The purpose of the event, which was organised by Invest Northern Ireland and included twenty-six delegates, was to highlight capabilities within Northern Ireland and The Exact Group was one of two companies selected for the delegation to visit.
The Dutch TechZone group’s focus in Northern Ireland was on the triple helix – industry working in collaboration with government and academia.
Operating in two distinct areas, Composites and CNC, The Exact Group offers a range of services across industries including automotive, electrical, energy, marine, pharmaceutical and transport, however it specialises in providing a rapid response service to the aircraft interiors industry.
Widely known for its quality, performance and delivery, along with cutting-edge equipment, The Exact Group’s team of skilled engineers was able to showcase the company’s engineering prowess, share knowledge and discuss best practice with the Dutch TechZone delegates.
In addition to highlighting the capabilities of the company, there was the opportunity to discuss working solutions on common challenges across the industry such as The Exact Group’s experience of working in a border area, as the Dutch TechZone is in the East of the Netherlands on bordering Germany; the challenges this poses in terms of recruitment, and the measures they need to take to recruit the right people initially and then retain them.
Ronan Callan, The Exact Group's Director of Operations said, “We were delighted to have been chosen by Invest NI to showcase our work to the delegation from the Dutch TechZone. It gave us the opportunity to demonstrate how The Exact Group works across a range of capabilities and industries and how, from our base in Newry, we service the global market.
“We have a positive relationship with Invest NI, and it has been critical to the growth of our company and in fostering collaboration with other companies in the sector. Northern Ireland continues to punch above its weight in terms of its engineering and supply chains, and it is important we continue to get the message out that Northern Ireland is the place for growth and investment.”
Following the visit to The Exact Group, the Dutch TechZone delegation visited Andor Technology, which nicely brought the Triple Helix thinking all together with Andor being a spin out from Queen’s University Belfast, an innovation-led company which continues to work closely with government and academia.
The Exact Group was also recently acknowledged as an outstanding organisation in the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Recognised for Excellence (RfE) framework. This five-star accolade reinforces the company’s commitment to continuous improvement, investment in training and upskilling, and strategic and operational processes, joining some of the highest performing companies in the world.
The EFQM model is a globally recognised management framework and reinforces the high standard of work that the Dutch TechZone delegates could expect from The Exact Group.
The Exact Group prides itself on its commitment to the highest standards of quality and excellence, and in addition to the EFQM 5 Star award, holds the SC21 Silver, ISO 9001 and AS9100 standards.
