World aero engine leaders and Midlands expertise come together this April in an important new event – the first in the UK – in Birmingham. Aero Engine Forum (AEF) Birmingham combines the successful and popular annual conference of the Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA) with the equally successful global business-to-business (B2B) events of the international BCI Aerospace group.
The three-day AEF Birmingham runs from 18-20 April at the International Convention Centre (ICC). It is organised by the MAA and BCI Aerospace, with the support of major Midlands players Rolls-Royce, Moog and UTC Aerospace Systems.
As part of AEF Birmingham, the MAA conference will become a major international summit on the first day of the event. Days two and three will feature more than 2,000 pre-arranged one-on-one meetings between 250 specialists in engineering, procurement, supply chain, manufacturing, commodity buying, suppliers and service providers from around the world.
The summit programme is expecting to feature prominent industry executives from companies such as Europe’s Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Snecma, as well as US companies, Boeing and UTC. Industry experts will be presenting their views on the technologies the sector will require in the future and the capabilities suppliers need if they are to benefit from the projected 20-year doubling in size of the civil airline market.
The MAA member capability directory helps industry identify world-class Midlands partners and suppliers for aerospace programmes and projects. Members of the MAA are joining a unique organisation that supports companies in the Midlands to develop new aerospace technologies, improve their competitive performance and win new business. Companies outside the Midlands are welcome to join the MAA as associate members.
“Our region excels in supplying the civil aerospace sector,” says Midlands Aerospace Alliance’s chief executive, Dr Andrew Mair. “This step up in size and scope is the natural progression of our highly successful annual conference, which has consistently attracted capacity audiences in Derby, Wolverhampton and Coventry over the last five years. We look forward to adding this international dimension, working closely with BCI.”
BCI has made its name running B2B events around the world, including the big Aeromart Toulouse and the Boeing Aerospace & Defence Suppliers Summit in Seattle, Washington US. The Birmingham event is designed to give the entire supply chain an opportunity to talk to engine makers and tier one suppliers. Rolls-Royce Group president Colin Smith welcomed the initiative.
“At Rolls-Royce, our suppliers make a vital contribution to our performance,” he states. “We encourage them to work openly and collaboratively with us to deliver operational excellence, innovation and competitiveness. We are delighted to be part of the Birmingham Aero Engine Forum and we hope to see many of our suppliers and partners, both existing and new, there.”
“The MAA itself has grown in 15 years into one of biggest regional aerospace alliances in the world,” added Dr Mair. “That is a tribute to the depth of engineering capability and expertise found in our region.”
Aero Engine Forum Birmingham is open to all companies in the aerospace supply chain, whether or not they are members of the Midlands Aerospace Alliance.
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