The Research and Development Society

Tuesday 15 January 2008, 10am
The Innovation Technology Centre, Advanced Manufacturing Park, Brunel Way, Catcliffe, Rotherham, S60 5WG - map

The Innovation Technology Centre in association with the R & D Society invites you to join a celebration of ‘Renaissance in Manufacturing’ to mark the centre’s 1st anniversary, on Tuesday 15 January 2008, at the ITC, near Sheffield.

The UK’s manufacturing industry has undergone a number of changes over recent years and companies have had to adapt to changing markets and competition. The industry is now home to scores of successful companies producing high end, high quality products. In Yorkshire, manufacturing and engineering has been identified as a growth industry and has received substantial investment enabling new companies to be formed and jobs created. The UK excels in high-quality, high-end manufacturing of everything from pharmaceuticals to plastics to powerboats. This event will celebrate high-quality innovative manufacturing backed by high-quality UK-based R&D.

One project that is part of this renaissance is the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham which is home to a combination of research organisations and high-tech industries involved in precision manufacturing and advanced materials technology processes. The park is also home to The Innovation Technology Centre (ITC) which offers 27,000 sq ft of flexible office and workshop space for start-up or early stage, high growth companies or subsidiaries or R&D operations of existing companies.

After a successful 1st year including being shortlisted as a Best Newcomer in the UKBI Annual Awards, the ITC is over 80% full and home to some of the region’s brightest manufacturing and engineering talent. This event will give you the chance to hear talks on a variety of interesting topics and to learn about the new technologies/products that are being developed by the companies in the building.

Programme of events:
10.00 Guest arrival
10.30 Welcome - Introduction from Yorkshire Forward representative
10.40 1st year success of ITC: David Kingham, CEO – Oxford Innovation Ltd
10.50 Case study of a start-up company in the ITC: Tony Fordham, Managing Director – ITI Energy Ltd
11.15 Challenge from UK manufacturing: Prof Keith Ridgway – AMRC
11. 40 Break
12.10 Local manufacturing excellence story: Chris Rea, Group Managing Director – AESSEAL PLC
12.30 UK manufacturing competitiveness (speaker to be confirmed)
13.00 Buffet & Networking
14.30 Event ends