Summit highlights video

The video highlights of the landmark summit can be viewed at http://tv.theiet.org/technology/manu/index.cfm. The Manufacturing Summit attracted over 150 industry delegate who debated the key next steps to rebuilding UK manufacturing. A panel debate was dominated by complaints over difficulty accessing fresh finance from SMEs. Delegates claimed banks were frustrating access to finance through arbitrary requests for personal guarantees on applications. Footage includes a keynote address from business minister Mark Prisk. Prisk vowed to tackle the outdated public image of manufacturing through a government initiative to get students to tour factories. In response, one delegate branded the scheme "unambitious" and called for a fly on the wall style TV docusoap to broaden manufacturing's appeal. The summit also included keynote speeches from GKN's Andrew Reynolds Smith and EEF economist Lee Hopley at the Manufacturing Summit held on 2 March. All of these are available in full at http://tv.theiet.org/technology/manu/index.cfm.