Mark Ridgway OBE, the new President of the Manufacturing
Technologies Association (MTA) says the importance of
manufacturing as a key component of a balanced UK
economy is being increasingly recognised. Here, he outlines
his thoughts on the sector and explains how he believes it
can help to rectify the nations’ balance of payments deficit

I do believe that the manufacturing sector
has serious issues that need to be
addressed immediately if we are to
protect its wealth-generating potential.

Sophisticated engineering and
manufacturing capabilities that underpin
innovation in a wide range of products have
been leaving our shores as manufacturers in
emerging economies seek higher value added
work. With it goes knowledge, skilled people
and a supply chain infrastructure needed to
manufacture many of the other cutting edge
export grade products that we have
developed in the UK.

I believe that it is a key responsibility of
the MTA to provide support to our
members who seek to internationalise their
business. The Association has a proud
record in this arena and I would very much
like to build on these past successes,
particularly in China and Russia. I would
also like to demonstrate the continued
relevance of MTA activities to Government
policy as we try as a nation to rectify our
balance of trade deficits, created in no small
part by an over reliance on the financial
sector. UKTI has some ambitious targets for
raising the number of companies that
export; I want to make sure that as many of
our member companies as possible benefit
from the opportunities that UKTI presents.

A second priority for the MTA in the
coming year is of course MACH 2014.

MACH 2012 was a resounding success and I
want to ensure that MACH 2014 continues
to reflect an improving economy. Broadening
the exhibition’s base and appeal will enable
us to keep at the forefront of industrial
trends as manufacturing itself becomes ever
more integrated, indeed last year saw the
return to MACH, after many years, of
welding technologies for example. However,
businesses that offer a product that remains
fixed are not ones that will maintain their
appeal. MACH has to do more than just
survive the downturn. It has to position itself
to thrive during the subsequent upturn.

Changes to the industrial landscape must be
anticipated to protect the existing business of
MACH and to predict and remain relevant
to the ever-changing marketing mix through
which companies interact with their
customer and supplier base.

A further priority for the MTA that has
long been associated with MACH is
education and training. I am pleased to
announce that the MTA is looking at several
new initiatives in the area of employee
training. We are all aware of how acute the
skills shortage is in engineering and that the
UK needs to make significant progress on a
number of educational levels, from school
age through to apprenticeships and high level
skills. In this respect education and training
has been a huge success story for the MTA in
general and MACH in particular, but we
have to push on from here. We already fund
apprenticeships in member companies and
we will now be looking at how we can work
with the High Value Manufacturing Catapult
Centres to enable more of our members to
access the right apprenticeships for young
people. In order to deliver these initiatives
and the many other services that the MTA
provides its membership, we must build the
appropriate capacity within the Organisation.

In the meantime, the services that the
MTA delivers to its members are a vital part
of our makeup, and in many ways the bread
and butter of the Association. We can be
proud of our technical, economic and
statistical offerings – we are real leaders in
this field. I’d like to see these areas continue
to thrive and expand, as well as instigate a
period of dynamism in terms of what we
offer our membership, particularly to our
smaller members who are looking to grow
and develop their businesses at home and
abroad.

In conclusion, I want to ensure that at a
time of austerity the advanced engineering
sector and the companies that make up such
a strong supply chain can demonstrate the
true net worth of manufacturing to the UK
economy.