The promised island!

According to Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster's (IOMAC) chairman, Adrian Moore, the aerospace sector is helping to make the region a land of opportunity.

Even on the Isle of Man, there are still some residents who do not know of its success stories in aerospace and high-tech manufacturing. However, a significant part of the strengthening reputation of the Island as an international business centre with a diverse and growing economy has been due to the these sectors. A key driver of this has been the Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster (IOMAC), which was formed in 2006 by the Isle of Man Government and the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce to provide a formal support structure for the Island's aerospace sector to move forward in the pursuit of worldwide recognition and world class standards. The creation of the cluster built on the impressive heritage of the aerospace industry, which has had a presence on the Island for over 60 years. Today, the cluster consists of 18 companies who have a direct customer order book related to aerospace design, manufacture or service provision and between them they employ over 800 highly-skilled personnel. The small size of the Isle of Man has its advantages and has not detracted from the success of IOMAC. The ability to work with other companies on the Island and form strategic alliances is easier as each firm has a good understanding of each other's capability and strategic aims and the usual perceptions of competition for work or skills are quickly dispelled. IOMAC has proved to be much more than a ‘talking shop' and has achieved a great deal in its relatively short existence. One of its key early achievements was to form a strategic partnership with the North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA). This gave IOMAC access to one of the most dynamic and important aerospace clusters in Europe. Although the Island's cluster contains some significant firms such as GE, RLC, Swagelok and Assystem, the access to NWAA has proved to be highly beneficial for the smaller firms in the cluster. Perhaps most significantly of all is the implementation of the Journey to Process Excellence (JTPE) programme. JTPE is the Rolls-Royce business improvement tool which is now being rolled out across the IOMAC. Only by using processes like JTPE can all businesses, irrespective of where they sit in the supply chain, prove how they will deliver world class products and services in the future and satisfy their current and future customers that continuous improvement is part of their business culture. It is imperative therefore that all of our cluster companies have engaged with this programme to ensure that they are offered new contracts from our global customers now and in the years to come. The cluster has also tendered for design and manufactured packages of work with global aerospace primes with the result that the sector in the Island is growing significantly. Our order books look strong and we have a programme of investment, training and continuous improvement planned. We are projecting to double our turnover in the next five years. We are already involved with Airbus, BAE Systems, Boeing, NASA and Rolls-Royce to help deliver projects such as the A380, B787, A400M and F-35. In recent years the cluster firms, supported financially by the Isle of Man Government, have invested in lean cellular manufacture as well as flexible manufacturing systems and research and development capability. This has complemented their existing capabilities in aerospace design, jig and fixture manufacture, project management and ‘stranger and alien' packages. With a five-year strategy for growth in place the cluster has thrived because of its agility and adaptability. We have a clear vision and are committed to remaining a partner in excellence with our customers. www.aerospace.co.im

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