26 Aug MIA Insights: Behind Every Podium: The Power of Motorsport’s SMEs
An engineer is handed an innovative new part and told to ‘catch up with a race car.’ Not deliver it to a warehouse. Or post it. But to catch up with it, wherever in the world it happens to be and implement this new equipment or technology before race day, while solving any problems on the go.
They often travel at very short notice, sometimes across continents, timing their arrival so the part reaches the car at the right place and the right time, before moving on to the next race.
This is the reality behind one of motorsport’s least-told stories – the logistics of matching a component’s arrival to a car’s location can be uniquely complex. Motorsport is a very challenging environment, but one which is enjoyed greatly by engineers and business leaders alike.
The Businesses Behind the Performance
That engineer, delivering and installing new equipment aimed at giving the team a competitive advantage, is an example of a motorsport SME engineer at work. And it’s such SMEs, managing new technology and the need for quick development and implementation, that sits in the background, behind almost everything a motorsport fan sees on track.
When a power system, a braking system, or a transmission performs competitively under the pressure of a race, spectators celebrate the successful outcome without ever knowing how many individual small and medium-sized businesses are behind the car’s success.
It isn’t a small contribution from a small number of companies. A large number of MIA members fall under the established SME threshold of under 250 employees. The UK motorsport industry, and the UK’s position as a world leader, would not exist without this exceptional supply chain community. The contribution made by SMEs far exceeds what a spectator may assume.
Speed as a Competitive Advantage
The primary benefit for race teams in engaging with SMEs is their speed of innovation and implementation. Motorsport SMEs are, generally, lean small teams, with short decision-making processes, and a level of specialism that lets them move fast. They have become experts in their niche area, delivering low volume high performance solutions. The world of SMEs is not one of long production runs of one solution, instead it is continuously evolving in an atmosphere which is flexible and welcoming of change and innovation.
That same speed and precision is exactly what makes these businesses succeed so well beyond the racetrack. We, at the Motorsport Industry Association, increasingly help technology to transfer from the motorsport supply chain to defence, aerospace, and other high-performance sectors.
How Motorsport Valley Turns Proximity Into Performance
At events like MIA CTS – the leading Motorsport Engineering and Technology Show, we see at first-hand the speed of innovation and emerging technologies which shape the future of motorsport. Many of these originate from SMEs and their collaboration with competitive engineers working together to develop the next race-winning innovation.
MIA CTS takes place on 14-15 October, in the famous Silverstone Wing at the heart of Motorsport Valley – the UK’s unique cluster of motorsport engineering businesses, where many suppliers and customers are based a close distance from one another. This cluster further enables projects to be developed and delivered at speed, in an environment where trusting suppliers and building new relationships is key.
Motorsport Valley provides the vital proximity needed for strong supplier relationships to be built.
Reliability that Wins Business
The Motorsport supply chain runs on referral, reputation and relationships built over years. Trust and respect, in that order.
An SME wins business by being the named supplier which a team trusts when something needs fixing overnight. The reliability of the SMEs and specialist suppliers is precisely what keeps them in business, supporting major race teams around the world and putting them on the podium.
This network of competitive engineering businesses let their work speak for itself. Although they may work quietly, being an invisible powerhouse behind the glamour, their results speak loudly.
The Backbone of Motorsport’s Success
Every race weekend depends on hundreds of small companies doing extraordinary things, quietly, on time, and under pressure which many industries never face. Somewhere, right now, another motorsport engineer is catching a flight with a single special part and a job to do. They are highly motivated and ready to react fast to whatever challenges and changes may be encountered along the way. They won’t be photographed standing on a podium. But the sport cannot progress without them and many other specialist SME engineers like them.
Chris Aylett, CEO of the Motorsport Industry Association comments “SMEs are the backbone of motorsport, appreciated as an invaluable asset within the sector. The large motorsport teams are fully aware of the vital and successful work and innovation from SMEs. Although the fans, enjoying the sport, may be unaware of just how important these competitive engineers are, the motorsport industry recognises their significant contribution.”