New subsea manufacturing hub to create 100 jobs in Angus
Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), has committed £31 million to a manufacturing centre of excellence at its existing site in Montrose.
Last updated 30th May 2018
A "world-leading'' subsea manufacturing campus is to be built in the north east, creating 100 new jobs.
Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), has committed £31 million to a manufacturing centre of excellence at its existing site in Montrose in Angus, backed by a £4.9 million grant from Scottish Enterprise.
The 35-acre site will include test and assembly, research and development and workforce training facilities.
It will pioneer state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, such as virtual reality tools, industrial 3D printing, automation and sensor-equipped machines.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the funding as she addressed the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service annual conference in Cumbernauld on Wednesday.
She said: "Manufacturing, which employs more than 180,000 people in Scotland, is crucial to the success of our economy.
"Therefore I welcome the ambitious plans by BHGE to create a world-leading subsea centre of excellence in Montrose, supported by Scottish Government funding.
"This facility will bring new jobs and investment to Scotland. And as one of the most advanced centres of its type in the world, it will underline our international reputation for oil and gas innovation, developing the products and services the industry needs for the future.''
BHGE, which formed in 2017 when Baker Hughes and GE's oil and gas business merged, employs 2,500 people in Scotland.
The company provides products, equipment and services to the global oil and gas industry.
Graham Gillies, vice president - subsea production systems and services at BHGE, said: "This is very welcome news for the oil and gas industry, and for the UK manufacturing sector in particular.
"We are investing in our facilities globally and our collaborative approach with Scottish Enterprise is a strong example of how we are supporting a more sustainable future for this industry.
"Subsea technology is undoubtedly one of the UK's greatest export success stories, with industry-leading technology and solutions being designed and manufactured here, and installed across basins worldwide."