Tuesday 19 Feb 2008 @ 16:07
Yorkshire Forward
Yorkshire Forward
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New European Investment Programme for Yorkshire and Humber Launch
The latest European Investment programme for the Yorkshire and Humber region was launched in Sheffield (Friday 15th February). This programme has £394 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to invest in the region by 2013.
Danuta Hübner, the European Commissioner responsible for Regional Policy, and John Healey MP, Minister for Local Government will jointly launch the programme at Sheffield’s City Hall as part of a day long visit to the region by the Commissioner.
Before speaking at the event, the Commissioner and Minister are visiting the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, a key component in the promotion and development of the Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing business sector in the region.
The Park is being developed by Yorkshire Forward, on a large brownfield site, located across the Sheffield/Rotherham border that was originally the site of a coking works, opencast coal workings and large spoil heap. The site’s preparation and development as well as several developments on it were supported by European funds from the 2000-2006 Objective 1 Programme.
In particular, the Commissioner will be shown the Factory of the Future development being undertaken by the University of Sheffield in collaboration with Boeing, with funding from Europe and Yorkshire Forward, that is nearing completion. This is a 4,200 sq m manufacturing research facility, designed and built to the highest environmental sustainability standard and utilising renewable energy. It will demonstrate and provide training in leading edge techniques and technologies and demonstrate how manufacturing can be profitable whilst working in sympathy with the environment.
The Factory of the Future will also research new areas that will enable regional companies to be repetitively competitive, helping current aerospace companies to secure their future and acquire a larger market share and other manufacturers to diversify and enter the supply chain for the first time.
The launch of the 2007-13 ERDF programme is being held in Sheffield’s City Hall, completely refurbished with £5.4m ERDF support from Objective 1. Over 300 people from the region have registered to attend the event.
The European Commission provides funds for regional development as part of its cohesion policy that seeks to reduce the gap between the levels of development and economic performance amongst member states and regions. Cohesion policy recognises the need to reinforce the competitiveness of all regions in the Union so that they can contribute to delivering Europe’s strategy of growth and jobs – the so-called The Lisbon Strategy.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Commissioner Hübner said: "The EU is contributing investment worth €583.5 million to the Yorkshire and Humber programme, which has a strong focus on business, research and the environment. It shows clearly which way European investment should be heading."
John Healey Minister for Local Government said: “This seven year funding programme will breathe new life into some of our most deprived areas in Yorkshire and Humber, creating jobs and opportunities in places where our factories and coal mines were once in decline.
“Projects like the groundbreaking Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, Wakefield’s Waterfront and Hull’s Young Enterprise Scheme show how important this programme is to our communities. £394 million from the European Commission combined with our drive to boost prosperity means even that greater success lies ahead.”
The programme has been developed by a wide regional partnership and outlines the broad strategic direction for investment of this EU funding over the next six years. It identifies four broad priorities for investment, three of which are for the whole region: promoting innovation and research and development; stimulating and supporting successful enterprise; and, sustainable communities.
The fourth priority, economic infrastructure for a competitive economy, is for South Yorkshire, which has extra funding available to it as a “phasing-in” region in European terms (ie moving out of Objective 1 status).
The Government wishing to maximize the alignment between European and national funding streams has asked Yorkshire Forward to manage the Programme on behalf of the region.
Tom Riordan, Yorkshire Forward Chief Executive said: "Yorkshire and Humber's recovery over the last decade, with 7 consecutive years of growth above the EU average, has been down to a strong partnership approach and European funding has played a central part in making that happen. The challenge for the next decade is to sustain this economic growth and to extend the region's success into the Lisbon agenda of innovation, jobs and social cohesion. This programme can again act as the catalyst for the region to become economically self-reliant."
Notes to editors:
Danuta Hübner, the European Commissioner responsible for Regional Policy, and John Healey MP, Minister for Local Government will jointly launch the programme at Sheffield’s City Hall as part of a day long visit to the region by the Commissioner.
Before speaking at the event, the Commissioner and Minister are visiting the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, a key component in the promotion and development of the Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing business sector in the region.
The Park is being developed by Yorkshire Forward, on a large brownfield site, located across the Sheffield/Rotherham border that was originally the site of a coking works, opencast coal workings and large spoil heap. The site’s preparation and development as well as several developments on it were supported by European funds from the 2000-2006 Objective 1 Programme.
In particular, the Commissioner will be shown the Factory of the Future development being undertaken by the University of Sheffield in collaboration with Boeing, with funding from Europe and Yorkshire Forward, that is nearing completion. This is a 4,200 sq m manufacturing research facility, designed and built to the highest environmental sustainability standard and utilising renewable energy. It will demonstrate and provide training in leading edge techniques and technologies and demonstrate how manufacturing can be profitable whilst working in sympathy with the environment.
The Factory of the Future will also research new areas that will enable regional companies to be repetitively competitive, helping current aerospace companies to secure their future and acquire a larger market share and other manufacturers to diversify and enter the supply chain for the first time.
The launch of the 2007-13 ERDF programme is being held in Sheffield’s City Hall, completely refurbished with £5.4m ERDF support from Objective 1. Over 300 people from the region have registered to attend the event.
The European Commission provides funds for regional development as part of its cohesion policy that seeks to reduce the gap between the levels of development and economic performance amongst member states and regions. Cohesion policy recognises the need to reinforce the competitiveness of all regions in the Union so that they can contribute to delivering Europe’s strategy of growth and jobs – the so-called The Lisbon Strategy.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Commissioner Hübner said: "The EU is contributing investment worth €583.5 million to the Yorkshire and Humber programme, which has a strong focus on business, research and the environment. It shows clearly which way European investment should be heading."
John Healey Minister for Local Government said: “This seven year funding programme will breathe new life into some of our most deprived areas in Yorkshire and Humber, creating jobs and opportunities in places where our factories and coal mines were once in decline.
“Projects like the groundbreaking Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, Wakefield’s Waterfront and Hull’s Young Enterprise Scheme show how important this programme is to our communities. £394 million from the European Commission combined with our drive to boost prosperity means even that greater success lies ahead.”
The programme has been developed by a wide regional partnership and outlines the broad strategic direction for investment of this EU funding over the next six years. It identifies four broad priorities for investment, three of which are for the whole region: promoting innovation and research and development; stimulating and supporting successful enterprise; and, sustainable communities.
The fourth priority, economic infrastructure for a competitive economy, is for South Yorkshire, which has extra funding available to it as a “phasing-in” region in European terms (ie moving out of Objective 1 status).
The Government wishing to maximize the alignment between European and national funding streams has asked Yorkshire Forward to manage the Programme on behalf of the region.
Tom Riordan, Yorkshire Forward Chief Executive said: "Yorkshire and Humber's recovery over the last decade, with 7 consecutive years of growth above the EU average, has been down to a strong partnership approach and European funding has played a central part in making that happen. The challenge for the next decade is to sustain this economic growth and to extend the region's success into the Lisbon agenda of innovation, jobs and social cohesion. This programme can again act as the catalyst for the region to become economically self-reliant."
Notes to editors:
- Over the past year, Yorkshire Forward has created and safeguarded more than 22,254 new jobs; helped create and attract more than 1067 new businesses, assisted 60,005 people in skills, and attracted £467m in investment - achieving or exceeding all of the targets it was set.
- Yorkshire Forward’s investment across the region is maximised by attracting European Regional Development Funding from the Objective One and Two programmes.
- For further information, please contact Janice Crich, Press Officer, Yorkshire Forward, Tel 0113 394 9715;07736 181063 e-mail janice.crich@yorkshire-forward.com or Fax 0113 243 1088.
