The three panels, in Hall 3 at 12.15 each day, will take a close look at skills, innovation and financing for the future of UK industry.

Chairing the panel on Tuesday 12^th April will be Dr Susan Scurlock, CEO of Primary & Secondary Engineer, who said: “I’m very excited to be leading an expert panel to discuss how the skills gap can be bridged for industry and looking more closely at some of the programmes breaking stereotypes and changing how the issue is approached.”

The panel will include: Pam Smith, CEO of Burnley Council; undergraduates in Aero-Mechanical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde; and Michael Loughran, a senior field business leader with experience in skills programmes and training from Rockwell Automation.

The panel discussion on Wednesday 13^th April will be chaired by Dr Phill Cartwright, CTO at HVM Catapult. This panel focuses on how we can develop UK innovation and entrepreneurship and will feature: Rockwell Automation Solutions Architect Phil George; Fablab leader and digital fabrication expert, Tony Fish; and Suryansh Chandra, one of the entrepreneurs behind 3D printed robotics company Automata. Dr Cartwright said: “It promises to be an excellent discussion with a highly qualified panel offering different viewpoints on the innovation and entrepreneurship that will define the UK’s industrial sector in the age of so-called Industry 4.0.”

Leading a panel which will discuss financing innovation and entrepreneurship in industry will be deputy chief economist at EEF, The Manufacturers’ Association, Zach Witton: “I’m delighted that we have the opportunity to take this platform to highlight changing regulations and opportunities for innovation in UK Industry.” Witton’s panel will include Barclays Bank industry director Ross Taylor and Rockwell Automation’s Grant Coffin, and it will be taking a closer look at financing the innovation and diversification within companies, as well as the opportunities in the market for entrepreneurial development of new products in the age of the Internet of Things.