HARLOW COMPANY WINS MAJOR MANUFACTURING AWARD

EEF Future Manufacturing Awards – South East winners announced

A Harlow manufacturer of intelligent lighting systems has been singled out in this year’s EEF Future Manufacturing Awards as having a brilliant future. Radio-Tech, which also makes energy monitoring equipment, has won the EEF South East Climate Change Opportunity Award for its success in developing and rolling out street lighting technology that can be controlled remotely. The annual awards are hosted by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, and recognise excellence in enterprise, innovation, environmental performance and skills development among UK manufacturers. Radio-Tech’s innovative system enables street lights to be controlled from a “base station” over a web browser, which not only reduces the need for site visits but also enables lights to be turned on-or-off or dimmed remotely on an individual basis. The company has already secured an exclusive deal in the UK for the supply of street lighting services to local councils. Chair of the judging panel, Professor Steve Evans, Professor of Life Cycle Engineering at Cranfield University, said the company was an exemplar for the region in embracing the commercial opportunities opening up through climate change. “This is just the sort of business that British industry needs,” he said. “The climactic benefits of this company’s activities are massive and can be rolled out around the globe.” Jim Davison, South East Region Director for EEF, commented: “Manufacturing in the South East is increasingly important as an economic driver for the UK. Innovative companies such as Radio-Tech demonstrate that technology-led businesses have a very bright future and are critical to the long-term economic success of the region and of the country as a whole.” Will Pope, Chair of the East of England Development Agency, congratulated the company on its success. “This success is indicative of the very strong and successful manufacturing sector that exists in the East of England,” he said. “Companies from across the region won five of the six EEF Award categories...and in addition young people working for local businesses scooped the top apprenticeship prizes.” The regional winners will compete in the national finals, the winners of which will be announced on 27 January at a ceremony at Merchant Taylor’s Great Hall in the City of London. The EEF South East region is a key area for manufacturing in the UK, with 45,000 companies employing more than 680,000 people. Output is worth over £44 billion out of a UK total of £155 billion. Ends About EEF EEF, the manufacturers’ organization, is the representative voice of manufacturing in the UK. EEF has a growing membership of almost 6,000 companies of all sizes, employing some 900,000 people from every sector of engineering, manufacturing, engineering construction and technology-based industries. www.eef.org.uk

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