A new regional alliance sponsored by Gatwick and Sussex-based chartered accountants, Carpenter Box and asb law is launching on 12 July. The Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology Alliance (METALL) aims to bring together businesses in these sectors in Sussex and south Surrey to promote good practice, share experience and provide problem solving opportunities between peers.
METALL is the successor to the Sussex Manufacturing Forum but widens the scope of membership to the engineering and technology communities, as well as geographically. Each event will be based around a proven format where attendees will hear from experts and specialists on a particular subject, followed by a roundtable opportunity to discuss wider issues.
The launch event will focus on the subject of innovation – ‘Developing a culture of innovation’. The guest speakers are Dr Robert Pearson, Product Line Director at Cobham Antenna Systems and Dr Zoe Webster, Head of High Value Manufacturing at Innovate UK. They will be looking at what innovation means together with some route maps on how businesses can achieve and fund it.
Carpenter Box Partner and ex-engineer Chris Coopey, who helps to facilitate the events explained: “METALL will primarily be about helping the sector to improve and grow. It will look to make a difference by coalescing opinion and sharing experience around such things as skills and apprentice training, funding, transport infrastructure and localisation of supply chains. It will also be discussing the future and the next industrial revolution, which will be around automation, data and technology and will see the logical and seamless convergence of computing, engineering and manufacturing. All in all, something of value to anyone in the sector.”
The first METALL breakfast meeting on 12 July will be held at The Roffey Park Institute, Horsham, between 8am and 11am.
