Sheffield City Region companies join PM in China trade visit

4th December 2013

Prime Minister David Cameron, is leading a trade mission to China this week.

  Of the 100 companies accompanying the PM on the high profile visit, two have been selected from Sheffield City Region's (SCR) leading healthcare technology cluster, Sheffield Precision Medical (SPM) and JRI Orthopaedics.  Both are members of the SCR Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Healthcare Technologies sector group. The purpose of the visit is building a long-term relationship between Britain and China and tackling 21st century challenges, from sustainable urbanisation to educating the next generation to meeting the elderly's healthcare needs. City Region company SPM were invited on the delegation to showcase their expertise in the design and manufacture of highly specialist instruments used by orthopaedic surgeons, and their business experience in the global marketplace. Brian Reece, Managing Director said: -The opportunity to confirm common goals at an international level enables manufacturers to realise higher production volumes at targeted 'cost down' prices that also spin off additional production orders for each party in line with its specific areas of strength and expertise. -The western industrial sector has struggled to win credibility on the grounds of costs in many areas for more than a decade, but this is rapidly changing, especially in the area of 'high end' and 'specialised' technologies by fully utilising such as 'lights out' and the latest 'automated' manufacturing techniques. -SPM is a resurgent SME based in Sheffield that resisted closure in 2009, initially saving 13 highly skilled jobs when the company was taken over in 2010. -At the close of 2013 there are 33 jobs. -It is shortly to be announced that SPM has been awarded Regional Growth Fund, underpinning business development and will take the workforce to 53. -In addition to this there is the potential of undertaking much more as the tide of economic and technological change in manufacturing takes further effect, causing more focused and precise working relationships between countries such as the UK and China. David Grey MBE and LEP Board member added: -I congratulate SPM and JRI Orthopaedics on their hard won success and appetite to seek out new markets to grow. -They are true ambassadors of the world-class healthcare technology cluster that operates in the City Region.