The BMF is encouraging the marine industry to improve productivity and competitiveness by using business advice and support services and applying best practice in manufacturing.

Waddams joined the BMF in April and is working with national and regional government agencies and service providers to promote the industry as a potential client, and with the industry and individual companies to raise their awareness of the support available.

Those that have used this support have obtained significant financial benefits from improvements in productivity and business competitiveness.

Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in the nine English regions sponsor the general business advice and support services available from local Business Link offices and similar services are available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Advice includes finance, planning, eligibility for grants in assisted areas and how to apply for R&D tax credits.

Training and international business development support are, respectively, also managed regionally through the Learning and Skills Councils and UK Trade and Investment.

The marine industry faces similar challenges to UK manufacturing industry as a whole, including a growing global market, increasing overseas competition, skills and labour, regulations, and customers able to buy from elsewhere if not satisfied.

Products offered must therefore be innovative, using the best design, technology, materials and processes available to achieve the function, quality and price necessary to be competitive. Encouraging improved manufacturing competitiveness in the marine industry is a BMF priority and the government funded Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) is an important source of advice.

The MAS in each region is delivered by organisations such as the Engineering Employers Federation and PERA, the international technology-based consulting and training group, and staffed by manufacturing and engineering specialists who give initial free advice to manufacturing businesses, followed, if required, by more structured programmes at modest rates to meet specific business needs.

Significant gains BMF members using the MAS have made significant gains in productivity and business performance, as case studies published by the MAS show, with particular emphasis on "lean" manufacturing and supply chain development.

Successful marine networks have developed to help focus support and encourage collaboration, such as Marine South West and Marine South East sponsored by their respective RDAs, South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) and South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).

More locally there are marine clusters in Cowes, Cornwall, Chichester and other coastal areas.

However, concentrations of marine activity in other regions of the UK have not yet been specifically identified as networks or clusters and the BMF through its regional associations and the RDAs is working to address this.

The combined east and West Midlands regions are obvious candidates for a "central" marine cluster, given the strategic significance of marine manufacturing for this area. As well as two of the larger UK motorboat builders, the midland regions include several key supply chain companies serving the whole UK and many overseas and superyacht customers.

Similarly the eastern region with its Broads hire boat industry, several large boatbuilders and some key marine industry supply chain companies is an obvious potential cluster.

Support for innovation is provided by the DTI Technology Programme and includes the Knowledge Transfer Networks (KTNs). The National Composites Network (NCN) is the first KTN and has marine industry and BMF participation to encourage the marine industry to exploit the latest developments in advanced composite materials and processes, including using the free advice and extensive NCN technical facilities.

This is increasingly important if the UK industry is to meet the inevitable future demand for lighter, stronger and cheaper composites and reduced styrene emissions from the moulding process.

For more information, e-mail:

awaddams@britishmarine.co.uk