event

Join us for the launch of The Smart Manufacturing Alliance on 13 October 2021.

Established as a joint venture by the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Business Board and economic development company, Opportunity Peterborough, the Alliance will drive innovation, collaboration, and productivity among the region's 3,000+ manufacturers.

Our aim is to grow the sector's GVA by £50 million over the next 10 years by:

• supporting job creation,
• encouraging the adoption and optimisation of Industry 4.0 technologies
• working directly with manufacturers to help them improve productivity and increase competitiveness
• helping manufacturers to make early gains in new and emerging markets.

The Alliance is also partnering with Opportunity Peterborough to deliver a £1.2 million ERDF programme, ACMI 4.0. This includes a grant fund to support the purchase of new equipment.

Meet like-minded professionals in your sector from across the region, meet our Advisory Board of industry leaders, and talk to our expert team to see how we could help your business adapt, digitise, develop its workforce, and reach its full potential.

Agenda

08:30 Teas, coffees, and breakfast rolls

09:00 Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Mayor - Dr Nik Johnson; Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Business Board - Nitin Patel - Supporting manufacturers in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough

Introduction to the Smart Manufacturing Alliance - Tom Hennessy - Opportunity Peterborough

Benefits of Manufacturing Networks - Jamie Thums OBE - Chair of NAAME - A first-hand account of the impact of manufacturing networks on businesses and regional economies - the success of NAAME

Prof Duncan McFarlane - Institute for Manufacturing - Industry 4.0 on a shoestring

10:25 Coffee break

10:55 Mark Stone - Industrial Consulting - The benefits of peer group networking and how Industry 4.0 can work for SMEs

Sally Tipping, Photocentric - A Blueprint for Growth and Innovation in Additive Manufacturing - Photocentric's Journey

Panel session

Lunch

12:45 Networking lunch (optional)

13:30 Close

More about our offer to members

Our experts will provide one-to-one support to members, including an operational diagnostics to pinpoint performance gaps and strengths. We’ll produce bespoke action plans from the results and work with you and your teams to address business challenges and unlock new opportunities.

In addition, the Alliance will also run an ERDF funded programme designed to help manufacturers adopt, optimise, and invest in Industry 4.0 technologies.

At a glance

• Identify performance gaps with our diagnostics toolkit
• Benchmark and track performance
• Upskill technical expertise through our training brokerage
• Affiliate membership to MAKE UK with access to HR Services
• Bridge productivity gaps
• Leverage our network to tap into new markets
• Work alongside industry leaders to access cutting-edge information
• Collaborate with ambitious manufacturers and SMEs
• Coordinate research projects with academia
• Enhanced networking opportunities through business visits, events, and workshops with local manufacturers and engineers
• Facilitate pilot projects with challenge-led innovation platforms
• Grant funding advice and guidance including grants towards Industry 4.0 technologies

To discuss how membership could benefit your business in more detail, email: info@sma-uk.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter: @SmartMfgA

and Linkedin: /smart-manufacturing-alliance/