Industry Insights
Q AND A WITH CHONG NG, SENIOR ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – APPLIED RESEARCH AT THE OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY CATAPULT
May 26th, 2026
Chong Ng has been at the forefront of offshore wind innovation for more than two decades. He joined the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult (then known as the National Renewable Energy Centre) in 2009 and progressed through a series of technical and leadership roles, contributing to the development of some of...
Industry Insights
Q AND A WITH RICCI BOSTON, REGIONAL DIRECTOR, GLOBAL UNDERWATER HUB
April 27th, 2026
Global Underwater Hub (GUH) is the leading trade and industry development body for the UK's underwater sectors. It represents, promotes and supports all sectors of the underwater industry by providing members with market information, connections and access to specialist expertise. GUH’s Newcastle site, situated in Walker near the banks of the...
Industry Insights
Q AND A WITH ANDREW KINNIBURGH, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF MAKE UK DEFENCE
March 31st, 2026
As Director-General of Make UK Defence, Andrew Kinniburgh leads a member-owned trade association organisation that is championing and supporting the UK’s diverse defence supply chain. And with defence spending set to ramp up – and more SMEs diversifying into the sector – Make UK Defence is playing a crucial role in...
Industry Insights
Q AND A WITH DR ANDREW JENKINS, CEO AND FOUNDER, KINEWELL
February 25th, 2026
We first met Dr Andrew Jenkins, CEO and founder of Kinewell at 2024’s Offshore Wind North East event – and we knew straight away that we needed to interview him on our Invented Podcast! Kinewell uses AI and advanced mathematics to create software solutions that accelerate and reduce the cost of...
Industry Insights
Q AND A WITH ALASDAIR KERR, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR OF PORT OF BLYTH
January 29th, 2026
Last year, Port of Blyth celebrated 25 years of involvement in offshore wind. As the home of the UK’s first demonstrator offshore wind farm, which was installed in 2000, it has been at the heart of the sector’s development – strengthened by its role in the Energy Central cluster. And the next 25 years could be just as transformational for...
Industry Insights
Q and A with Mike Eggleston, General Manager for Ford Aerospace
October 31st, 2025
It has roots stretching back to 1910, has trained generations of engineers, and is one of North East England’s true manufacturing success stories. And Ford Aerospace is still flying high. The award-winning company specialises in the high precision machining and pressing of parts and sub assemblies for the aerospace, automotive, industrial,...
Industry Insights
Q and A with Carl Pilmer, Chief Sales Officer for JDR Cable Systems
September 29th, 2025
Something big (69,000 sqm in fact), has been taking shape on the banks of the River Blyth in Northumberland. And it will soon be making a major contribution to the UK’s offshore wind sector… and the country’s manufacturing capacity. Yes, JDR Cable Systems’ new Cambois facility, near Blyth will be operational by...
Industry Insights
Q and A with Derek Dixon, Head of School, Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Sunderland
September 15th, 2025
Maintenance is being brought into increased focus in the engineering and manufacturing community, as advancements in technology – including AI and sensor solutions – enable businesses to predict issues and act more quickly should faults arise. And key to expanding knowledge and understanding of maintenance in North East England is the...
Industry Insights
Q and A with Nick Betts, Group Business Development Director at NTG Group
July 25th, 2025
Based in North East England, NTG Group comprises two specialist engineering companies whose combined strengths create a formidable proposition. Established in 1979 as Newcastle Tool and Gauge, NTG operates from a 45,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility in Gateshead, UK and specialises in high-precision machining, CNC milling, CNC turning, EDM wire erosion,...
Industry Insights
Q and A with John Walker, Head of Commercial at Faltec Europe
May 19th, 2025
Established in 1989, when it was known as Hashimoto Ltd, Faltec Europe is part of the Japan-headquartered Faltec Group... and is one of the UK's automotive industry's key tier one suppliers. The company has built up a formidable reputation for its vehicle trim solutions, and from its site at the International...