Welcome to one of our ‘collector’s item’ Thursday Briefs. The approach of the long weekend means that we’re a day early this week.
The weather outside was still freezing in Birmingham last night but indoors at the ICC was a different story as MTA members and their guests enjoyed good food and company along with a spectacular show by fire performers Flame Oz. You can read about the well-received speech from MTA President Mark Ridgway and the winners of the Manufacturing Industry Awards below.
Additive Layer Manufacturing is a subject that can create more heat than light (perhaps appropriately given the nature of the technology…) and the next MTA date for your diary will cover what is probably the hottest topic in manufacturing right now. The half day seminar at Warwick Manufacturing Group on the 23rd April will seek to demonstrate how SMEs can, and increasingly are, getting involved in it – full details including speakers below.
In Brussels this week CECIMO, the European Umbrella body of which MTA is a member, published a piece of work examining the drivers for growth of the European Machine Tool industry. Top of the list is Globalisation; but the Innovation, Skills, Marketing, Supply Chain Relations and Sustainability also feature.
Elsewhere we’ve news of events of events to encourage MTA Members companies to enter the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative. If you’re part of a supply chain that could do with Government funding to give it a boost let Paul O’Donnell at the MTA (podonnell@mta.org.uk) know and discuss whether this could be for you.
In Economic News this week there are a series of mixed pictures from surveys including those from the ONS and the CBI with analysis from Geoff Noon. Last but by no means least, congratulations are due to Geoff who was awarded the Association’s Commemorative Pin last night in recognition of nearly thirty years service at the MTA.