Hethel Engineering Centre
Location
Chapman way, Hethel, Norwich NR14 8FB

Contact Details
Contact: Simon Coward, Director of Innovation and Enterprise Hubs
Tel: 01953 859100 Fax: 01953 859101
Email: enquiries@hethelcentre.com
Website: www.hethelcentre.com

Hethel Engineering Centre is a business dedicated to supporting the growth and success of high performance engineering and manufacturing companies and individuals throughout the region.

Hethel Engineering Centre offers the following services:
  • incubation space – offices, workshops
  • specialist business support
  • engineering consultancy
  • engineering services
Hethel Engineering Centre can provide conferencing facilites:
  • conference and meeting facilities
  • training rooms
  • catering services
Hethel Engineering Centre Mission Statement
Hethel Engineering Centre exists to serve the high performance engineering and manufacturing sector in the region. It will:
  • Be devoted to listening to the skills needs of businesses and providing solutions by procuring, developing and supplying training programmes and events in partnership with class leading knowledge and skills providers.
  • Provide first class business accommodation, conferencing capabilities and customer experience to any individual or organisation that use the centre.
  • Develop and inspire a virtual network of supporters and advisors (Business angels, Venture Capitalists, Legal, IPR, PR specialists, training and skills providers) who share a passion for engineering and manufacturing.
Hethel Engineering Centre Aims
  • Develop and maintain strong relationships with UK Government and government departments (EEDA, Business Link, LSC, etc.) to represent the needs and interests of high performance engineering and manufacturing companies in the region.
  • To be a leading source of knowledge for signposting companies and individuals towards the most appropriate and current academic and business support available.
  • To develop effective processes to share best practice – to drive initiatives to ensure the sharing of best practice and experience between individuals and organisations.
  • Maintain and provide a quality thinking environment and provide inspiration to companies engaged in high performance and manufacturing.
  • Represent the collective merits of this region as a prime location for the efficient operation of knowledge/high performance-based business.
  • Be entrepreneurial in meeting customer's needs quickly.
  • Promote the success stories of the region in the field of high performance engineering and manufacturing on a regional, national and international stage.
Hethel Engineering Centre Primary Values
  • Passionate about high performance engineering and manufacturing organisations and their future development and prosperity.
  • A premium service provider in all that it does, with a focus on delivering an exceptional customer experience.
  • Deliver pragmatic solutions to customers' problems – quickly.
Hethel Engineering Centre Customers
  • Supervisors, Managers and Senior Managers working in high performance engineering and manufacturing companies being trained for improved business performance.
  • Skilled engineers, technicians and manufacturing personnel being trained to improve and enhance their knowledge and skills to improve business performance.
  • High performance engineering and manufacturing companies already trading and seeking to operate from world class facilities to support their planned business growth.
  • Start-up business entrepreneurs with ideas and concepts relating to high performance engineering or manufacturing.
Hethel Engineering Centre is much more than a building – it recognises that to nurture and grow high performance engineering and manufacturing businesses today you need much more than high quality accommodation as a key ingredient. Hethel Engineering Centre offers exceptional quality accommodation in addition to the ongoing advice, support and services of fertile network of advisors and supporter sympathetic to and passionate about engineering and manufacturing.

Hethel Engineering Centre has links to a wide range of supporters. Its goal is to provide the support and guidance to resident business to maximise growth, profitability and sustainability by doing and researching the things they never seem to have the time to get done.

A comprehensive range of support services are offered in house, including access to the Machine Workshop and its range of leading-edge equipment.

The Offer – an Overview
It should be noted that the general fit and finish of the Engineering Centre is of exceptional quality – this includes a dramatic entrance feature of a suspension footbridge over a substantial water feature, all set in landscaped grounds. All tenants enjoy the benefits of this exceptional working environment.

HEC is a member of the MIA (Motorsport Industry Association) and as such is in a position to keep tenants informed of developments in the UK Motorsport Industry.

Subject to having a suitably qualified member(s) of staff who successfully completes a certificate of competency set down by HEC, tenant companies are able to rent the workshop machinery for their own use to manufacture/develop and prototype components and processes. This effectively puts over £0.5m of capital equipment at the disposal of a tenant business. (There are charges for this service.)

A wide range of training courses and high profile conferences take place at the engineering centre of excellence. All tenant businesses benefit from exposure to all audiences if they so wish, through a large plasma screen and reception area displays. Tenants of both Incubators and Offices enjoy 5 hours per month free use of meeting rooms. Resident companies also enjoy a 10% discount on the current published price for all facilities/equipment for hire (Conference Room, ICT Suite, Training rooms, Lap Tops, Projectors, etc.) Use of a coffee forum providing beverages to Tenants and their guests, and an excellent working environment with patio area overlooking the entrance bridge and water feature.

Phase Two, opening in November 2011, will provide extra business incubation and access to specialist facilities. Public areas are WiFi enabled to allow both tenants and visitors to access the internet from the general reception area and the Coffee Forum.

The Engineering Centre will be populated with other innovation companies, plus there will be a large throughput of engineers/personnel on training courses, a huge opportunity to get exposure to new staff, suppliers and customers. The Centre has established links with universities such as Cambridge, Cranfield, Hertfordshire and the UEA. Resident business advisors provide advice and support.

There is also the potential for move-on space for growing companies on the doorstep.