Northern Manufacturing 2019 focuses on business

A key element of this year's show is business development. For the first time, the event is being supported by the two key regional aerospace and automotive business organisations, the North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA) and the Northern Automotive Alliance (NAA), plus several other important national organisations, such as Composites UK, the SMMT, the GTMA, the BGA and the CBM. Also present will be Made Smarter and the Manufacturing Growth Fund, offering advice on Industry 4.0 and grant opportunities, and representatives from HMRC offering guidance on customs and export procedures in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Alongside the latest hardware, the show offers visitors the rare opportunity to increase their knowledge through the show's impressive free technical seminar programme. Open to all visitors, the wide-ranging programme addresses business as well as technical topics and is designed to provide practical take-away benefits to those working in engineering or manufacturing environments.

Award-winning author, creator of the Lean Iceberg Model and partner at S.A. Partners, Gary Griffiths, will share how "Excellent' organisations have delivered results for their business by embedding and sustaining Lean & Continuous Improvement. Andy Brunskill, author of "TPM: A Foundation of Operational Excellence', will discuss an 11-step model which can be used to deploy an effective, systematic TPM programme. Popular presenter Tim Scurlock takes a detailed look at how Porsche improved performance by the use of Lean techniques to reduced cost and lead times.

Made Smarter and the Manufacturing Growth Fund will present an overview of how companies across the region have grown their businesses, including practical tips on how to access the advice, funding and support that is available across the North West. Dr Ben Hargreaves of NetComposites and exhibiting firm Coventive Composites, will deliver an introduction to the world of composites. Janaina Gianfelice de Castro, from manufacturer SABIC, takes a more in-depth look at the firm's ULTEM resin portfolio and how advanced materials can be used to deliver thinner, lighter, more energy-efficient products. Other sessions look at topics such as CE marking, mergers and acquisition strategies, and a look at the R&D incentives available from HMRC. A full list of sessions is available at www.industrynorth.co.uk.

Entry to Northern Manufacturing & Electronics 2019 is free and there's on-site free parking for 3,000 cars, with easy access by road and public transport from central Manchester. Pre-registered tickets are available online at www.industrynorth.co.uk or on the door.