The Global Manufacturing Festival 2012 built on 2011. Its objective was to raise the understanding of what advanced manufacturing really is, the UK’s unique strengths in the sector, and Sheffield City Regions position at the hub of the UK’s engineering supply chains. The festival provided an opportunity for business leaders from across the world to understand the main issues in the sector, the facilities available to them and to do real business.
The festival attracted over 2,000 delegates ranging from customers, government officials, the media and business leaders from around the UK and internationally. It focused on 4 main events; Get Up To Speed – Skills and Education Show, which brought together young people, schools, parents and students with local engineering and manufacturing businesses. Sir Roger Bone, President of Boeing UK, delivered a management lecture, organised by the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, while Made in Sheffield staged their annual awards dinner at the Cutlers’ Hall, with Dr Karl-Ulrich Köhler, managing director and chief executive of Tata Steel Europe the keynote speaker.
The Convention and Trade show saw presentations from Jeremy Browne MP, Lee Hopley from EEF, Chris Squires at EDF, Andrew Peters from Siemens Drive Technologies, Sir Chris O’Donnell former CEO of Smith & Nephew, Ric Parker of Rolls-Royce, Dr. Alan McLelland at NAMTEC and Professor Keith Ridgway CBE, University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing. There were also case-studies from Harry Hutchinson, HGF Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys and Dr Edward Draper, from Sheffield-based manufacturer JRI Orthopaedics Ltd.