Mark Davy

Chairman

The Greater Norwich Manufacturing Group were kindly hosted by M&H Plastics, who specialise in the design and manufacturing of plastics bottles/lids/tubes/caps. 

M&H Plastics spoke of the challenges of manufacturing with plastics, including the negative publicity the company was generating through the plastics crisis. Broadland Wineries mentioned how clients of theirs were being put off and going for competitors offering metal packaging. 

Various atendees were able to discuss potential collaborations, and voice the challenges that they are facing, and a number of further meetings between businesses were discussed in order to explore solutions further. 

The Greater Norwich Manufacturing Group, the largest of the groups coordinated by NAAME, continued into the University of East Anglia in July 2018, as it discussed with businesses, public bodies and academics the strategy recently published by NAAME.

The attendees were able to voice their views on the challenges they were experiencing and how NAAME and Hethel Innovation could action them.

Featured in this session were a number of talks, including Fiona Lettice of the UEA introducing their bid for the Institute of Productivity, Will Taitt of Hethel Innovation providing an introduction to Lean Thinking, and Cassandra Andrews discussing worker wellbeing.

Following the theme of productivity, the Productivity Journey was announced; the new annual Conference which took place in September at the UEA. 

The Q4 meeting for the Greater Norwich Manufacturing Group saw a shifting focus toward innovation, and more notably, digital innovation.

The meeting, which was attended by 45 individuals representing manufacturers and engineers of all sectors, saw presentations given by pioneering businesses in the region showcasing how they have embraced digitisation and digitalisation to impact innovation.

The speakers included Richard Seager of Thurne Middleby slicing machine specialists, Ben Sturgess of smart asset tracking providers Pathfindr and Alan Sumption of KLM Engineering, the multi-national aircraft maintenance business.

A fascinating insight into how regional buisnesses are embracing digital capabilities and actively impacting innovation within the region.