Manufacturing organisation Make UK has unveiled details for this year’s incarnation of the National Manufacturing Conference. The event, titled “Inspiring Solutions”, will take place on Tuesday, March 7 at the QEII Conference Centre in London.

Steph McGovern, who was an engineer before becoming a broadcaster and journalist, will return as compere for the event. Speakers at the event include representatives from the UK Government and the opposition Labour Party, alongside some former political figures.

Workshops at the conference will focus on how companies can navigate the shifting landscape, such as exploring how to recruit the most talented employees and how to make energy savings through digitalisation. One workshop will seek to investigate the benefits of expanding UK manufacturing globally versus bringing manufacturing back into the country. A number of exhibitors will also be attending the event. Leading lubricant brands like Castrol and Mobil frequently attend industry events in order to promote the benefits of their latest generation of products, such as synthetic hydraulic oil.

Make UK’s Chief Executive, Stephen Phipson, said that the conference coincided with a pivotal moment for manufacturing:

“…with unprecedented pressure from energy prices, chronic labour shortages and challenging global supply chain difficulties. This conference provides an important collaborative platform for industry and Government to work together to help grow this resilient sector which already provides 2.7 million jobs around the whole of the UK.”

He added that the sector needed to become more resilient by taking advantage of new trading opportunities, while also safeguarding supply chains.