CEME Innovation Centre reports growth in manufacturing entrepreneurs

CEME Innovation Centre has unveiled annual results detailing the most successful year in its ten year history, with 45 small businesses located in the Centre during 2012.

The Dagenham centre - which provides provides high specification premises, development facilities and business support to high-growth companies engaged in or supporting the manufacturing and engineering sectors - has reported its busiest year since launching in 2003. A further 22 virtual tenants currently use the centre as a launch platform.

“This is an exciting time for the UK manufacturing sector, with an explosion of dynamic, innovative new companies entering the space to breathe new life into the industry. The ingenuity, purpose and expertise displayed by some of the startups we support has been breathtaking, and, the prognosis for British industry is extremely encouraging,” said Ross Clark of Oxford Innovation (London), the company that manages the CEME Innovation Centre.

Of the small businesses supported by the centre during 2012, seven recorded significant growth - increasing their space within the Centre as employment and sales escalated - with a further three moving to independent premises within neighbouring Havering Borough following the completion of their incubation cycle. Six vocational and industrial training businesses are also located within the facility, with a further 22 early stage businesses having virtual tenancies.

Highlights from 2012 included the Electricity Alliance taking up space for an energy related project, while Albatrans, Protecta and ESI, amongst others, all enjoyed sales and employment growth. Innovative startup Squease - enjoyed flexible access to CEME’s range of rapid prototyping equipment – also saw its prototype device for autism sufferers go on sale for the first time.

Squease engineer and co-founder Andy Brand commented: ‘’We have just launched our first product - a therapeutic garment for people with sensory difficulties- which was given a real boost by the services at CEME Innovation Centre. We have been very fortunate to benefit from management training sessions, meeting other start-up enterprises and having access to workshop facilities at the centre, as well as receiving advice on raising capital and daily support from the team. Without hesitation, I recommend CEME Innovation Centre to entrepreneurs looking for a place from which to grow their business."

The CEME Innovation Centre also expanded its network of expert partners, which provides tenants with specialist business support, and help developing new joint initiatives. The network now includes a leading IP legal company, several investors, branding agents, accountants, HR professionals, PR consultants and a group of sales & marketing specialists, together with a number of Universities and the High Speed Sustainable Manufacturing Institute..

Supplementing this support network, the Centre introduced a new events programme designed to equip early stage enterprises supporting and enabling manufacturing and engineering sectors with the knowledge required to develop their businesses.

Joseph Nnodim of Incyyte, a digital startup focusing on the social media space, said: ‘’ We are very impressed and extremely grateful for the proactive level of interest and support that the Innovation Centre has provided. Being able to access expertise on funding, sales & marketing and networking has been of tremendous value to us.’’

Suresh Kumar, Avenir’s CEO, comments: ‘‘Since our move to CEME, we’ve become more professional in what we’re doing and our clients have commented really positively about our new premises. The CEME team are helpful and always make big efforts to offer business support as well as create opportunities like networking, seminars and referrals. All these factors have made a significant impact on our business. Today, our presence is raised from two countries to six countries and our plan is to break into the European and American markets within the next two years.‘’