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Scaling in... is a event series designed to help techUK SME members explore new industries and markets. Each session focuses on a specific sector, providing insights into opportunities, challenges, and practical steps for successfully selling into that market.
The UK is home to one of the world's largest manufacturing industries, with the sector contributing over £220bn to the UK economy and providing 2.6 million jobs.
Through automation and new digital technologies, UK manufacturers are reshaping our economy for the better. While some businesses are already reaping the rewards, many manufacturers are yet to embark on their digital journey. The benefits of such investments are staggering, driving up productivity and slashing operational costs, though the most significant productivity gains from digital adoption lie within SMEs.
Join techUK and Make UK as we explore the UK manufacturing sector. We'll discuss the current impact and challenges manufacturers face while operating in the UK, and the technological developments that could support with these. We'll also explore the barriers for manufacturers adopting digital solutions, and ways to address them.
Speakers
Agenda
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09.30 |
Arrivals |
| 10.00 | Chair's Opening Remarks |
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10.05 |
Overview of the Manufacturing Sector
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10.15 |
Closing the Gap: Unlocking Advanced Technologies for All Manufacturers The UK is a global leader in frontier innovation, from AI to Advanced Manufacturing but that progress must reach more businesses, faster. Right now, a growing gap in tech adoption between large and smaller manufacturers risks holding the sector back. This session explores how AI and other advanced technologies are transforming production, and what is needed to help all manufacturers keep pace. We’ll dive into the real barriers: access to finance, skills, and know-how, and what action is needed now to stay globally competitive.
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11.05 |
Technology Spotlights
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| 11.35 | Chair's Closing Remarks |
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11.40 |
Networking |
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12.30 |
Close of Event |
This report illustrates the critical impact of tech SMEs across the nations and regions. techUK has combined quantitative data from Beauhurst with interviews from tech SMEs to provide both the current macroeconomic picture of tech SMEs, but also the economic and social impact made by individual tech SMEs.
Anna joined Climate Essentials in 2021 to lead the commercial launch of the start-ups products and services into the UK market. Today, Anna works to ensure success with new and existing clients, leads the national and international expansion strategies, and manages project delivery. Anna has over a decade of experience in the commercial and operational aspects of international businesses, driving expansion, growth, and excellent service delivery.
Along with the team at Climate Essentials, Anna delivers large scale ecosystem decarbonisation programmes focusing on regions and supply chains. Through this work, she has engaged with businesses of all sizes and sectors giving her an excellent grasp of the drivers and challenges for decarbonisation and carbon reporting across industry.
Previously, Anna has held roles in the Health, Safety, Occupational Wellbeing, and Environmental Management sectors.
Verity Davidge is the Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Make UK, representing and championing manufacturing in the UK. She leads in directing the organisation’s policy and government affairs work, raising the profile of manufacturing and ensuring that the views of Make UK’s members are heard by the Government and wider policy makers. She regularly represents Make UK in the media and in Parliament, appearing before Select Committees and All Party Parliamentary Groups, as well as sitting on Government led boards and advisory groups. She also oversees Make UK’s information and research work, including its annual survey programme and accompanying reports.
Prior to this role, Verity led on Make UK’s influential education and skills policy. Previous to working at Make UK, Verity worked at the London Chamber of Commerce and in a public affairs agency. She has a BA (Hons) in Politics, Philosophy and Economics as well as an MSc in Public Affairs and Lobbying.
Jules Farrow-Lesnianski joined Sapphire as Director of OT in September 2023 after their acquisition of Awen.
Previously spent five years as the CTO and later the CEO of Awen, where he developed software solutions for cyber security in operational technology. Jules was responsible for attracting venture capital funding for Awen, which enabled the company to create Dot™ - a tool for discovering and managing vulnerabilities in operational technology assets. The development of Dot™ was supported by organisations such as Raytheon, the UK Ministry of Defence, Siemens, and the UK NCSC.
Jules is passionate about helping clients increase operational cyber resilience to make society safer, specifically in the Critical National Infrastructure, manufacturing, and defence sectors.
Jules is a keen amateur mechanic and can often be found tinkering with or buzzing around the Welsh mountains in two- and four-wheeled vehicles.
Cara is a PwC Partner and is the firm's UK Leader of Industry for Industrials & Services. She leads the firm's client relationships in these sectors and liaises with organisations such as Make UK.
She is a Deals Partner and has focused on lead advisory and financing for over 20 years. Cara has focused on advice to UK Industrials, industrial services and industrial tech clients for the past 15 years.
With 15 years of experience in the manufacturing and automation sector at Schneider Electric, Mariano Sanchez leads a team of application engineers in the company’s Industrial and Process Automation business unit. He began his career as an automation engineer and has progressed into a leadership role, driven by a passion for technology, continuous improvement, and empowering others.
Mariano and his team partner with a wide range of OEMs, system integrators, and end users. They enable customers to advance their digital transformation journeys by implementing solutions such as robotics, SCADA, and digital twin technologies to increase productivity, flexibility, and efficiency. The team also delivers a wide range of EcoStruxure solutions—Schneider Electric’s ecosystem—to support smarter and more sustainable industrial operations.
Committed to innovation and sustainability, Mariano and his team help customers navigate the evolving landscape of industrial automation.
