The Annual Conference and Exhibition of the West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF) attracted more than 220 visitors from companies in the aerospace sector, including Airbus, GE Aviation, GKN Aerospace, Leonardo Helicopters, Rolls-Royce and Safran.

The theme of the conference this year was ‘The Challenge of Change’, with the political, economic and social landscape changing beyond recognition, and the appetite for international trade and collaboration increasing.

Businesses directly and indirectly impacted by these changes had the chance to make their voices count in the debate.

WEAF (www.weaf.co.uk) chief executive Simon Young said: “The aerospace industry is continually soaring, including our membership, which has surpassed the 300 mark, but all businesses are facing changes.

"We are here to enable companies to make links and to network with the experts they need to solve each other’s problems and explore opportunities.”

Among this year’s conference speakers were: Paul Uppal, UK Small Business Commissioner, who discussed the challenges facing SMEs; Malcolm Scott, corporate development officer at the Aerospace Technology Institute, who shared the forward vision and strategy of the ATI to keep the UK as world ‘number two’ in aerospace technology; and Tony Gaunt from Martin Baker, who provided an insight into the history of ejection seats.

WEAF is a regional alliance that represents the largest aerospace cluster in the UK. Its members and partners represent a wide spectrum — from SMEs to global corporations. For more information, visit www.weaf.co.uk.