UK Manufacturing Forum: Driving Academic–Industry Impact in Advanced Manufacturing

Event Objective

Agenda

09:30 – 09:35 | What is UKMF and why are we here, Graeme Cruickshank

09:35 – 09:45| Welcome, Kris Wadrop, CPI

• Introduction from the organisers

• Connecting the dots between the Modern Industrial Strategy and DSIT frontier technologies.
• Emerging manufacturing research domains (AI manufacturing, sustainable production, materials, automation)

10:00 – 10:20 | Keynote: Bridging Research and Manufacturing: From Innovation to Commercial Impact, Professor Julia Sutcliffe, Chief Scientific Adviser, UK Department for Business and Trade

• UK manufacturing a high‑growth, strategically essential sector — driving economic resilience, national security, net zero, and enabled by the advanced technologies showcased at UKMF.
• Key competitiveness challenges and industry signals — including productivity, supply chains, digitalisation, skills gaps, low technology readiness, and adoption barriers faced by both primes and SMEs.
• Emerging expectations for how research, facilities and skills must evolve

10:20 – 11:00 | EPSRC Manufacturing Research Hubs — Dr Anke Davis, Head of Sustainable Manufacturing & Mobility, EPSRC

• Overview of network of hubs
• 5 minute highlight presentations from recent hub awards

11:00 – 11:30 | Tea, Coffee, Refreshments

11:30 ‑12:45 | Breakout Workshop 1: UK Manufacturing Ecosystem Mapping, Dr Jon Blackburn, Deputy CTO, HVM Catapult

• 9 UK Manufacturing Technology Capability Stations, based on known Industry Needs
• Participants rotate to:
  • Map complementary capabilities
  • Identify gaps and overlaps
  • Locate opportunities for joint programmes to address Industry Needs

12:45 – 13:45 | Lunch & Networking

13:45 – 14:00 | Feedback from Workshop 1, Professor Mike Hinton

14:00 – 15:30 | Breakout Workshops – Consultation & discussions, Professor Mike Hinton

1. Collaborative Pathways from Research to Application
Research to innovation – scaling, validating, and translating new technologies, and how universities, RTOs, and Catapults can share infrastructure and expertise.

2. Skills, Talent, and Mobility Across the Ecosystem
Joint PhDs, mobility schemes, and training for emerging manufacturing technologies.

3. Designing Joint Demonstrators and Flagship Programmes
Identifying priority sectors where stronger collaboration between industry, RTOs and academia could unlock greater UK economic impact and inform future national translational flagship initiatives in advanced manufacturing.

15:30 – 16:00 | Panel Discussion, Reflections and Closing Remarks, led by Dr Graeme Cruickshank

• Prof. Julia Sutcliffe, Dr Anke Davis, Prof. Ken Young, Lois Hobson, Pete Osborne, Prof. Vijay Patel, Giuseppe DellAnno
• Collated insights from round‑robin and workshops 
• Identifying national priorities where the ecosystem can act together 

Travel Information

The Nigel Perry Building is a 5‑minute walk from Darlington Train Station. Head through the ticket gates and out into the taxi rank and main exit area, Follow the footpath to main road at the bottom of the hill, turn right and walk up a small hill to the edge of the CPI building, (you should be able to see the building now) turn left, a short walk through the courtyard and you will see CPI main entrance on the right-hand side, press the buzzer for the intercom firmly and reception will greet you.

If travelling by car the Silver Place Car Park is operated by Darlington Borough Council and is usually permit only car park but on the day of the event PERMITS ARE NOT NEEDED IN CPI NUMBERED PARKING BAYS. The CPI car parking bays are numbered 4 – 103 (disabled blue badge holders, 1 – 3, and 158) please do not park in any other numbers or there is a risk of a ticket.

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