Last week, the CEME Management team took a trip to the Hethel Engineering Centre near Norwich. Hethel Engineering Centre is a business centre dedicated to supporting the growth and success of high performance engineering and manufacturing companies and individuals throughout the region. Sound familiar? Well, the similarities between CEME and Hethel are many and the purpose of our visit was to exchange ideas and best practice between the two projects.

Like CEME, Hethel is a stunning building – providing incubation and conference space in the heart of the Norfolk countryside adjacent to a prestigious car manufacturing plant – Lotus Engineering UK. Hethel has successfully combined a high tech building housing start-up companies in automotive clean technologies, a conference centre and training venue and a learning and skills centre.

Following a visit to CEME last year, the education team at Hethel learnt all about our Gateway to Skills project and education engagement programmes from Debbie Wren and have subsequently set up their own version of the GTS centre. They now have two workshops delivering education and training in product design and development to local schools and have created a very successful careers event linked to an annual exhibition the 2009 Exhibition of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (EAME) event. This annual event includes promotional and educational activities for the sector including trade and demonstration stands and inspirational speakers.

Overall, Hethel has ambitious plans to create a clean technology cluster in the East of England with a technology park providing move on space for their current and future tenants.  The alignment with CEME’s vision for East London is clear and it was fascinating to share our experiences in supporting and growing businesses and creating genuine new jobs.

Although much small than CEME, it was great to visit a similar project achieving success in regeneration and business support for a local area. We are continuing our dialogue with Hethel and are looking to develop collaboration opportunities for the future.

Posted by:

Jacqui Wordsworth

Programmes Director