The future of advanced manufacturing across the North of England was put under the spotlight at a ‘round-table’ event hosted recently by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) at the Materials Processing Institute in Middlesbrough (www.mpiuk.com).

The participants included some high-profile figures from the region’s manufacturing sector, including Justin Kelly (head of business development at Siemens UK) and Dan Cochlin (head of external affairs at NPP); they considered the outlook for a range of manufacturing specialisms, with the findings set to shape the NPP’s priorities over the coming years.

In particular, the impact of global digital innovations such as artificial intelligence and their potential impact on the region’s prospects were discussed, as well as the current strengths of the sector as a whole.

Chris McDonald, chief executive of the Materials Processing Institute, said: “UK manufacturing has the potential to become a world leader, particularly with the emergence of innovative technologies and processes, so it is important to collaborate and to use the resources that we have.

“This will speed up the adoption of these new technologies, which will allow industry to develop innovative new products, while benefitting the wider economy in the process.”

Chaired by former Chancellor George Osborne, the NPP was set up to explore ways to strengthen the North’s economy and harness its expertise to ensure that the region has a bigger impact on the UK economy as a whole.

The findings of the round-table event will now be channelled towards shaping the NPP’s efforts to develop practical and economically viable ideas, Mr McDonald said that he and the Institute were looking forward to more opportunities to develop these ideas.