The Midlands will once again play host to the world of aerospace when key industry players from across the globe will touch down in the UK’s second city in March for this year’s Aerospace Forum Birmingham.

The three-day event will take place at the International Convention Centre from 19-21 March and will be officially opened by West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street CBE.

The major supply chain meeting is aimed at bringing the world’s engine builders and tier one suppliers together with the entire supply chain. It will kick off on Day One with an international conference co-ordinated by the Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA), followed by two days of intensive pre-arranged B2B meetings.

“This event is becoming one of the most important in the global aerospace calendar and it is great to see it taking place in the heart of the Midlands again,” states Dr Andrew Mair, chief executive of the MAA. “The forum was first held in Birmingham two years ago and attracted around 400 delegates from 250 aerospace companies, representing 12 countries. Almost 4,000 meetings took place over the three days, which is truly staggering.

“We are sure this year’s event will be just as exceptional, and what better way to begin than with the MAA annual conference which will focus on key topics, including business growth opportunities, future technological developments, supply chain performance and inevitably, the implications of Brexit, which is literally just around the corner now.”

While Brexit is being watched carefully by all manufacturers, figures published as part of the MAA’s latest survey revealed that the performance of the Midlands aerospace cluster has far outstripped that of the UK national economy. According to last year’s results, business turnover in the Midlands aerospace cluster increased by 20% between 2016 and 2018 alone. The figures also showed that since 2005 turnover and employment have doubled.

This year’s Aerospace Forum Birmingham is being supported by all four top Midlands aerospace players, including Meggitt, Moog Aircraft Group, Rolls-Royce and Collins Aerospace (formerly UTC Aerospace Systems). It is being sponsored by AE Aerospace, Business Birmingham, Consilium Group, Coventya, Derby City Council, Laser Lines, MJ Sections and Nasmyth, and attended by the likes of Boeing, Bombardier, Collins Aerospace, Honeywell, Leonardo, Moog, Rolls-Royce, Stelia, Triumph and Zodiac.

On Day One, delegates will hear from a series of prominent speakers, including Annette Rothwell, senior vice-president of operations excellence at Esterline Technologies Corporation and Chair of the MAA’s Supply Chain Performance Group, Mike Platt, senior vice-president and general manager thermal management at Meggitt Engine Systems, Stephen Phipson CBE, chief executive of the EEF, the manufacturer’s organisation and Frank Jansen, managing director of the Netherlands Aerospace Group as well as keynote speakers from Collins Aerospace and Rolls-Royce.

This year’s agenda:

Day One - MAA Annual Conference

Session 1: New business opportunities - How to take advantage of growth opportunities in traditional and new aerospace market sectors – and what to do differently because of Brexit

Session 2: New technologies - Where the aerospace industry primes and tier 1s are taking new technologies

Session 3: High-performing supply chains - What the aerospace community needs to do during this period of unprecedented high demand to maintain performance and become more productive – and how to steer your way successfully through Brexit

Networking reception

Days Two and Three – B2B meetings

Engineering, procurement, supply chain, manufacturing, commodity teams, suppliers and service providers will hold a series of pre-arranged meetings organised by BCI Aerospace, the same French company that runs the Aeromart B2B meetings in Toulouse.

To book a place on Day One of the MAA Annual Conference, please visit www.midlandsaerospace.org.uk. To sign up for the B2B meetings visit www.birmingham.bciaerospace.com.

www.midlandsaerospace.org.uk