A systems integration specialist is aiming to grow and take on larger projects as part of a formal collaboration with a mechanical engineering, design and manufacturing firm.

Delkia, based in Egremont, has announced it will be formally collaborating with PWHytek, based in Stockport and Burnley, on certain projects.

Delkia, formerly known as iControls until 2016, was begun in 2013 and employs 14 people at eight sites in Egremont, developing hardware and software to integrate different types of systems so they can function together.

“We work predominantly in the nuclear and defence sector and we build and design control systems for our clients, which are predominantly bespoke,” said managing director Kurt Canfield.

“In the nuclear industry we work with safety systems, radiometric and building control systems, power distribution and control as well as power optimisation systems.

“Within the defence sector we develop a variety of systems, like command and control systems, combat systems as well as automated vehicle control systems.”

While Delkia focuses on digital engineering, systems consultancy, systems integration, build-to-print and complex systems support, PWHytek is a design for manufacture specialist.

It provides services including mechanical engineering, 3D and 2D design, stress analysis, tooling design, and manufacturing support.

“We have worked on other projects and found we were working in the same arena,” said Kurt.

“It was a bit of a quid pro quo that we had common markets.

“They work in sectors that are very aligned to our strategy in terms of the defence market.

“But working together increases both of our access to markets.

“By teaming together the vision is that we can do larger projects that require a multi-discipline approach.

“At the moment they are very specialist in what they do and we are very specialist in what we do, but by coming together and having this understanding and working in collaboration allows us to bid for larger projects.”

Kurt said Delkia is looking to recruit and hopes to increase its specialist staff to over 20 by the end of the year.

Pete Welsh, managing director of PWHytek, said: “As we have complementary offerings, we aren’t competing on the same jobs, so the agreement allows us to take on larger multidisciplinary projects than before due to our expanded bandwidth.”