On Thursday 2nd February, 3M Buckley Innovation Centre (3M BIC) hosted the first Made in Yorkshire breakfast event of the year in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
3M BIC facilitates business growth through a range of dedicated technical, professional and commercial support services, as well as encourages business to business and business to academia collaboration with the University of Huddersfield.
Made in Yorkshires historic merger with Manufactured Yorkshire has created reinvigorated interest amongst the local manufacturing community. Robert Woollin, Business Development Manager of the National Physical Laboratory at 3M BIC said: From our perspective it's been very successful, part of our remit from government is to reach out to local SMEs within the North of England to talk to them about their challenges and develop solutions to their measurement and analysis questions.
From a business owner's perspective I think it has given them a fantastic opportunity to meet other businesses with similar challenges to talk about and share their problems and develop solutions together.
The event welcomed over 35 representatives of the local manufacturing sector, which also impressed the hosts, as Woollin added: We are very happy with the number and quality of attendees, you would always like to see more, but today we had a room full and it was easy to talk to people after the formal presentations, you could easily get around the people here. If it had been a large event with 200 people it would have been very difficult to speak to those people."
Attendees were taken on a tour of Innovation Avenue, which is at the heart of the 3M BIC. Businesses explored the technologies and expertise available at the Centre and the University of Huddersfield to develop innovative products and services. The Avenue is both a shop window on the future and an inspirational place to bring your ideas.
The event welcomed a range of large manufacturers from the region, which Woollin described as being crucial to the Yorkshire region, as he said: Large manufacturers have a massive role to play in the local economy, not just in the employment they generate themselves but in the associated supply chains. If the large manufacturers within an area such as West Yorkshire can collaborate and grow a supply chain around them, that will add strength to the local manufacturing base. That base can then supply into different partners, and are available to supply a range of products or collaborate as a larger business to provide a wider range of solutions.
3M BICs flexible working space can accommodate businesses from start-ups to large corporates from a variety of sectors. The varying size of businesses, led Woollin to explain the importance of the Made in Yorkshire events, as he concluded: One of the biggest challenges for small manufacturing business owners, is that they can feel isolated, alone at the top of the business, with no one to discuss challenges, but this event was an ideal vehicle to share those challenges and for them to realise they are not alone in facing these challenges and can develop solutions together.
Our next event takes place at Portakabin in York on 3rd March. If you are interested in hosting a breakfast event of your own, please contact our Group Events Manager Iwona at: iwona@firstorchard.com. If you would like to visit Portakabin, click here.