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Sigmatex (Runcorn, Chesire, U.K.), designer, developer and manufacturer of carbon fiber textiles, has recently been awarded funding under the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels (NMCL) Automotive Program, an industry-led national supplier competitiveness and productivity improvement program. 

Developed by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT, London, U.K.), NMCL is said to be supported by major trade bodies, industry primes and OEMs, working across multiple manufacturing sectors. The program’s primary objectives are to improve competitiveness, raise workforce capacity and capability, increase productivity and grow the exports from the U.K.

Sigmatex says it will use the funding to accelerate the implementation of its business strategy. This will be used to enable growth across key markets, with a focus on process and people development, strengthening its business capabilities.

“We are delighted to have been accepted as an NMCL Automotive Program beneficiary. This program is designed to help businesses like ours to increase capability and competitiveness relative to the changing needs of the automotive sector,” says Paul McMullan, CEO at Sigmatex Group. “As OEMs increasingly turn to carbon fiber-reinforced plastics [CFRP] as a means to reduce vehicle mass and improve EV [electric vehicle] range, it’s critical to the U.K. sector that we have a supply chain ready to deliver on the demanding requirements of high volume applications. Sigmatex is at the forefront of this transformation and with the advantage of our involvement with NMCL, we expect to remain leaders in lightweighting technology in both the automotive sector and other markets such as aerospace and renewable energy.”