Good growth in every postcode 30th September 2026

Andy Burnham’s pledge to the country is “good growth in every postcode and hope in every heart”. What would this look like in practice? The answer lies in the economic success stories of British companies – small, medium and large – across the UK and building on these successes across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Each week, Paul Dimoldenberg looks at economic news from across the country to identify what “good growth” looks like in a diverse set of local communities to deliver the much-needed economic growth to power the economy and deliver new jobs, increased wealth and additional tax revenues to pay for improved public services. This week we feature:

• AEM secures funding to power electric motor technologies in Sunderland (NE38)
• Global launches business in Aberdeen and will create 25 jobs (AB21)
• New furnace at Sheffield factory (S60)
• Social enterprise brewery opens new venue at Milton Park (OX14)
• Mining company to restart Devon tungsten mine (PL7)
• Smethwick logistics and manufacturing facility to create 120 jobs (B66)
• Tees Valley Lithium signs partnership with Canada’s E3 (TS23)

Sunderland: Advanced Electric Machines secures funding to power electric motor technologies (NE38)

Sunderland-based Advanced Electric Machines (AEM) has secured funding totalling £16m to power next-level electric motor technologies. The Newcastle University spinout has designed and manufactured a unique suite of electric motors for a diverse range of transport applications from cars and motorcycles through to heavy-duty trucks, buses and construction machinery. The company’s motors eliminate the need for permanent magnets and rare-earth materials, helping customers reduce supply-chain risk while delivering competitive performance, efficiency and cost.

The funds will be used to support the development of an extended range of rare-earth-free motors with a focus on heavy commercial vehicle and industrial applications. The new products build on motor technology that is already in production and has been sold to customers worldwide. With more than 2 million electric vehicles now on UK roads and adoption continuing to grow rapidly, the long-term outlook for the EV sector remains highly attractive. Companies such as AEM, which are developing transformational technologies for the next generation of electric mobility, are of significant strategic importance. 

Aberdeen: Global launches commissioning business and will create 25 jobs (AB21)

Energy infrastructure provider Global has added another capability to its portfolio of companies servicing the onshore and offshore wind, oil and gas, transmission, and alternative fuels sectors.  The new company, Global Commissioning, which will be based in Global’s office in Aberdeen, will provide commissioning, completions, start-up, handover and operational readiness support to clients across multiple sectors.

Global Commissioning will be a key service within Global’s end-to-end offering across its core sectors, as well as data centres, industrial facilities, infrastructure, and manufacturing & process plants. Global Commissioning is actively recruiting, targeting a headcount of 25 by the year-end, and is working on two active projects already and targeting further projects in the space and data centres sectors, as well as in the energy infrastructure space.

Sheffield: New furnace at Sheffield factory (S60)

A new vacuum arc remelting (VAR) furnace has been lifted into position at Castings Technology’s new £18m factory in Sheffield. The furnace is the largest of its type in commercial use in the UK and one of the largest in the world and is used for producing high-integrity titanium alloy castings for mission-critical applications in aerospace, energy and industrial sectors. The furnace uses VAR technology to melt material from a titanium electrode at precise weights and temperatures.

The factory also includes a new vacuum heat treatment furnace – one of the largest in Europe – alongside the latest CNC machining and 3D printing technology. The project is creating 20 new jobs at the firm and many more in its regional supply chain, with roles spanning production, quality, technical and commercial functions. New recruits this summer include maintenance engineers, pattern shop operatives and welding apprentices.

Become a friend of LabourList and join our community. Our friends support our vital non-factional work and get access to exclusive content and events. 

Oxfordshire: Social enterprise brewery opens new venue at Milton Park (OX14)

Tap Social, a craft brewery and bakery which provides paid employment to prisoners and ex-offenders, has opened a new venue at Milton Park business campus in Oxfordshire. Day Release, the fourth community venue for Tap Social, occupies two floors at Milton Park’s new Signal Yard social and retail destination and brings together Tap Social’s bakery, pizza kitchen, cafe, bar, brewing school, and events under one roof, supporting 16 jobs. It offers a full bar with ten draught lines plus canned beers, alongside barista-made coffee from Oxford social enterprise NewGround Coffee.

Day Release builds on the success of Tap Social’s three other venues – The Market Tap in Oxford’s Covered Market, the taproom in Botley, and Proof Social Bakehouse in Kennington – which together employ approximately 60 people and have provided more than 115,000 hours of paid employment for prisoners and ex-offenders since 2016. Day Release is the anchor tenant at Signal Yard, a £14m investment from Milton Park which provides 17 independent retail and hospitality units across two floors.

Devon: Mining company to restart Hemerdon tungsten mine (PL7)

Tungsten West, a mining company focused on restarting production at a tungsten and tin mine in Devon, has secured a government investment of up to £71m from the National Wealth Fund (NWF), a wholly-owned entity of the government, to support the development of a secure, domestic source of tungsten for the UK. Through the backing of the NWF and UK Government, Tungsten West is unlocking a critical supply of tungsten, supporting economic growth in the South West of England through the creation of 350 direct jobs while strengthening UK supply chain resilience.

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “The National Wealth Fund’s investment is a major vote of confidence in our critical minerals sector and another step forward in the Prime Minister’s plan to reindustrialise Britain, which will support skilled jobs across Devon and unlock a new supply chain to power UK industry.”

Smethwick: Smethwick logistics and manufacturing facility to create more than 120 jobs (B66)

Logicor has gained planning consent for a logistics and manufacturing development in Smethwick totalling almost 90,000 sq ft, with work now underway on the site. Spring 89, an 89,052 sq ft facility with direct access to the M5 and M6 motorways, is targeting logistics, distribution and manufacturing occupiers.

Due to be completed in 2027, the development is targeting the highest sustainability levels – EPC A+ and BREEAM Outstanding. Spring Road has been a key employment hub within the region and, once finished, Logicor Spring 89 is expected to create up to 123 jobs.

Tees Valley: TVL signs lithium partnership with Canada’s E3 (TS23)

Tees Valley Lithium (TVL) has signed an agreement with Canadian lithium developer E3 lithium, establishing the framework for a long-term partnership covering up to 50,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide over a minimum 10-year term. TVL is building a world-class merchant lithium refinery in the Billingham chemical cluster on Teesside.

TVL converts high-value feedstock from a diversified domestic and international supply base into battery-grade lithium using Veolia’s commercially validated process technology. At full capacity, that is enough lithium to support the production of 550,000 electric vehicles a year. Under the arrangement, TVL will convert lithium carbonate from E3’s Clearwater Project in Alberta into battery-grade lithium hydroxide at Teesside. 

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on TikTok, Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook. You can also write to our editor to share your thoughts on our stories and share your own. The best letters are published every Sunday.

• • SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
  • SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
  • BECOME A FRIEND: If you enjoyed this, why not consider becoming a Friend of LabourList? Help sustain our journalism, and of course Friends do get benefits…
  • PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
  • ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].