How a Coventry robotics firm is accelerating into international markets with a multimillion-pound deal

Expert Technologies Group secures a major contract with Spanish automotive firm thanks to support from UK Export Finance.

A Midlands manufacturer is becoming a British success story. With support from the UK government, the robotics company is now exporting into Europe after securing a €1.4 million financing deal with a Spanish automotive parts supplier.

Expert Technologies Group (ETG) specialises in designing and delivering robotic assembly systems, tools and special machinery which support automated assembly lines. They’re already a supplier to major UK-based manufacturers such as JLR, but in recent years they have exported more overseas.

The company works on multiple bespoke projects with various timeframes, and this can be capital intensive for any business.

With ambitions to grow exports into global markets, ETG turned to UK Export Finance (UKEF), a government department that provides guarantees and insurance to help UK exporters access international trading opportunities.

They were able to secure a General Export Facility, where UKEF provides a partial guarantee to a UK business’s bank to help them gain access to trade finance, including loans and letters of credit. UKEF’s guarantee can unlock working capital to support business growth – without being tied to a specific export contract.

For ETG, this facility enabled them to secure €1.4 million of working capital from Natwest to help it deliver a new project with the Spanish arm of Sumitomo Electric Bordnetze (SEBN), a global supplier of parts for the automotive industry. The project will comprise two brand-new automated auxiliary harness assembly lines for electric vehicles and supports up to 10 jobs within the group.

“The support we received from UK Export Finance has allowed us to successfully be awarded the project with SEBN, who are a new customer to ourselves; says Angelo Luciano, ETG’s chief executive. “This is the first project we have been awarded in Spain since both Brexit and Covid.”

Fiona Begley, UKEF Export Finance Manager (Coventry & Warwickshire) added: “The Midlands is still renowned as a centre of excellence in manufacturing, with businesses like Expert Technologies Group playing a key part in the global automotive supply chain. Support from UK Export Finance means that once again, a UK innovator has been able to take a leap towards new markets and new clients, secure in the knowledge that it has the right financing.”

Since being awarded the deal with SEBN, the group have now formed a strategic partnership with Warwickshire-based engineering company Ansomat, which will see them unite ETG’s integrated manufacturing systems with Ansomat’s operator guidance solutions and open even more opportunities to grow the company in the future.

How UKEF can help support your business

In 2023-24, UKEF provided £8.8 billion in support for UK exports.

• Buyer finance

Provides attractive financing terms for overseas buyers of UK goods and services to help exporters make their offering more competitive.

• Exporter guarantees Help companies access the support they need to fulfil a contract, boosting their ability to take on more work and increase their turnover.

• Insurance

Supports companies in managing risks in challenging markets, ensuring that they get paid even where the private market is not able to offer insurance.

Find out how UK Export Finance could help your business on its export journey. Contact: Fiona Begley, Export Finance Manager for Coventry and Warwickshire: Fiona.begley@ukexportfinance.gov.uk