NWAA Chairman’s autumn statement By Prof Andy Schofield
CONTENTS
02 Chairman’s statement
A very warm welcome to the latest edition of Plane Talk. It certainly has been a very busy and exiting time over the last three months and the forecast ahead looks even busier. Since the last edition we have seen the return of the Farnborough International Airshow. Myself and Paula Gill, our new CEO, attended the event and managed to withstand record temperatures in the UK at the time. The Airshow was a great opportunity to speak to some major companies about the aims and ambitions of the North West aerospace industry and the challenges we face as well as discussing international opportunities. There was also the chance to network, see some great innovation and technology and, of course, see some fantastic flying displays. Great progress continues to be made on the Lancashire Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing Watchtower Programme, which is aimed at helping improve competitiveness, resilience and sustainability. Look out for a key Watchtower event that is being held at Burnley College in September which is a great opportunity to meet the team and discover how companies in Lancashire can get involved in the programme to help unlock their business potential, particularly in the areas of innovation and diversification. There is more information on the Watchtower programme in this edition of Plane Talk on page 4.
The strategy refresh I referred to in an earlier edition of the magazine is finalised now. The clear focus is aimed at enabling sustainability and growth for the members of the NWAA and help develop the region. Our vision is to be recognised as a major contributor across UK Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing by delivering value to our membership and stakeholders. The key strategic objectives and action plans that underpin this will be finalised by the Board of Directors by the end of September and we will be in a position to share with you all. It is vital that we listen to the voice of the membership and also the many stakeholders involved so we welcome the opportunity to engage with as many of you as we can. There is no doubt that the future provides us with some real challenges, particularly around commercial aircraft rate increase, new defence products being developed, recruitment demands and the ever-increasing focus on sustainability. I remain, however, firmly of the opinion that these challenges provide fantastic opportunities and we need to ensure we are developing the skills and technical expertise in our workforce that will enable us to remain at the forefront of aerospace innovation. I have enjoyed the first half of the year as the new chair of the NWAA and have spoken to lots of people and continue to learn a great deal. I remain extremely positive about what the future holds and continue to look forward to working with you all to help drive the aerospace sector in the North West forward.
03 NWAA statement
04 Members’ News
15 Meet the Board
15 Save the date
16 Aerospace Ball
YOUR CONTENT
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plane talk /autumn 2022
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