News: Rotherham companies urged to join Sheffield Manufacturing Week

The inaugural Sheffield Manufacturing Week has been launched and Rotherham's engineering and manufacturing companies have been urged to join in with this "Festival of Manufacturing."

Over 60 guests attended the launch event which was held at the AMP Technology Centre on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, to hear contributions from speakers, including the Rt. Hon Richard Caborn, who spoke about the key role of manufacturing in the area.

He said: "Manufacturing is as important to the future of the Sheffield region as it has been to its past. Sheffield Manufacturing Week is not only a great opportunity to celebrate all that is great about manufacturing in Sheffield, and to show local people that manufacturing is still relevant to our economy, but also a tremendous occasion to showcase our manufacturing expertise to the world."

Sheffield Manufacturing Week will take place from Monday March 14 2011, and promises to be a "Festival of Manufacturing", designed to celebrate, promote and improve manufacturing in the Sheffield City Region.

Key themes will include; education, involving schools, colleges and universities; celebration, showcasing achievements and capabilities with company "Open house" days; innovation, highlighting leading edge technologies; and business growth, with opportunities in meet with key manufacturing organisations from both the UK and beyond.

The Master Cutler, James Newman, was the event's Master of Ceremonies and other speakers were; Adrian Allen of the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing; Richard Wright from the Manufacturing Forum; Kevin Parkin of Davy Markham; Jon Stewart from Siemens VAI and Alison Bettac of Firth Rixson.

Richard Wright outlined plans to utilise the region's key strengths in engineering materials technology as a basis for the bid to locate the UK's National Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing Growth Hub at the AMP, and to help springboard the region to become one of Europe's top high value manufacturing areas within the next ten years.

Sheffield Manufacturing Week is being led by Square 5 Ltd, a Sheffield based business development and communications specialist, and Creative Sheffield.

Sheffield Manufacturing Week website

Images: Square 5 Ltd