NEPIC first to earn accrediation under European initiative

Process sector organisation NEPIC has become the UK’s first accredited Cluster Management Team under a European initiative.

NEPIC, a cluster organisation that represents the North East’s chemical process sector, has received the bronze level accreditation under the European Cluster Excellence Initiative (ECEI).

NEPIC has represented the area for a decade and was also recently credited with generating £1bn of GVA per annum to the region’s economy.

Following a realisation that properly managed cluster bodies can be beneficial to the industrial and economic development of a region, a Cluster monitoring platform was established.

An accreditation scheme was also developed and management tools were put in place to improve the performance of Clusters across Europe.

This process has culminated in a quality assurance scheme entitled ‘Cluster Management Excellence – striving for cluster excellence.’

And after receiving the ECEI Cluster Excellence Bronze Level Accreditation, NEPIC is the first UK Cluster organisation to be accredited under the scheme.

Dr Stan Higgins CEO of NEPIC said: “We are very proud indeed to become the first UK Cluster management team to be accredited under the EU’s Cluster Management Excellence Scheme.

“I believe this is a quality journey that NEPIC can continuously improve its performance in identifying and sharing best practice with our European Colleagues.

“In practical terms it has been interesting to see that the recent project and industrial collaborations that have been announced by the EU, have said that the Project Lead organisations should only be Clusters with this Cluster Excellence Accreditation.

“This achievement puts NEPIC in a really good position to collaborate even further with our colleagues across Europe and bring further best practice and innovative solutions to the Process Industries in the UK.”

NEPIC has an impressive reputation as a leading Industry Cluster across Europe and around the world – and is involved in numerous collaborative projects with clusters in India, China and Brazil.

For many years the Cluster has participated in Economic Development and Innovation Projects that are EU funded - and this work continues with the Cluster currently delivering three such projects.

All running for three years, these projects range from showcasing the EU chemical Industry around the world (Wiintech project), benchmarking industrial parks to recommend the most efficient design for industrial parks of the future (Locimap project), and helping supply chain SMEs develop more sustainable and lower carbon businesses Deelocsi project).

NEPIC Chairman Paul Booth said: “This type of quality scheme, accrediting the work of Clusters, is also important to local companies and NEPIC’s members.

“A third party audit such as this with a successful outcome demonstrates that we have developed a very credible organisation in our region.

“Cluster members will be comforted to know that they are dealing with a competent organisation that has the skills and capabilities to not only represent their interests, but with NEPICs continued support, can deliver value to our businesses and the region’s economy.

“Congratulations to all at NEPIC.”

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