Having full government support, along with that of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and Innovate UK, the project has the potential to influence not only government policy but to sit alongside major Sector Strategies such as those for aerospace and automotive, and help shape their priorities, too, says EAMA member and MACH 2016 exhibition organiser the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA), which is encouraging its members to take part.
The project aims to help UK companies directly share in the benefits of significant growth and close supply chain gaps in key sectors such as automotive, aerospace, rail, built environment, energy and health.
Two workshops are planned; one, on identifying priorities, on 3 February at ABB in Milton Keynes; and another, on working through practicalities, on the 15 March at the MTC in Coventry.
The workshops follow a successful pilot, with delegates helping to identify market opportunities and their size, and the resources available to help supply chain companies’ exploit those gaps.
This initial work will focus on a pilot sector and geographic area, and involve the assessment of key supply chain capability and capacity gaps, together with the identification of best available innovation support from, for example, Catapults, Local Innovation Centres, Innovate UK, Local Enterprise Partnerships and education providers, says EAMA.
MTA members should contact the organisation's head of external affairs, Paul O’Donnell.
