Manufacturer grows turnover 15 per cent through Aston partnership

A Midlands automotive supplier has increased its turnover by 15 per cent without taking on extra staff or buying new machinery, after working with Aston University on a project to connect its factory.

Metal Assemblies worked with Aston Business School through a two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership, part-funded by Innovate UK and worth around 200,000 pounds.

Machines that talk to each other

The project created a system in which the company's machines communicate with each other and with staff on the shop floor in real time. That means problems can be spotted quickly, work can be scheduled more efficiently and less time is lost.

The result was a 15 per cent rise in turnover with no extra staff, no new machinery and no increase in operating costs. The partnership was rated outstanding, and the graduate who worked on it, known as the associate, has been taken on permanently.

How Knowledge Transfer Partnerships work

A Knowledge Transfer Partnership links a business with a university. A graduate is employed to work inside the company on a specific project, supported by academic experts. The Government, through Innovate UK, pays part of the cost, with the business paying the rest.

Other success stories

Aston has run similar partnerships with other firms, including Aurrigo, a Coventry company working on autonomous transport, and PFE Medical in Stoke, which developed Khamsin, an automated system for cleaning endoscopes. Aston said PFE Medical's project produced results "1,000 times the anticipated level".

Recognition

John Richards, Aston's director of knowledge exchange, has been named on Make UK's list of 130 people shaping the future of British manufacturing.

Why it matters

Productivity, how much is produced for each hour worked, has been weak in the UK for more than a decade. Projects that help existing factories get more from the equipment and people they already have are seen as one of the most practical ways to improve it, especially for smaller firms that cannot afford large investments.