NAA Update: Moving North Conference
I write this on my first working day after the LowCVP ‘Moving North’ Conference, where the NAA was a partner – if you weren’t able to attend this important event, please see the full review of the conference Link to Moving North Conference review…
Andy Burnham was an inspiring speaker, his comment on “reversing the industrial revolution: the last one took away people’s places and clean air – this time we need to ensure we have clean air to breathe” is something we will all remember. He also commented on the aim of Greater Manchester to bring forward the date of achieving carbon neutrality compared to the UK target – by at least a decade. Andy is open to proposals on the Low Carbon agenda, we just need to submit them!
So with that in mind, we are looking to hold follow-up workshops to develop ideas around particular areas that the North can progress, that were identified during the final Q&A session by the attendees. These areas are:
- Develop a specialism in lightweighting
- Develop a specialism in the electrification of commercial vehicles and buses
- Develop additional test facilities, especially for commercial vehicles
- More activity in the area of batteries (accepting that Nissan has already invested heavily in this technology in Sunderland)
- Making the region as EV-ready as it can be, including by linking transport planning and electricity network planning
- Greater collaboration
If you would like to be involved in developing these proposals further, then please contact me. I’m looking forward to working more closely with the LowCVP following this event.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the LowCVP for choosing the North West as a location to hold their first conference outside of London, and I would also like to thank the speakers for giving their time to be involved in this event. And well done to the NAA members who attended; from what I saw, there was a lot of networking going on! And of course thanks to NAA member GEFCO for being a joint headline sponsor of the event with Uber.
A date for your diaries is Tuesday 3 July for our next networking meeting at Wynne Aviation. As those of you who were at the new members presentation that Tom gave at the BAC visit in March will know, this should be a very interesting visit to Liverpool Airport to understand the role that Wynne plays in the freight side of the business – I even hear a rumour that it may be held on a plane… Watch out for further announcements as I’m sure it will get sold out very quickly.
However, while we wait for that and the summer to arrive, get yourselves registered for our visit to Helical Technology on Thursday 17 May.
I would also like to welcome (back) new member the Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC). We look forward to a long relationship with you.
Carol
