A community of technology companies based around Morecambe Bay now employs 940 people, records revenue worth £161m and has a membership of 34 and rising.
In the four years since it was founded the Electech Innovation Cluster has become a powerhouse for collaborative creativity within cutting edge technology.
Speaking at the organisation’s inaugural AGM held at The Storey Institute in Lancaster the scale of development was spelled out to a packed audience from across Cumbria and Lancashire.
“When we set the cluster up we deliberately looked to break boundaries of local government and others because there was not enough representation for these kinds of businesses,” Chris Mayne, Telepan Forsberg MD and cluster board member, told delegates at the event.
“The number of employees within the cluster has grown by 11% from 849 in 2020 to 940 in 2024.”
He gave an example from his own company how attracting skilled technicians was a challenge in the past yet now attracting high calibre candidates had become easier.
Even senior staff were drawn to the area which, he said, now competes with the likes of Birmingham and Glasgow for tech jobs.
Recruiting from a growing pool of local talent is important too he told delegates.
“We’ve been able to hire seven graduates directly from university which cuts recruitment fees and also there is a ‘stickiness’ with people who have been exposed to what we do,” Chris said.
Collaborations with Lancaster University and the University of Cumbria were also highlighted.
Thirty two research projects emerged from a tech catalyst programme run with Lancaster University while there’s interest in future links with the University of Cumbria’s new Barrow campus where 35 students have already signed up for engineering courses.
Links with Kendal College and Lancaster and Morecambe College, where T-levels in engineering are being offered, are already strong.
Maintaining momentum is the challenge now facing the cluster and it’s hoped a new initiative may well draw more entrepreneurs into the community.
With major members such as Siemens, Oxley Developments, Teleplan Forsberg and others home to research laboratories featuring in-demand testing equipment, the group is now looking to create a comprehensive list of the kind of facilities that already exist around the Bay.
The aim is that this sought-after but expensive equipment, potentially out of reach for smaller concerns, could be shared with those looking to develop new technologies.
Called Lab Link, making use of spare capacity for a reduced cost, could provide the vital support a start-up needs.
“There is a lot of capacity that already exists in the area and we’re keen to do anything we can to help members work together,” Mark Jordan, technical director of Oxley Developments, said.
Meeting on the day when the Chancellor was setting out the landscape the country’s business community will have to work within as part of the Spring Statement, the Electech Cluster may well become a blueprint for other industries looking to collaborate to build success.
