New MTA President takes Manufacturing Message to Parliament

Tuesday 4 December saw members of the Manufacturing Technologies Association gather in Westminster for the 2018 Annual General Meeting, the inauguration of new President Marcus Burton and a meeting in Parliament with Business Minister Richard Harrington MP and his Shadow Chi Onwurah MP.

Mr Burton, a Director of Yamazaki Mazak, will serve a two year term as President of the Association. He has a wealth of experience in the Manufacturing Technologies sector and has recently served on the Made Smarter Review. He took over the office from Geoff Bryant, who was warmly thanked by the meeting.

Mr Burton said: “I’m honoured to take up the Presidency and looking forward to using my term to make a difference to the industry in which I have enjoyed such a rewarding career. Issues such as Brexit and Industrial Digitalisation will have a major effect on our industry and I want to make sure that our voice is heard.

After the AGM, Members heard from two of the leading academics in their fields. Professor Sam Turner, CTO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, talked about the Made Smarter programme which is aiming to turn the North West of England on to Industrial Digitalisation. Then Professor Anand Menon Director of the Centre for the UK in a Changing Europe at Kings College London shared his thoughts on the latest developments in Brexit.

That was timely because later in the afternoon members went to Parliament to meet MPs and Ministers while the Brexit debate got underway in the House of Commons. Speaking at the meeting, Marcus Burton made it clear that manufacturing industry regards a ‘No Deal’ outcome to Brexit as damaging and that Government should do everything possible to avoid it. Business Minister Richard Harrington MP and Shadow Business Minister Chi Onwurah MP made time in their incredibly tight schedules that day to speak.