EXHIBITION PREVIEW SETTING THE SCENE
Finally, the show is supported by Lloyds
Bank for the 10th year as headline sponsor.
Relationship director, London & South
Mid-Markets at Lloyds Bank Commercial
Banking Rebecca Wicks gave an overview
of the organisation’s engagement with the
manufacturing sector. “Since 2014, Lloyd’s
has committed nearly £6 billion of new
lending to the manufacturing sector. And for
the three years 2018 to 2020, we pledged
a further £3 billion. My team is doubling
in size in the next few months serving
companies with £25-100 million turnover,
so we see the sector as a huge growth
opportunity for us to help support and pull
the UK economy as a whole. We support
around one in ve manufacturing businesses
throughout the UK and across all sectors.
Our commitment is for the long term, helping
Britain prosper.”
She underlined that the current £1 million
Annual Investment Allowance, increased
from £200,000 in January 2019 until the
end of this year, has seen less take up than
anticipated. It seems that many SMEs are
unaware of this change, she added, but
stated that visitors to MACH 2020 have a
further nine months to take advantage of
this generous investment support.
Turning to the issue of skills, she told
the audience that Lloyds is also providing
support here. “Knowledge is the future, so
we also want to help ght the skill shortage
within the sector, to protect and enhance the
long-term future of manufacturing in the UK.
We’ve pledged £10 million of sponsorship to
the MTC to train apprentices, graduates and
engineers over 10 years through to 2024.
“So far this has enabled the training
and upskilling of almost 200 apprentices,
300 engineers and 80 graduates. We’re
immensely proud of our sponsorship and the
support it provides for those that will be the
future of the manufacturing sector.”
Indeed, MACH this year is, as ever,
focused on the future, providing the shop
window to the technology that will make the
coming decade’s promise reality.
still inviting applications for new projects. In
addition to the individual HVM Catapults, the
HVM Catapult itself is taking a stand this
year, with a focus on SME engagement and
adoption of new technology.
In addition to that, ‘Made Smarter’
and HS2 will both be at the show. HS2’s
presence is very much about engaging with
the UK supply chain – in the UK Supply
Chain zone in Hall 6. ‘Made Smarter’ helps
makers keep their competitive edge, with
digital tools. Made Smarter, also in Hall 6,
offers fully funded advice from specialist
technology experts to member companies.
It helps companies identify the right digital
tools and how to use them to make everyday
improvements to their businesses. Both
will be part of the yet-to-be-detailed seminar
programme.
On a mission at MACH 2020
Mission Automotive is a charity that the MTA is supporting for the next two years and which
will be present at MACH 2020 (Hall 7, Stand 44). The organisation is helping people that
are leaving the forces and looking for work in the automotive sector. Many of them are
trained engineers, who are working on things like submarines, where there is high voltage
work being done. With the advent of electric vehicles, there is a need for people that have
such experience, the MTA suggests.
16 January 2020 www.machinery.co.uk @MachineryTweets
Copyright: Max Alexander, Airbus
Automation will be a key theme this
year, building on 2018’s growing trend
in this area
Airbus Defence and Space’s Mars rover
vehicle Bruno will be a feature of the
Education & Development zone
/www.machinery.co.uk