is vital to help protect their future.

Ben Bradley MP, who has been campaigning on pollinator habitat mapping, said:

I am pleased that the government is taking action to support pollinators and that they have incorporated ideas from my Pollinator Bill within their plans. Providing funding for pollinator mapping and supporting the creation of wildflower rich habitat will help protect our bees and other insects including butterflies and moths.

This announcement is great news for our environment, and it shows the Secretary of State’s commitment to protecting our pollinators and the Government’s commitment to a greener future.

Craig Macadam, Conservation Director at Buglife, said:

Buglife welcomes the funding promised by the Environment Secretary as a great first step towards securing the future of our precious pollinators.

Once mapping is completed more resource will clearly be needed to deliver the on-the-ground change that is needed. Coupled with the ban on neonicotinoids this is real affirmative action in the battle to arrest the decline of bees and other pollinators and preserve the buzz of life.

Joan Edwards, Director of Public Affairs at The Wildlife Trusts, says:

The investment in spatial planning to support our pollinators is a welcome start in the essential exercise of mapping the nature we have – and the nature we need. We need to see this approach scaled-up across the country and for all of our wildlife to give our natural world a chance to recover and to make sure that everyone benefits from a thriving environment.

In April 2018, the government voted in favour of further restrictions on the use of three neonicotinoids due to their harmful effects on bees and other pollinators. The measures will come into force at the end of the year.

The National Pollinator Strategy is a 10 year plan which sets out how government, beekeepers, conservation groups, farmers and researchers can work together to improve the status of the pollinating insects in England.

The government has also committed to bringing forward the first Environment Bill in over 20 years, set to be introduced in 2019.

UK and Dutch ministers today announced new commercial agreements and economic cooperation with between the UK and the Netherlands at the UK Netherlands Innovation Showcase event.

A set of new deals and agreements between UK and Dutch companies alongside the Showcase – being held as part of the Dutch State Visit – will see closer collaboration in the FinTech, clean growth and digital sectors.

These include:

• EEW OSB announce the sale of 35 sets of transition pieces for wind turbines to Borssele 1 + 2, a Dutch wind farm project. This multi-million pound contract with Ørsted safeguards 180 jobs in Teesside, and represents EEW OSB’s first export order.
• Dutch company Royal Boskalis and UK-based Tekmar Energy have announced a framework agreement to support the global offshore wind market, covering new product development and innovation. Tekmar expect to create 50 highly-skilled UK jobs across the sector in the long term.
• Royal IHC, a Dutch supplier of innovative and efficient equipment, ships and services for the offshore, dredging and marine mining markets, will open its new offshore base in Newcastle at the end of October.
• AkzoNobel will open 30 new Dulux Decorator Centres in the UK, creating and protecting over 100 jobs and bringing the total to 218 Dulux Decorator Centres, with the ambition of further growth.
• UK-based money transfer company Azimo and UK FinTech firms Currency Cloud and Vitesse are investing £5 million to scale up operations in Amsterdam and Rotterdam as a part of their expansion plans into the European market, creating jobs back in the UK.
• UK-based DAZN, the world’s largest sports broadcaster by volume, has announced the opening of its new development centre in Amsterdam, helping the business to grow globally. The British creative tech success story is on track to hire almost 1,000 employees in the UK this year, and have announced a further 200 for 2019.
• Dutch company Tony’s Chocolonely has announced plans to launch in the UK in January 2019, creating 20 jobs at a new UK office. The company has the objective of improving conditions for all across the cocoa industry.
• ING have announced the refurbishment of their Innovation Lab in Moorgate. This comes after their £5 million investment in UK Fintech company Funding Options

Moving to a greener, cleaner economy as well as reaping the benefits of global digital transformation have been identified as some of the biggest economic opportunities of our time.

That is why the Government has put Clean Growth and promoting the digital economy at the heart of its modern Industrial Strategy and just days ago hosted our first ever Green GB Week to raise awareness of the need and opportunity of tackling climate change.

‘Green collar’ jobs have the potential to reach two million by 2030 and there are already 1.5 million jobs in the digital industries today and this is growing at twice the rate of the economy as a whole. The clean growth sector alone could generate up to £170 billion in annual exports for UK businesses.
The visit is an opportunity to demonstrate that, although our relationship might be changing in the context of our exit from the EU, our cooperation on trade and innovation remains indispensable.
The British Royal Earl and Countess of Wessex, the City of London Lord Mayor and Mayoress and the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Stef Blok will attend the Showcase hosted by the Department for International Trade.

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox said:

The Dutch State Visit is an opportunity to celebrate the UK and the Netherlands’ more than 400-year long trading heritage. As the UK forges an independent trade policy for the first time in more than four decades, my international economic department is working with the Dutch – our North Sea Partners – towards a bright trading future too.

The Innovation Showcase will demonstrate the huge opportunities for our economies – two of the world’s most innovative – to collaborate even further, creating jobs and prosperity for generations to come.

Business Secretary, Greg Clark said:

The UK has become a beacon for clean growth, leading the world in cutting emissions whilst growing the economy and creating almost 400,000 jobs across the UK.

Our Industrial Strategy identified clean growth as one of the greatest industrial opportunities for the UK. Tekmar Energy and EEW OSB are reaping the benefits, providing parts for offshore windfarms off our coasts and around the world.

Minister for Investment, Graham Stuart said:

It’s a privilege to host the UK-Netherlands Innovation Showcase – providing an exciting glimpse into the vibrant trading future our two innovative economies can offer in years to come.

We are working with our colleagues in the Netherlands to give businesses the help they need to make that future a reality, providing jobs and prosperity on both sides of the North Sea.

Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Europe, Andrew Mitchell said:

The UK and Netherlands enjoy a rich history of trade spanning four centuries, but our two innovative economies are embracing the technologies that will ensure we share a bright trading future too.

As HMTC for Europe, I’m looking forward to seeing for myself the breadth of new opportunities we have together at the Innovation Showcase, and ways in which UK companies can assist.

CEO of Azimo, Michael Kent said:

The Department for International Trade has played a critical role in giving UK FinTechs the support they need to thrive in the UK and to create the strong foundations necessary to scale globally.

This includes making it easier for companies like us to set up in places like the Netherlands – they’ve created the blueprint for building a strong FinTech ecosystem that other nations follow.

Matthew Wright, Ørsted UK Managing Director, said:

This multi-million pound order secures 180 jobs in Teesside and high utilisation in the facility for the first half of 2019. By building long-term relationships with highly productive suppliers such as EEW OSB, MHI Vestas Blades UK, and Ordtek, UK companies from across the value chain can not only benefit from UK projects, they can really take advantage of the growing global export opportunity.

Chief Executive of DAZN Group, Simon Denyer said:

The global sports industry is ripe for disruption and DAZN is leading the charge. We’re a fast-growth British tech export, and our software developers are creating a market-leading product in the UK, Poland and now the Netherlands – where we have opened a new development centre that will power our global expansion plans and create hundreds of tech jobs.

We’re scaling up fast and on track to hire almost 1,000 employees in the UK this year alone. The support we’ve received from the Department for International Trade to strengthen ties between the digital creative communities in London and Amsterdam has been invaluable.

The UK is home to the world’s largest offshore wind sector, with almost half of global offshore wind capacity installed here in the UK. This year we have produced record levels of wind power and opened the world’s largest windfarm off the coast of Cumbria.

To help grow the clean growth sector, the government is creating the right conditions to ensure businesses can seize those opportunities through our modern Industrial Strategy. Our world-leading Clean Growth Strategy sets out how we’re investing more than £2.5 billion in low carbon innovation as part of the largest increase in public spending on science, research and innovation in over 3 decades.

The government has also earmarked more than half a billion pounds for emerging renewable technologies to give them the certainty developers need to invest while driving down costs for consumers.

The Netherlands are the UK’s third-largest trading partner and fourth-largest export market, in the last year Heineken – one of the UK’s largest investors – announced a further investment of £44 million, creating more than 1,000 new UK jobs.

Fellow Dutch company NewCold – who operate within the frozen food supply chain – have also invested £100m in a new distribution centre in Wakefield, adding a further 70 jobs in the next two years to the current team of 200.

Notes for Editors

UK-Netherlands trade

• The total UK-Netherlands trading relationship was valued £85.8 billion in 2017 – a 14.4% year-on-year increase.
• Latest UK export figures from the ONS recorded a high value of £637 billion, while the UK is Europe’s number one destination for foreign direct investment.

Other UK and Dutch agreements include:

• The UK’s Jacopa Ltd have established an agreement with the Netherlands’ Machinefabriek Bosker en Zonen BV (Bosker) to sell the latter’s internationally renowned water and wastewater automatic screen equipment into UK environmental and water utility markets. Bosker, in return, will offer Jacopa’s grit removal and sewage treatment equipment in Dutch markets.