Engineering and Manufacturing Forum – June 2023
Date published:
The Chamber’s engineering and manufacturing forum has been established to bring together North East businesses across engineering and manufacturing sectors, as a platform for focused discussion, sharing concerns, achievements, and best practice and information gathering to support effective Chamber campaigning.
At our most recent engineering and manufacturing forum hosted by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult in Blyth we focussed on the themes of green energy and the future skills needs of the sector.
Following an introduction by the forum’s Chair, Mick Howard, Chief Executive at Clearly Drinks we moved on to our key speaker. Simon Williams, Head of SHEQ and Supply Chain, welcomed us to their site and highlighted how the catapult are working on both blade testing and cable testing in their high voltage test lab.
He then went on to highlight some of the key challenges in creating the next generation of wind turbines. This included cable technology for floating platforms, digitalisation and robotics to help to predict maintenance issues and to reduce risk and how to effectively store energy.
They are also working with Advance Northumberland and the Port of Blyth to create Energy Central which will work with local schools as well as Universities on the skills needed for the sector in the future.
Members then discussed issues around energy storage, grid capacity and the cost of grid connection. The Chair then facilitated a wider discussion focussed on issues facing the sector such as UKSPF funding, skills shortages and perceptions of the sector.
Finally, as part of a wellbeing update, the forum heard from Andrew Ball from Thrive Together, Training & Coaching ltd around both implementing measures to improve employees mental health and measuring how effective your interventions are. This will result in reduced costs by increasing retention and productivity whilst reducing sickness days.
Attendees then enjoyed the opportunities to network and make new connections and catch up with existing contacts from across the engineering and manufacturing sectors.
“Another great forum, with lots of natural energy generated, complimenting this awesome facility” Mick Howard, Chief Executive at Clearly Drinks and Chair of the Chamber’s engineering and manufacturing forum.
“ORE Catapult is the UK’s flagship technology innovation and research centre for offshore wind, wave and tidal energy. Our mission to improve existing UK technologies and develop new ones, we specialise not only in research projects but the commercialisation of technologies. I am passionate about raising awareness of the sector and engineering, it’s essential that we engage with schools and raise awareness of the opportunity that exists in the North East.” Simon Williams, Head of SHEQ and Supply Chain.
We will be hosting another 2 engineering and manufacturing forums in 2023, with the next provisionally held for 14 September, and we’d like to encourage any Chamber member in these sectors to come along. To find out more or to be included in the forum invite list, please contact either: [email protected] or [email protected].