NAA Update: Forthcoming industry events for your diary
A number of industry events are coming up in 2024, ranging from the SMMT Regional Forum North West and the Cenex Expo to the NAA Annual Awards & Networking Dinner.
Welcome to this month’s newsletter and I hope that you are all keeping well.
I want to begin this month’s newsletter by talking about last week’s Spring Budget, which sadly represents a missed opportunity to jumpstart the mass EV transition amid slowing demand for privately bought EVs. The industry was looking to the Chancellor to implement a package of fiscal measures to stimulate demand.
Britain is the only major European market with an end-of-sale date and a prescriptive market regulation, but no private EV incentives. While incentives are available for Britons to buy other mission-critical, net zero tech such as heat pumps and solar panels, electric vehicles are afforded no such support. That’s why industry has called for fair and cost-effective measures for decarbonising road transport. The most important measure – and the one to which consumers would most respond – is a temporary halving of VAT on new EVs for three years, saving the average EV buyer around £4,000 off the upfront purchase price, while costing the Treasury less than the early adopters’ Plug-in Car Grant. This measure alone would put more than a quarter of a million additional EVs on the road – all substitutional purchases for fossil fuel alternatives.
In other more positive news, the Niche Vehicle Network Production Readiness Competition 2024 is now open for applications. This Competition provides a platform for collaborative research and development of zero tailpipe emission vehicle technologies within the UK niche vehicle sector. It is funded by the Department for Business and Trade, via the Advanced Propulsion Centre, supported by Innovate UK, delivered by the Niche Vehicle Network with support from Cenex. The Competition is open to niche vehicle manufacturers, system suppliers and design/engineering or technology organisations active in the UK specialist and low volume manufacturing sector who wish to collaborate on innovative, industry-led projects. Applications can only be submitted online through the NVN Funding Gateway.
Elsewhere, NAA member Siemens has recently produced a very topical paper titled Securing Success for Your Business. This paper reflects the views and experiences of a range of thought leaders on how digitalisation of the manufacturing sector is creating new cyber security threats and vulnerabilities through increased connectivity between Information Technology systems and production-based Operating Technology systems. This has accelerated the need for increased attention to cyber security measures, as recommended by industry associations and Government alike.
Moving on to the membership side, I would like to welcome one new member this month:
Ben – Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund
Ben partners exclusively with the automotive industry to provide support for life to its people and their family dependents. They partner with businesses to help them improve the health and well-being of their workforces.
We will hear more from Ben in the coming months.
Elsewhere in this month’s newsletter, you can read about some of the latest developments from a selection of our other members, including Businesswise Solutions, Klarius Products, OMRON, Siemens, UTAC and more…
Last month we visited Stellantis, Ellesmere Port to see the results of the recent €160 million investment into the UK’s first dedicated EV manufacturing facility. The full event report can be read later in the e-news.
Dates for your diary – NAA Events / Webinars:
28 March / 11:00 – 12:00
NAA Members’ Virtual Roundtable – A great way to network from your own desk.
SAVE THE DATE!!! The NAA Annual Awards & Networking Dinner will take place on Thursday 19 September and will be held at Crewe Hall, Cheshire. We have a special rate for rooms so please contact Zoe for information.
If you would like to register for any of the above NAA events and/or webinars, please contact Zoe.
Other Events:
University of Liverpool Business Breakfast
The Women’s Organisation, 54 St James St, Liverpool L1 0AB (Roddick Rooms)
27 March / 09:00 – 11:00
Join the University of Liverpool Management School for its latest Business Breakfast meeting which will take place at The Women’s Organisation on Wednesday 27th March 2024 – “Unleashing the Power of Women in the Liverpool City Region”.
Expert speakers, Professor Ian Burn (Professor of Economics, ULMS) and Dawn Paine (CEO & Co-Founder, Aurora ) will address the challenges faced by women at all stages of their careers and explore practical solutions for creating better conditions for women to succeed in the workplace.
The event will provide insights into the barriers encountered by women at various career stages, from early career to retirement, and highlight strategies for employers to support and empower women in the workforce. This session will also address the critical role of male allyship in achieving genuine gender equality in the workplace, with emphasis on the significance of collaboration and mutual support between men and women as essential drivers of positive change.
Tickets are limited – so register quickly to avoid missing out!
Register your free place here
Webinar
12 April / 14:30 – 15:45
Make UK: Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism – (CBAM) – What does it mean?
Already in force in the EU since October 2023 the Carbon Borders Adjustment Mechanism is starting to require UK businesses to report on carbon within their products which they then export into Europe, this is known as EU CBAM.
If you are a UK business exporting into businesses in the EU it is likely that you will be asked to report on your Scope1 and Scope 2 emissions for the products that you supply during the initial transitionary period which began on the 1st of October 2023.
Register here
Future Mobility Asia Exhibition and Summit
Bangkok
15-17 May
SMMT are organising the UK Pavilion at Future Mobility Asia in Bangkok, Thailand this May. In addition to the subsidised exhibition space that they are offering, there are numerous activities that they are also including for exhibitors aimed at amplifying your company’s reach and impact and elevating your brand message beyond the exhibition stand.
Full details here.
SMMT Regional Forum North West
Liverpool
Tuesday 4 June
SMMT Regional Forum provides a platform for discussion on the opportunities and challenges for the automotive industry in the region and regularly attracts 200+ senior automotive delegates, from a wide range of companies including vehicle manufacturers, global and local suppliers.
This is a must attend event for those looking to network with key contacts within the UK automotive industry.
The sessions will highlight key industry insights for the region and how companies are responding to the need to develop the UK’s EV capability.
Registration for the event is now open and is FREE to SMMT members. You will need your company’s SMMT membership number to register for the event.
You will be given the option to book a stand when you register online.
SMMT Member Exhibition Space: £700 + VAT per stand (early bird rate £600 +VAT)
SMMT Non-Member Exhibition Space: £1,250 + VAT per stand (early bird rate £999 +VAT)
Full details here.
CENEX-LCV and CENEX CAM become CENEX EXPO
Wednesday 4 September & Thursday 5 September 2024
Book your stand for Cenex Expo 2024
Cenex Expo (previously known as Cenex-LCV and Cenex-CAM) will continue to be held at UTAC Millbrook on Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th September 2024. In 2023, there were 4,715 attendees, 227 exhibitors and 165 speakers with this year due to be bigger and better – an event not to be missed!
Sales are now open. You can view the Cenex Expo sales prospectus here. Following the success of last year’s event, demand for exhibition space is already extremely high, so secure your stand now.
Contact exposales@cenex.co.uk for more information.
National Manufacturing Day
Thursday 26 September
Make UK is spearheading the campaign and is inviting every manufacturing company across the UK to take part in this national day of celebration. The idea is simple – manufacturers just have to invite a section of the local community into their business. Showcasing first-hand the breadth of diverse and well-paid career opportunities on offer to schools, colleges, friends and family, and local job seekers – full details can be found later in the e-news.
Global Manufacturing Technology Show
Liverpool
Wednesday 27 November & Thursday 28 November 2024
A brand-new exhibition and conference, taking place in the northern heart of UK manufacturing. The two-day event, at Exhibition Centre Liverpool, will connect the manufacturing sector with hundreds of innovative thought-leading companies whose sole purpose is to help them navigate the ever-evolving world of modern manufacturing. Further details can be found here www.gmtechshow.co.uk
Training:
We will soon be scheduling Core Tools and IATF16949:2016 training courses – if you have any requirements for these courses, please contact Zoe.
Finally, if any of your colleagues aren’t already receiving this e-news, and you think it may be of interest to them, please ask them to sign up with Zoe.
Paul Jones
NAA CEO
