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Two weeks to go – join the largest virtual business event in the North East

Gain insight into some of the biggest supply chain opportunities and innovation challenges of the day.

With over 600 people already registered there are now less than two weeks to go until Showcase North East to be staged on July 8th.

In the busiest most ambitious agenda of its kind this year, Showcase North East features a welcome from the UK’s Minister for Small Business and talks from notable industry leaders in sectors such as offshore and renewables, automotive, rail and health and life sciences.

Delegates will have the opportunity to hear from Dr Andy Aldrin, The Aldrin Family Foundation, on Space Commercialisation.

The European Space Agency will highlight what supply chain opportunities lie within space tech sector. Equinor will showcase the World’s Largest Wind Farm development project at Dogger Bank alongside RWE who will present the Sofia Wind Farm project alongside speakers from NOF/ Energi Coast, ORE Catapult and The Renewables Consulting Group.

HS2 Ltd which is responsible for building a supply chain into one of the UK’s largest ever infrastructure projects will be joining as well as Leonardo - a £2.3bn UK business in Aerospace, Defence and Security. The company is already working with over 1,500 SMEs in the UK.

Hear also from James Brewer from the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) who heads their Rail Supply Chain Team, as well as Stadler Rail who will be delivering the new Nexus Metro Fleet. Tees Valley Combined Authority will showcase the progress of the Freeport in Tees Valley.

Delegates will also get to here from British Water on the procurement opportunities and innovation needs in the UK Water sector over the next 5 year Amp period, while Northumbrian Water will highlight local supply chain and innovation opportunities.

Cryptocurrency and the power of Blockchain will be the subject of the talk by expert, Kate Baucherel, while Atom Bank chair, Bridget Roswell CBE, will join and present on behalf of Atom Bank and a project to bring the first major digital bank to the North East of England.

The North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) and North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA) will lead sessions on developments to put the North East at the forefront of the Net Zero agenda, while the Northern Housing Consortium and Constructing Excellence will showcase opportunities and developments in the housing and construction sector.

In health & life sciences, Prof. Sir John Burn will from the Centre of Life will join after a year of challenges and break throughs in health sector. Northumberland NHS Trust will cover the setting up of the North East’s PPE factory in the face of a race to halt the spread of Covid-19.

Attendees will also hear from North East Procurement Portal (NEPO) on regional public procurement opportunities, while the United Nations’ Vice Consul to the Department of International Trade (DIT) and World Bank will present on public procurement opportunities in the UK and overseas.

Alan Whittaker is programme manager of Supply Chain North East, a £6.7m programme which sees four key partners joining forces to work with over 800 businesses between 2018-2021 supporting businesses to identify opportunities in new and existing markets. An integral part of the North East Growth Hub, Supply Chain North East will be delivered across the region by RTC North, Generator, North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA) and North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC). Showcase North East is running the event alongside the Innovate UK EDGE, a key part of the Innovate UK agency’s investment in the innovative businesses that drive economic growth.

Alan said:

“With such an impressive line-up of speakers and talks this event is for any business looking to understand what opportunities exist not just in the North East but internationally.

“Innovation should be a driving force in business, fuelling the creation of new and improved products or services to launch at home and take to global markets. But to bring that more into the spotlight we must learn to be less insular. We do a lot of good things, but we do not blow our own trumpet enough. “The UK is going through a lot of change, but we are fortunate here in the North East that we have such high levels of innovation and advanced technologies at companies that provide smart solutions to problems.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by RTC North .