CeBIT delegation provides Sweet success

An UK Trade and Investment product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jun 8, 2004

Geoffrey Sweet Associates joined the UK Trade and Investment delegation to the Hannover Fair in Germany and picked up two contracts worth GBP 14 million.

Geoffrey Sweet Associates has signed a partnering agreement, facilitated by UK Trade and Investment worth GBP 10 million with Tantra Infosolutions, based in Bangalore, India at the Hannover Fair in Germany.

The Cambridge based company has also landed a deal worth GBP 4 million with Efftronics Systems, India, to supply smart vibration sensors for detecting cracks in railway tracks.

The Tantra deal involves working with the company to provide engineering solutions to UK manufacturers.

Tantra is a new-generation engineering software services company, which offers design and development optimisation software packages.

A spectrum of tools is applied from "soft" web development to "hard" smart mechanical engineering design.

Efftronics Systems manufactures data loggers and LED displays, and develops embedded systems and software.

Mike O'Brien, Minister of State for Trade and Investment, said: "Congratulations to Geoffrey Sweet Associates".

"This is a powerful example of British and Indian companies continuing to benefit from the longstanding trade relationship that exists between our two countries".

"In the last 10 years bilateral trade has increased by more than 60% and is worth some GBP 5 billion per annum".

"This venture between Geoffrey Sweet Associates and their Indian partners is a typical example of how British companies are forming successful partnerships that will bring together the best skills and technologies from both countries, and ultimately enhance the competitiveness of British business".

Geoffrey Sweet said: "This deal with Tantra Infosolutions would not have been possible without the support from UK Trade and Investment".

"Their assistance and advice has been invaluable".

"I am delighted to be working with Tantra Infosolutions".

"I believe their products will speed up manufacturing design and development and greatly benefit British manufacturers".

"My company, with its emphasis on smart engineering solutions, is uniquely positioned to help Tantra promote their products to our industry".

Sweet continued: "We are also pleased with the attention our smart sensor products attracted at Hannover Fair".

"Efftronics Systems' data-logging and user interface expertise complement perfectly our chip-level smart technology".

Geoffrey Sweet Associates span out of innovative research for the British Ministry of Defence.

The company has had successes in both natural and built environments - including space, defence, multi-sensor audio, speech intelligibility, low-cost small loudspeaker performance optimisation, bulk weighing, grown produce quality sensing in the field and surround sound for public cinema theatres.

The company's expertise also lies in real time signal analysis and smart sensors using embedded software.

In March 2004 Geoffrey Sweet Associates was one of eight high tech companies chosen to represent the UK at CeBIT 2004 in Hannover on the Innovation Island stand supported by UK Trade and Investment.

As a result he signed a deal with a German institution, which could result in an innovative and more sophisticated way that cinema soundtracks are delivered to the public.

The agreement is initially worth GBP 500,000.

Over 90 UK companies exhibited at this year's Hannover Fair, one of the premier manufacturing automation events in the world that focuses on technology, innovation and automation.

All the companies, including Geoffrey Sweet Associates, were brought together by UK Trade and Investment (the UK Government organisation for supporting UK companies in overseas business and attracting inward investment); BEAMA (the British Electrotechnical and Allied Manufacturers' Association); GAMBICA (the national organisation representing the interests of companies in the instrumentation, control, automation and laboratory technology industry); the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, and in conjunction with a number of UK and regional development agencies.