Top politicians lined up for manufacturing summit

Already signed up to the panel – to be chaired by Sunday Times Economics Editor David Smith – are the Conservative Shadow Minister for Energy and Industry Charles Hendry MP (pictured) and the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in the House of Lords, Lord Razzall. They will be among a heavyweight group of industry experts and industrialists including EDF Energy strategist Jim Butler and Manufacturing Advisory Service Principal Specialist David Caddle with more top names due to be announced imminently. The summit has been called because, for manufacturers, there are urgent strategic issues around commodity prices and fuel/energy costs. Ken Hurst, editorial director of Works Management magazine, which is organising the summit for its readers, said: “Apart from the obvious pressures these issues bring about, there are opportunities too. They arise from narrowing the manufacturing, logistics and labour cost advantages enjoyed by low cost countries, the potential of new ‘green’ markets and incentives to become more productive through energy efficiencies. “This manufacturing summit will answer delegates’ questions on these urgent and pressing issues and will then endeavour to get underneath them and begin to find some resolutions at a series of round table sessions.” Readership research undertaken to provide a basis for the summit had provoked an unprecedented response and its outcomes and their implications for UK manufacturing would provide a helpful focus for the meeting, he added. The Manufacturing Summit will take place at The Royal Society for Arts Manufactures and Commerce, London, on 25 September. For further information and to register your interest in attending, visit www.manufacturingsummit.co.uk.