Leading manufacturers join Venturefest North West line-up

The afternoon breakout session, ‘Using new technology to drive your business and keep your competitive edge’ is sponsored by the MadeSmarter programme, which is tasked with supporting UK manufacturers to retain and develop their competitive edge. 

Kevin Smith, Digital Technology Adviser for Made Smarter, will be discussing his specialism in data and systems integration projects, as part of a panel of leading industry experts. He will be joined by Nick Brandwood, Business Adviser, Manufacturing Growth Fund; Chris Burke, Managing Director, Morson Projects, and Russ Wood, Business Development Specialist, 3DGbire.

Kevin Smith said: “We’re really looking forward to this breakout session at Venturefest North West; it will be an opportunity for manufacturing entrepreneurs and established businesses to hear from some of the North West’s leading experts in the sector.

“Our region is blessed with a diverse range of manufacturing organisations and we’ll be discussing everything from robotics to data driven applications and how businesses can successfully implement digital tools to make huge transformations. This is a chance to discuss and debate the truly innovative work that is taking place in the North West’s manufacturing sector right now.”

Those wishing to attend should register for Venturefest North West at venturefestnorthwest.com. There are no bookings for the session, with entry on a first-come first-served basis.

Entrepreneurs and business leaders visiting Venturefest North West will also have an opportunity to network with like-minded experts and innovators at a dedicated ‘Advanced Manufacturing Village’, one of several themed expo spaces at the free-to-attend event, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Highlights of the Advanced Manufacturing Village will include an interactive ‘meet the cobot’ experience, offered by Morson Projects, a Manchester-headquartered engineering firm. Guests will be invited to interact with a cobot (a collaborative robot) and explore its uses within manufacturing.

Made Smarter is bringing a VR experience to the Advanced Manufacturing Village, allowing entrepreneurs to pay a virtual visit to a manufacturer’s factory. A Venturefest North West exclusive, the VR experience will allow guests to observe current operations at the ‘virtual’ factory and then see how Made Smarter is bringing transformative changes to help futureproof such facilities.

3D printing experts 3DGbire will also be setting up a series of printers in the Advanced Manufacturing Village to demonstrate the many uses of 3D printing in manufacturing.

Speakers in the main hall include former 'Dragon', founder and CEO of YourCash Europe Jenny Campbell; Vikas Shah, CEO of Swiscot Group and co-founder of 53 Degrees North; Cat Lewis, CEO, Joint Creative Director and Executive Producer for Nine Lives Media; and Nitin Rai, Founder and Managing Director of Elevate Capital.

Venturefest North West is run by GC Business Growth Hub, in partnership with Cheshire and Warrington Growth Hub, Cumbria Growth Hub, Liverpool City Region's Local Growth Hub, and Boost, Lancashire's Business Growth Hub.

Businesses looking to access specialist support can visit www.businessgrowthhub.com for more information about the organisation’s extensive range of services. This and other GC Business Growth Hub projects are part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the GM Business Growth Hub project designed to help ambitious SME businesses achieve growth and increase employment in Greater Manchester. The Hub is also supported by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Greater Manchester local authorities.