Presenters included Mark Daniels, European market development manager at Rockwell Automation, who addressed the interests of SME manufacturers, stressing the importance of exploiting the industrial Internet of Things in process and information systems.

Young Engineer 2006, Ruth Amos took the audience on a rollercoaster ride of how she invented StairSteady as part of her GCSE Resistant Materials project and went on to take it into full production and sales.
 
Dr Helen Meese, from iMechE addressed the issue of STEM education shortfalls and women in engineering. Delegates were also treated to a stimulating presentation by Lee Hopley, chief economist at EEF, in which she said that ‘The best of UK manufacturing is in the future, not the past’
 
Dan Doherty of Cadence Innovation Marketing, which conceived and produced the event, explained that there would be several outputs from the Summit including a white paper. He also announced that, rather than a ‘Think Tank’, there will be a ‘Do Tank’. This was met with universal approval and willing participants. The group will meet to set specific objectives and engage widely across the manufacturing spectrum – from education through industry to trade bodies, the finance and regulatory sectors.