MAKE UK CONFERENCE JANUARY 2020
BUSINESS
INTELLIGENCE
Make UK’s National Manufacturing
Conference, held on 25 February 2020,
sees some of the leading names from
UK manufacturing gather in Westminster
TBY CHRIS BECK
he recent election result may finally pave
the way for a Brexit resolution, ending
three-and-a-half years of uncertainty
amongst UK businesses. However, there
will still be many hurdles for industry
navigate – not least any future trade
deals with Europe, the USA and beyond.
This year’s National Manufacturing
Conference, organised by Make UK, will provide
delegates the opportunity to learn new processes
and practices that will help your business grow
in spite of any ongoing uncertainty.
Manufacturing Management is the headline
media partner for the conference, which sees 900
industry leaders gather for a day of debate and
learning. Here, we ask a number of the event’s
speakers about the conference programme and
wider industry trends.
Mark Sage, executive director,
AR for Enterprise Alliance (AREA)
Workshop: Small Steps for Big Results
Tell us more about you and the company
AREA is the only global, membership-funded nonprofit
alliance dedicated to helping accelerate the
adoption of Enterprise Augmented Reality (AR)
by supporting the growth of a comprehensive
ecosystem. We support innovative companies,
investing in AR technology who need a better
understanding of the tools available, use cases,
methods of implementation and RoI.
What, for you, is the most pressing concern
facing manufacturing in the UK?
To be able to compete and survive in a global
economy, UK manufacturing companies need to
operate at peak performance. Companies need
to embrace technology to make a real, tangible
difference and the use of Augmented Reality is
one of many useful technologies.
How can events like the National
Manufacturing Conference help address
these concerns?
The National Manufacturing Conference provides
a unique opportunity to listen
to the industry thought leaders,
gain industry insights and help
develop best practice.
Why should manufacturers
attend the conference?
To ensure your company is
relevant, well informed and take
the opportunity to network with
peers and industry experts.
What is your hope for the
future of the industry?
That the industry continues to
position itself as global, dynamic
and technology-leading, which
will help us overcome any future
challenges.
Scott Patterson, defence
director, Petards
Workshop: Manufacturing
and Defence: A Symbiotic
Relationship
Tell us more about you
and the company
Petards helps the military,
government agencies and other
companies adopt innovative
technologies. Following a career
as a weapons engineer in the
Royal Navy, I spent eight years
with Babcock International,
where I helped to create their
Mark Sage
wants better
adoption of
technology in the
manufacturing
sector
Scott Patterson
sees the
conference
as a prime
opportunity to
learn from peers
Smart Technology roadmaps,
Augmented Reality systems
and high-performing support
solutions.
What, for you, is the most
pressing concern facing
manufacturing in the UK?
For me the most pressing
concern facing manufacturing
in the UK is skills. Not just the
fashionable skills in software,
analytics or data science
(although those are vital too)
but also the traditional handson
craftsmanship and knowhow.
I see an older generation
who can still design for robust
manufacture, build, assemble
and test. I also see a huge gap
where the younger generations
haven’t served their time and
aren’t developing their own
similar skills.
The gap is now often filled
by overseas suppliers. They
do provide very high-quality
components at competitive
prices but for some of our
defence customers it just isn’t
be appropriate to rely on them
alone. Unfortunately, the UK
supply base has got thinner
and we have to look harder and
harder for good manufacturing
companies to work with.
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