Tony Bowkett to be next president of the Manufacturing Technologies Association

Mr Bowkett will support the current president over the next twelve months and will stand down as the MTA's Honorary Treasurer, as soon as a replacement is found. The announcement was made this month at the associations AGM, where guest speaker Professor Sir Mike Gregory spoke on sustainability and the manufacturing sector. Head of the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) at Cambridge University, he addressed members on the challenges manufacturing faces in the 21st Century. He believes the prospects for UK manufacturing are stronger than for many years, but urged members to think globally and help shape the government's initiatives for the sector. Professor Gregory concluded by outlining what he considers the key requirements for manufacturing to be a sustainable sector in the future. He recognised the importance of: encouraging young people to take up a career in engineering; ensuring a proper balance between the manufacturing and service sectors; the importance of businesses thinking internationally; and promoting a more environmentally responsible attitude by reducing pollution and energy use. MTA president, Mark Ridgway OBE, reminded members of the MTA's co-operation with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield, now part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, over the introduction of a commercial engineering apprenticeship pathway and the hosting of the Deputy Prime Minister at the launch of the initiative in February. "On a wider front, your association is working to ensure that the catapult centres themselves remain relevant and supportive to the needs of industry in general and our members in particular." The President also stressed that the association needs to ensure the relevance of new government initiatives, like the Employer Ownership of Skills programme. He added: "Any MTA Strategy must have its members' needs at its core, but it ignores at its peril the non-market forces of government. Aligning the latter to the needs of the former is a major strategic objective for your association." Mr Ridgway paid tribute to the strong sales performance to date for MACH 2014 and added that, "The delivery of a great MACH in April will be a cornerstone of the association's year." The President also assured members that he will continue to raise the association's profile both at home and abroad. Image: Left to right: Graham Dewhurst, director general, MTA; Professor Sir Mike Gregory; Mark Ridgway