A Manufactured Products Industry Day facilitated connections between prospective manufacturing businesses and Sellafield Ltd’s needs for nuclear clean-up.

West Cumbria's Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH) organised the Manufactured Products Industry Day at Rheged in Penrith.

More than 200 representatives from firms across Cumbria and the UK attended the event.

The Manufactured Products Industry Day was held at Reghed in Penrith (Image: Supplied) The aim was to encourage collaboration between Sellafield’s Manufactured Products Organisation and suppliers who can meet the nuclear site’s critical requirements.

iSH also used the event to launch a new manufacturing cluster.

This cluster aims to bring together businesses of various sizes to collaborate, innovate, and develop solutions supporting West Cumbria and the nuclear decommissioning sector.

Gary McKeating, managing director of iSH, said: "The event sold out quickly and was a success.

Gary McKeating, managing director of West Cumbria's Industrial Solutions Hub (Image: Supplied) "This shows the ambition of firms in this sector to bring forward their skills and capabilities to become part of Sellafield's drive for continuous improvement and collaboration.

"Events like this are crucial in making connections and building valuable working relationships with manufacturers.

"We want to create an engaged and capable supply chain for the future, and I’m very pleased with the outcome.

"We are also pleased to announce the launch of a manufacturing cluster which will create solutions through collaborative working which can then be promoted, through iSH, internationally and to other sectors.

"Cumbria has precision manufacturing companies which are extremely experienced in developing technology which can be used in challenging environments.

"Collaboration through a cluster approach will enable and encourage engagement towards quality, innovation and continuously improving industrial solutions."

The Industry Day also provided insight into Sellafield's product requirements, upcoming tenders, and proposed routes to market.

Guidance was given on the skills and capabilities needed to meet the required standards.

There were industry networking opportunities to promote supply chain collaboration, Q&A sessions, and the chance for private meetings with buyers and product specialists from Sellafield.

The day allowed companies to meet with a view to potentially collaborating in the future to bid for forthcoming procurements.

Attendees gave positive feedback, stating they learned much more about Sellafield Ltd’s manufacturing needs than they had known before.ser West Cumbria-based iSH will provide resources and training to support businesses in meeting the requirements of the Manufactured Products Organisation.

Gareth Frazer, head of the Manufactured Products Organisation, said: "This event outlines a new approach by Sellafield to develop the supply chain for manufactured products required to support one of the UK’s most critical environmental missions.

"We want businesses to see the value in working with us and want feedback from existing or new suppliers on what we can do to improve to ensure successful and collaborative relationships going forwards."