New trade association launched to support electech sector

A new trade association working in partnership with Lancaster University has been created to support the elctech sector in the Morecambe Bay and South Lakes area.

Electech encompasses the electronics, electrical hardware and embedded software that enables the existence of technology, ranging in size from mobile phone chips to power stations.

The sector supports work in the health, energy supply, security, mobility and sustainability industries and is estimated by the government to be contribute more than £100bn per year to the UK economy.

The new partnership aims to take advantage of this, harnessing the bay area’s existing skills, infrastructure and supply chain to make it a centre of excellence where together they can connect, innovate, compete and thrive together to maximise potential.

In addition to the university, the cluster is backed by RTC North, North West Business Leaders Team, UK Electronics Skills Foundation and Innovate UK. It is founded with the support of Forsberg, Like Technologies, LiNa Energy, Marl, OTAQ and Rinicom. It is also working closely with Tech Lancaster on skills and training provision. Annual membership is open to any local Electech business irrespective of size and can increase visibility and value to customers.

Natasha McCrone, chair of the Electech Innovation Cluster, said: "We are proud to launch the Electech Innovation Cluster, investing in the future of the area’s top-quality academic and industrial skills base and cutting-edge facilities.

"We are uniquely placed to bridge the gap between industry, government, education and research and development. Our aim is to overcome barriers such as the under-representation of local SMEs in the technology industry and the challenges of changing markets. We offer our members opportunity, collective resilience, partnership building and a supportive environment to scale up their businesses."

Coun Tim Hamilton-Cox, Cabinet Member with responsibility for sustainable economic prosperity, at Lancaster City Council, said: "It is great to see our local industry and academia come together to provide an empowering collective voice for SMEs in the technology sector.

"The Electech Innovation Cluster will bring a wealth of opportunities and benefits to existing local businesses and organisations through innovation, representation and support. This will really put our area on the map in terms of supporting the UK's transition to a low-carbon economy and attracting investment."