Industry leaders from across the UK and Ireland are set to arrive in Belfast for Northern Ireland’s most significant event of its kind. The 5th annual Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition will take place at TEC Belfast on September 12.
The event will feature over a hundred trade stands as well as incorporating a comprehensive conference programme with free workshops and keynote speakers. Exhibitors will range from business services through to innovative companies displaying the latest technological solutions for the industry.
Colin Murphy, Managing Director of organisers Premier Publishing & Events said: “The Northern Ireland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition will provide an ideal location for businesses to meet with Government agencies and supporting associations, and gain free advice from experts on how to improve operational performance.
“The Event will also provide networking zones to connect buyers and suppliers. Indeed, the layout of the Conference & Exhibition is intended to maximise the opportunity for visitors to network and make new contacts.”
Throughout the day, the event will cover topical themes such as Manufacturing; Supply Chain & Logistics; Sustainability; Lean Productivity & Continuous Improvement; Automation & Robotics; Procurement; 3D Printing; Hi-tech Manufacturing & Precision Engineering; IoT & Industry 4.0; and Lean Productivity & Continuous Improvement.
The event is sponsored by the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), a £100m innovation centre led by Queen’s University Belfast in partnership with industry, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Ulster University, and supported by the UK Government and NI Executive through the Belfast Region City Deal.
Sam Turner, CEO of AMIC, said: “We’re thrilled to be back to partner with the Northern Ireland Manufacturing Conference and Supply Chain Conference and Exhibition for 2024. It’s a fantastic event that showcases innovations in manufacturing and the cutting-edge research that underpins them.”
“This is a great opportunity for us to talk to attendees about our £100m Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), which will turbocharge Northern Ireland’s manufacturing capabilities and embed a culture of innovation to drive increased productivity. Through AMIC, we are supporting economic growth and prosperity for Northern Ireland by creating high-quality jobs and increasing inward investment through high-value manufacturing innovation clusters: driving industrial transformation, paving the way for future technologies, and competing globally with a more sustainable focus.”
Colin Murphy added that the event will serve as a forum for manufacturers and operators involved throughout the associated supply chains from across Northern Ireland to gather to discuss pressing issues facing their industry.
He added: “Generating annual sales of about £20 billion, manufacturing is crucial to Northern Ireland’s economic development. Manufacturers directly employ 80,000 people while supporting further employment throughout the wider supply chain in every region of Northern Ireland.
“The manufacturing sector accounts for 13.4% of Northern Ireland’s economic output, significantly higher than the UK figure of 9.8%. Northern Ireland’s manufacturers also generate almost half of the country’s external sales and more than half of export sales. The Northern Ireland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition will encompass the full manufacturing spectrum across the country, including the food and drink, biopharma, medtech, healthcare, engineering, transport, technology, building products, fabrics, polymers, packaging and renewables sectors.”
Registration for the 2024 Northern Ireland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition on September 12 at TEC Belfast is free and tickets are available from northernirelandmanufacturing.co.uk/register
