Corrotherm prepares for Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit

Although we keep our fingers on the pulse of what's happening in the world of nickel alloy materials, we were fascinated to hear what others felt was in store for industry and manufacturing in general over the coming years. One point that many contributors were keen to make was how, in a world where the pace of technological advancement continues to accelerate rapidly, being able to act swiftly and effectively in response to change is crucial.

Though such rapid change may worry some companies, the general consensus was that this technological change will bring many opportunities going forward. Advances in 3D printing, big data, smart materials and interconnection are expected to drive improvements in quality, productivity and efficiency - and at Corrotherm we can't wait!

With such a diverse range of stakeholders in the workshop, another issue that came up was how to encourage collaboration amongst them, especially when some have competing priorities. Many felt that at present there is not enough mutual understanding in the industry between the different stakeholders and that useful discussion between, for example, public and private organisations to achieve agreement on priorities would achieve positive results for both sides.

An example of a positive outcome from dialogue between different stakeholders was seen in the discussions about the skills shortage facing the industry. As we've mentioned before, the UK will need an extra million engineers by 2020, according to recent research from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

As technology becomes increasingly important in manufacturing, many manufacturers at the workshop expressed concern that there would be a lack of skilled workers able to provide the labour they'll need. Useful discussions resulted in many proposed solutions, such as investment in dedicated manufacturing schools and manufacturing apprenticeship schemes to provide the skilled labour needed.

 Of course, another key topic was the environment. All parties agree that we must be aware of environmental change and that, by investing in research and development, the recycling of materials can be made more efficient to help lessen the impact of scarce resources. At Corrotherm, of course, we take our environmental responsibilities very seriously, as shown by our ISO 14001 certification.

This emphasis on the longer term outlook was again seen in discussions of leadership in the industry. In the face of an uncertain future for manufacturing and industrialisation, it's crucial that leaders continue to highlight the importance of being proactive in meeting their commitments both to the environment and to quality products and services. By communicating these efforts and also the value of the manufacturing sector it was felt that perception of industry would be improved, something many felt is key to its future success.

Despite some challenges, the outlook for industry following the GMIS London workshop was incredibly positive, as illustrated by a poll of the attendees. Beforehand, 57% said they were expecting the industry to undergo only gradual and incremental changes leading up to 2020, with 43% expecting a more fundamental shift in manufacturing policies and models. After the event, the figures swapped around with the majority (57.5%) expecting fundamental changes in the industry by 2020.

This shows just how powerful a fresh perspective and collaboration between stakeholders can be in driving positive change for the future - and we're proud to have been invited to be part of it.

If you'd like to talk to our team about your requirements in a rapidly-changing industry, contact us here.