Former Chief Executive of Siemens UK and founder of the successful Made Smarter programme, will be the keynote speaker at an online summit looking at the future of manufacturing in Cumbria next week.

Juergen Maier will speak at the event, which is led by Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership’s (CLEP). It is open to all manufacturing businesses in Cumbria, or to individuals working with manufacturing businesses.

The Summit is taking place on April 15 from 9.30am to 12:30pm, via Zoom videoconference, and will also feature contributions from Alan Cross at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and Simon Lee, Supply Chain Director at BAE.

Juergen Maier is the chairman of the Digital Catapult and co-chair of UK’s Made Smarter programme. He also champions prosperity generation in northern regions and is a board member of both the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership. He was also a member of the Industrial Strategy Council, which until recently provided impartial and expert advice to government.

The STFC is a UK Government agency that carries out research in science and engineering and funds UK research in areas including particle physics, nuclear physics, space science and astronomy, both ground-based and space-based.

Alan will be talking to attendees about the world of smart factories and how space technology could drive our manufacturing sector in the future.

Simon Lee will outline BAE’s approach to supply chains and the importance of local supply chain resilience.

Attendees will be able to ask questions of all presenters, and there will be a panel discussion on how Cumbrian businesses can make the most of future opportunities in the manufacturing sector.

The event will be co-hosted by John Coughlan, Chair of CLEP’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector Panel, and CLEP’s Chief Executive Jo Lappin. John said: “Cumbria’s manufacturing businesses are key drivers of productivity, growth and prosperity in the county, making up 23% of our economic output.

“After one of the most challenging years ever, now is the perfect time for the sector to consider how it can adopt new ways of working, make the most of innovation funding opportunities and diversify into new markets and products.

“We hope that as many people as possible will take the opportunity to join our excellent panel of speakers to hear their views on the future of manufacturing, the approaches that are being taken to develop businesses that are able to compete in a globally competitive marketplace.”To register go to: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JqX9XCRiQO6687NeXe8S0w