Technology

Posted on May 10, 2018 by staff

UK Steel Enterprise hits 7,000 business milestone

Technology

An award-winning high-tech micro engineering company continuing to grow its global presence is the 7000th business to secure an investment from UK Steel Enterprise.

A £100,000 second investment will enable Micropore Technologies, based in Redcar’s Wilton Centre, to ‘complete the jigsaw’ of taking its unique membrane emulsification process through from laboratory to full-scale manufacture with the launch of two new systems.

In 2016 a £270,000 investment package that included £110,000 from UK Steel Enterprise supported the company at a vital time as it scaled up its leading-edge technology and expanded its portfolio of blue-chip clients.

Micropore Technologies recently won the 2018 NEPIC Award for Innovation.

Its unique process uses a sieve-type membrane to engineer droplets and particles to a uniform size and it now has a presence in the USA, India and South Korea.

Companies in sectors that include agro-chemicals, food, pharmaceuticals, research and aerospace looking to innovate and manufacture high-quality, cost-effective products using fewer additives with reduced raw material costs and wastage are turning to Micropore in growing numbers.

CEO Dai Hayward said: “We have now launched twin systems that are capable of continuous manufacture of high-quality emulsions in industrial quantities and this is a real breakthrough as traditional homogenisers cannot touch the performance of our products.

“This is the final piece of the jigsaw to take the process from the initial laboratory stage to full-scale manufacture.

“The first investment from UK Steel Enterprise came at a vital time for the company and this second tranche will help us move ahead strongly in our existing sectors and open up new ones,” he added.

UK Steel Enterprise, the Tata Steel business-support subsidiary, has now supported 7000 UK businesses in its steel areas, including Tees Valley, with £94m of investment, creating 77,500 jobs.

UKSE also provides office and workshop space for 2,500 businesses and has given £10m to support community groups and projects.

Simon Hamilton, managing director, said: “It is good to see a high-tech specialist company that is leading the way in its field become the 7000th business we have helped.

“UKSE now has more than 40 years of experience in supporting growing businesses to help create jobs and boost the economies of our steel areas.

“It is also good to see companies like Micropore returning to us for a second investment as the company grows.”

Micropore Technologies had its beginnings as a spin-out from Loughborough University’s chemical engineering group but re-located to Teesside for the strength of the formulation knowledge base and supply chain, available skills, calibre of investors and quality of premises. It now has a growing team of seven.

“We are growing strongly in the USA through our sales office there,” said Hayward.

“A recent visit to India has resulted in a contract for a pharma application as well as valuable new contacts with return visits to the UK being planned.

“We are continuing to exploit the considerable potential of our existing UK market as well as expanding into new markets and recently made our first sale in South Korea.”