N E WS
Visit - Jingye Group chairmam Li
Ganpo on a visit to Teesside.
A
Chinese takeover set
to save steel jobs
deal to rescue British Steel will save
around 3,200 UK jobs including
hundreds on Teesside.
Under the terms of the sale, the Chinese
Jingye Group will take over the running
of British Steel’s Teesside Beam Mill, near
Redcar, and a special profiles factory in
Skinningrove, east Cleveland.
Jingye bosses say the deal will unlock a
£1.2bn modernisation investment.
The deal comes after British Steel –
founded when Tata Steel sold its Long
Products division to investor Greybull
Capital – collapsed into compulsory
liquidation last year.
Jingye Group chairman Li Ganpo was
pictured on Teesside last November after
Jingye said it had exchanged contracts and
reached an agreement to acquire certain
assets of British Steel.
Greybull Capital had paid Indian company
Tata a nominal £1 for its Long Products
division.
After setting out ambitious targets for its
future and securing a number of high-profile
contracts, the company collapsed into
liquidation last year, with a government-
appointed official receiver overseeing
operations ever since.
A steelmaking subsidiary of the Turkish
military pension fund, Ataer Holdings, had
been favourite to acquire the business
before talks ended in October.
Responding to the news that the
purchase of British Steel by Jingye had
been completed, Northern Powerhouse
minister and MP for Middlesbrough South
and East Cleveland Simon Clarke, said:
“This is hugely important news for our area.
British Steel is an anchor employer in East
Cleveland and represents a national asset.”
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said:
“We’ve been working flat out with Jingye
for almost a year now and I am confident
that this deal will secure many hundreds of
jobs on Teesside.
“It is important to thank everyone who
has been involved in getting this deal over
the line, including all the workers at British
Steel who have had to work through the
uncertainty, the government and the trade
unions. It shows what can be done when we
work together with the best interests of our
region at the heart.
“This is just the start for the return of
steel on Teesside.”
£22M WINDFALL FOR STEEL SECTOR
T
he Materials Processing Institute
has been awarded £22m by
chancellor Rishi Sunak to deliver
a five-year research and innovation
programme to revolutionise the steel
and metals sector.
Acknowledged by the government as
the UK’s innovation centre for steel and
metals, the Teesside-based institute
will focus on increasing productivity
and transforming environmental
sustainability.
Projects include:
> Carrying out research and innovation into low carbon, electric and hydrogen based
steelmaking, scrap recycling and new processes to allow UK steel to transition to a
sustainable, green industry.
> The development and commercialisation of technologies in SME supply chains, such as
robotics and artificial intelligence, to increase productivity and product capability.
> Develop new technologies for the extraction and recycling of rare metals, such as
lithium and cobalt, in the UK – to support a sustainable, secure and ethical supply chain.
In addition, the programme will provide particular support to the South Tees Development
Corporation and the Tees Valley local industrial strategy.
The institute, a not-for-profit organisation, has worked with global steel and materials
industries, including Tata Steel, British Steel and Liberty Steel, to deliver cutting edge
research and innovation in advanced materials, low carbon energy, the circular economy and
digital technologies.
Digital skills vital
for future
T
he North-East’s digital
sector is booming – and,
prior to the Covid-19
outbreak, this year it was
estimated to become a £2.5bn
industry.
Despite a thriving tech scene,
the number of people studying
computing or a digital-related
subjects at school is falling
sharply at about 20 per cent per
year – while jobs in that sector
here in Tees Valley are increasing
at about 10 per cent per year.
That’s why we’re on a mission
to turn that decline around.
Our students are building
digital skills that will help
transform the Tees Valley. We’re
calling on local authorities and
businesses to help shine a light
on the sector and encourage
young people to consider a
career in digital.
Digital is going to be the key
sector in years to come. As
digitisation takes over, employers
will require digital skills.
Our students are already
carving an exciting career in the
tech industry through placements
and apprenticeships with leading
employers.
But it’s not just about training
young people – it’s also about
them getting into work and
securing high-quality jobs.
The Government recently
endorsed our success in this
area with the announcement
that we will be the only college
in the area approved to run new
T Level qualifications in digital
which allows students to gain
industry experience for two days
per week alongside their Level 3
course.
We’re already working with
employers to provide extended T
Levels industry placements which
give students the opportunity
to put into practice what they’re
learning in the classroom, while
developing technical skills that
businesses want.
Zoe Lewis,
principal and chief executive,
Middlesbrough College
The voice of business in the Tees region | 13