Northumbria University’s Newcastle
Business School has held a special guest panel event in collaboration with its strategic
partners the Advanced Manufacturing Forum (AMF) and Open North Foundation (ONF)
to offer insights on the UK and global economic outlook.
Expert speakers included David
Henig, Director of the UK Trade Policy Project at the European Centre for
International Political Economy; Chris McDonald, Chief Executive Officer of the
Materials Processing Institute; and Jenny Taylor, Assistant Director for
Regional Economic Development at Northumbria University.
Following a welcome address by
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, 11-times Paralympic gold medallist, House of
Lords Crossbench Peer and Chancellor of Northumbria University, panellists gave
a series of presentations and took questions from AMF and ONF members.
Topics covered Levelling Up and the
historic £1.4 billion North East devolution deal, ageing workforces, skills
shortages along with national and global economic growth forecasts. There was also an appeal made to government
for a more coherent industrialisation strategy, an area many of those present
in the meeting felt was lacking in the UK, unlike EU peers and other developed
nations.
A community of industry experts,
the AMF brings together
the North-East of England manufacturing and engineering sector to engage with
members and partners within the wider business community. A key remit of the
AMF is to exchange ideas and knowledge to generate business growth, share
opportunities and to champion advanced manufacturing in the UK. Members can
also work closely with Newcastle Business School academics and gain insight
into valuable business-focused research.
AMF Chair Richard Swart commented: “This
event was a wonderful success, exceeding our expectations, allowing all present
to benefit from the superb expert input from our range of keynote speakers on
topics so relevant to us all. We were
all so much more enlightened for it and delighted in the knowledge exchange and
debate which occurred between all present. This was a wonderful example of
collaboration between partners with different constituencies yet with so much
to learn from each other, making our region and country so much better for it.
It was brilliant to see the room so full of leading academics, business leaders
and students engaged in such vibrant exchanges for the common good.”
Dr Adrian Small, Associate
Professor of Operations Management at Newcastle Business School, added: “the themes
of the event emphasised why it is important to engage with our industry
partners. Working with the Advanced Manufacturing Forum and the Open North
Foundation allows us to translate our knowledge and know-how into exciting
knowledge exchange activities. Through continuing to work together, we hope to
add value and increase societal impact to businesses across the North East.
Baroness Grey-Thompson championed the
North East, speaking via video link, she said: “I do believe in the North East
we are ready to tackle tomorrow’s challenges and face them head on. And come
out stronger because of that. But we will only do that if we collaborate, we
work in partnership, we work with each other, and we look both inwards and
outwards in terms of what we are doing. And for me, I’ve never been prouder to
live in the North East of England than I am now.”
For more information on working
with Newcastle Business School please visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/nbs
