There are huge opportunities in the Nuclear Sector - both for large and small companies.  John Ransford, Gill Mardsen and Stuart Harrison bring it down to brass tacks.  Exactly what is out there, what's on the horizon and how can businesses tap into the supply chain?  How CAN the smaller companies get involved in Nuclear opportunites?  What makes a more attractive supplier in the Nuclear Sector?

John Ransford, Lead Assessor for Fit 4 Nuclear (F4N) & Nuclear Sector Lead for Business Growth Service (MAS) is joined by Stuart Harrison of the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and Gill Marsden from NIS to demistify the supply chain of the Nuclear Energy Sector.

Jay Shaw gives the audience insight into the latest techniques coming up over the next couple of years, and what techniques are currently being used that can give manufacturers the edge.  Covering cryogenic machining and ultrasonic machining.

3MBic and Santander outline their 'Innovation Voucher Scheme'; a grant scheme for innovation.  This session covers some manufacturers who have gone through the scheme and what delegates need to do if they want to benefit from this.

In this keynote address,  Andy Tuscher,  EEF Region Director Yorkshire and the Humber, will discuss the mood of the regions manufacturers  in 2015  compared to the same time last  year, setting out their priorities for growth and detailing what EEF are doing to shape policy and improve the economic landscape for our sector.

Tuscher then moves onto chair a panel of speakers who are able to comment on their  issues/growth aspirations; in particular who can comment on the issues below which are contained in the EEF manifesto document:

• A more productive and flexible workforce, based on training, and investment in skills for industry
• Improving infrastructure on which companies rely, in particular roads, air and rail links as well as our digital infrastructure
• Reducing the cost of doing business from cutting energy costs, to maintaining low business taxes, and reducing red tape
• Better support for growing businesses who want to innovate and expand in Britain as well as export around the world
• In order to achieve these things, the UK government needs to punch its weight at the heart of a reformed and more economically successful European Union.

Collaborative working can significantly improve the P&L and improve cash flow. Whilst customers and suppliers say they collaborate well, quantifying what the benefits were and providing supporting evidence is a different story. There is often a misunderstanding that when a customer is talking about collaboration what it might mean is cooperation. A different model!

ICW are the thought leaders behind the new Standard for Collaborative Business Relationships (BS11000) and is leading the UK aspects in the upcoming ISO release. ICW is Chairing our “Meet the Buyer” session and will be available to discuss the new Standard requirements, explain how it’s changing the shape of customers’ sourcing strategies, and how it can help you not only win but also deliver more profitable business.

Kirklees College and Syngenta talk about how they have shaped their workforce through the 'Process Manufacturing Centre' and how delegates can get involved.

A new process manufacturing training centre will be built as an extension of the current Kirklees College Engineering Centre (Huddersfield). Opening in 2016, the new centre is the result of extensive consultation with numerous employers and their suppliers, resulting in a successful employer-led bid for £3.1m funding from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Why the Circular Economy will revolutionise your business - and improve your bottom line.

This is a forty-minute session, which could completely alter your views on how your business deals with material flows and how you derive profit.

In an interactive session peppered with six one minute videos we take you on a very sharp learning curve around Circular Economy thinking.

The idea is to inform you of the basic concepts and show how this perspective can offer you new insights and add value to your business.

There are new funding streams constantly being introduced into the manufacturing sector whilst other funding streams come to an end.  Legislation around R&D tax credits can be onerous but definitely worthwhile. How can manufacturers keep up to date with all these changes, and make sure they are not missing out?

Santander, R&D Tax Expert, Business Growth Service (MAS), Finance Yorkshire and Leeds City Region point out the current and future funding opportunities and more importantly, how to tap into them.

Keith Warbuton is the International Business Development Director of specialist Emerging Market Entry company Sannam S4.  He gives a short overview on the challenges and opportunities to be found in these emerging markets and will walk you through some of the common pitfalls companies make when expanding internationally.  He is an internationally recognised speaker on this topic and is happy to answer any questions and conduct one-to-one clinics throughout the exhibition.

The UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) High Value Opportunities programme helps UK businesses access large scale overseas procurement projects. It identifies opportunities as they become available and helps businesses secure contracts. Global High Value Opportunities are worth trillions of pounds in total and cover a broad range of markets and sectors. Each project has contracts with a total value of at least £500 million. At least £250 million of this will be available for UK competition. During this seminar, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) will identify some key High Value Opportunities that cut across a range of manufacturing sectors, where we will;

• share information with you on a selected number of appropriate major projects and contracts
• give your company access to a network of expert advisers in the UK and overseas that provide long term support
• help your company build relationships with stakeholders e.g private sector business specialists and other government departments in the UK and overseas
• where appropriate, put your company in touch with other likely business partners to bid for projects

Blacks Solicitors LLP will explore the different interests of buyers and sellers in the supply chain and the ‘battle of the forms'. Whether you have one supplier or many, this seminar will hit the spot and provide you with the latest advice to ensure that you get the best out of your commercial relationships. 

What makes a company an attractive supplier to the giants?  How can manufacturers tap into up and coming opportunities with these major organisations?  Cummins Inc, HS2, CECA and Team Humber Marine Alliance point out the key factors that can make all the difference when seeking to grow your business through becoming a part of the supply chain.

Andrew Sutulic, Manufacturing Director of leading Huddersfield based adhesive and sealant manufacturer Polyseam, and Lesley Gulliver, Brand Strategy Director of awarding-winning brand and design agency The Engine Room, co-host a session focusing on:

- the value of brand differentiation in manufacturing and the routes to achieve that
- how design thinking can influence manufacturing business strategy 
- ways to get into your customers’ s shoes and the value of adopting a user-centred approach to business development
- moving away from a product-led approach and towards a market-led approach

Why the Circular Economy will revolutionise your business - and improve your bottom line.

This is a forty-minute session, which could completely alter your views on how your business deals with material flows and how you derive profit.

In an interactive session peppered with six one minute videos we take you on a very sharp learning curve around Circular Economy thinking.

The idea is to inform you of the basic concepts and show how this perspective can offer you new insights and add value to your business.

E3 Recruitment bring a highly interactive seminar around the skills gap and how this can be overcome.  Delegates are asked to take a step back and consider different perceptions (company v candidate).  The seminar concludes on solutions, success stories and value-adds.  Packed with hints and tips that the manufacturer can put immediately into practice.

Zero Waste Manufacturing, sometimes referred to as Circular Economy or remanufacturing, is not a fad or a trend. It's growing fast and it's here to stay.  Once UK manufacturers crack the business model, this sector is worth £5.6bn and is set to create 200,000 jobs. Yorkshire currently holds the only MBA in the world for Circular Economy at Bradford University.

So exactly what is Circular Economy?  What do Yorkshire manufacturers need to do to become circular and what is the first step?

Bradford University brings together partners from the Dame Ellen McArthur Foundation, Leeds City Region to get right to the nub of this subject - with a legacy for Yorkshire Manufacturers to take forward and cement Yorkshire's position as a leading light.

Just what does it take to take £1m in the first year of business, or open 15 restaurants in 5 years?  Or being awarded Chef of the Year amongst multiple television appearances through growing your own produce and preparing fine dining from an armchair?  How about the pressure of constant innovation through running a very successful chain of restaurants over 30 years?  

Red's True Barbecue co-founders James Douglas and Scott Munro take a seat on the panel alongside Tim Bilton of The Spiced Pear and Mr Aslam of Aagrah Foods to highlight just what it takes to build a restaurant empire.

Are you developing new products or packaging?  Are you improving your manufacturing processes?  If so, are you aware of the generous tax relief available which can potentially generate a cash benefit?  R&D tax relief has been around for 15 years now but many companies either overlook how it can apply to their business, or do not maximise the relief available.  In this seminar we will look at the cash benefit of the relief and the hooks and opportunities to watch out for.

One of NFU Mutual’s claims inspectors illustrates the importance of regularly reviewing insurance to keep pace with the needs of a changing business. A growing business can find itself underinsured, and as a business diversifies its interests, gaps in its risk management strategy can emerge; both with disastrous consequences.

This talk is designed to provoke thoughts about your own business’ exposures through the use of real-world case-studies.

What makes a company an attractive supplier to the giants?  How can food & drinks producers tap into up and coming opportunities with these major organisations?  Morrisons and Asda take to the main stage to point out the key factors that can make all the difference when seeking to grow your business through becoming a part of the supply chain.

Why the Circular Economy will revolutionise your business - and improve your bottom line.

This is a forty-minute session, which could completely alter your views on how your business deals with material flows and how you derive profit.

In an interactive session peppered with six one minute videos we take you on a very sharp learning curve around Circular Economy thinking.

The idea is to inform you of the basic concepts and show how this perspective can offer you new insights and add value to your business.

Approved Food has recently been named as one of the Top 500 UK Internet Retailers.  Only a day after appearing on BBC's "Dragons Den" and unsuccessfully managing to obtain support from the Dragons, Dan was offered £400k investment from a Yorkshire Company.

This investment will help to take Approved Food from being the largest online retailer of short dated and residual stock food and drinks to being as synonymous to online grocery as Google is to search and Facebook is to social networking.

Dan talks about how to get a presence online and get that revenue coming in fast.

Herwig Vennekens from Haribo takes a seat on the panel with Gary Scott from Suma Wholefoods, Kevin Butterworth from Seabrook Crisps and Sophie Jewitt, York Cocoa House. Four entirely different organisations but all very well known and extremely successful; still expanding rapidly.  

Herwig talks about the 'mittlestand' structure and how this has enabled Haribo to succeed with such huge international growth.  Suma Wholefoods is the largest equal paying co-operative in the world with an entirely flat structure and organic growth to now £40m turnover. Gary gives the audience an insight into growing an organisation without sales targets. Seabrook Crisps is a very well known regional brand with the challenge of expanding national penetration from 25% to over 30% in the next 2 years.  Kevin outlines the focus on turnaround strategy to build a strong platform for moving forward to achieve solid growth.  Sophie is currently undertaking a mission to take 'Artisan' on a grand scale and outlines the challenges that maintaining the Artisan quality whilst going through a massive step change presents.

Chaired by Gary Verity from Welcome to Yorkshire, this seminar is definitely one not to miss.

Co-presenting with employer partners large and small, Nikki will lead a session about how employers of any size can get involved with education partners to influence curriculum design, support young people in their community, and help to develop future workforces through apprenticeships and work experience. All of this, whilst also achieving other identified company goals such as enhancing brand awareness in a new region, or companies building targeted relationships with students, students who will be the catering supply buyers of the future…

Keith Warbuton is the International Business Development Director of specialist Emerging Market Entry company Sannam S4.  He gives a short overview on the challenges and opportunities to be found in these emerging markets and will walk you through some of the common pitfalls companies make when expanding internationally.  He is an internationally recognised speaker on this topic and is happy to answer any questions and conduct one-to-one clinics throughout the exhibition.

There are new funding streams constantly being introduced into the manufacturing sector whilst other funding streams come to an end.  Legislation around R&D tax credits can be onerous but definitely worthwhile. How can manufacturers keep up to date with all these changes, and make sure they are not missing out?

Santander, R&D Tax Expert, Business Growth Service (MAS), Finance Yorkshire and Leeds City Region point out the current and future funding opportunities and more importantly, how to tap into them.

Joining MY15 this year are Belgium, Thailand, Poland, Ireland, Hungary, Romania, The USA (Chicago), Slovakia and Iceland. UKTI Commercial Officers point out the opportunities within their market of expertise for Yorkshire food and drink producers as well as businesses in the AEM sector. 

Each country will detail what they are looking for and will be available on trade stand number 25 across both days of the show to discuss these opportunities further. For example, Belgium is looking for companies that can supply Chemicals and Life Sciences, Energy, ICT, Security, Construction & Transport, Food & Drink.  Thailand is looking for companies that can supply automotive, advanced engineering and aerospace, oil and gas - more will be revealed at MY15...

Why the Circular Economy will revolutionise your business - and improve your bottom line.

This is a forty-minute session, which could completely alter your views on how your business deals with material flows and how you derive profit.

In an interactive session peppered with six one minute videos we take you on a very sharp learning curve around Circular Economy thinking.

The idea is to inform you of the basic concepts and show how this perspective can offer you new insights and add value to your business.

Fruit and Herb vinegar manufacturer, Womersley Foods, was founded in Yorkshire in 1979 by Martin and Aline Parsons from their home, Womersley Hall.

Their son Rupert Parsons took over in 2009 and has since transformed the business , from a small family-run concern, to one that has listings in Selfridges, Whole Foods, Harrods and Fortnum & Mason.  

Rupert will talk to Manufactured Yorkshire about his journey with design and the role that brand has played in the transformation of the business. He is joined by Lesley Gulliver, Brand Strategy Director of award-winning design and brand agency The Engine Room.

Zero Waste Manufacturing, sometimes referred to as Circular Economy or remanufacturing, is not a fad or a trend. It's growing fast and it's here to stay.  Once UK manufacturers crack the business model, this sector is worth £5.6bn and is set to create 200,000 jobs. Yorkshire currently holds the only MBA in the world for Circular Economy at Bradford University.

So exactly what is it?  What do Yorkshire food & drinks organisations need to do to become circular and what is the first step?

Bradford University brings together partners from the Dame Ellen McArthur Foundation, Leeds City Region to get right to the nub of this subject - with a legacy for Yorkshire Manufacturers to take forward and cement Yorkshire's position as a leading light.