Hi-tech Fylde set for international stage

Business leaders will be flying the flag for Blackpool Airport, Hillhouse and Warton enterprise zones at a major conference this week.
By The Newsroom
Published 20th Feb 2017, 11:06 BST
Updated 28th Feb 2017, 12:18 BST
Edwin Booth the Chairman of the Lancashire Local Enterprise PartnershipEdwin Booth the Chairman of the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership
Edwin Booth the Chairman of the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership

The Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership is lead sponsor in the Advanced Manufacturing debate at the Northern Powerhouse International Conference and Exhibition in Manchester, as well as having its own stand.

More than 3,000 delegates are expected including international delegations from China, India Australia and the US.

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The Q&A session on advanced manufacturing will take place on Wednesday at 1pm at the Manchester Central convention complex.

Mike Damms, who is chairman of the Lancashire Strategic Manufacturing Group, will be using the LEP’s lead role in the event to highlight Lancashire’s position as the UK’s leading region for aerospace and advanced manufacturing economic activity. Central to this message is Lancashire’s Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Cluster which includes the county’s four Enterprise Zone sites at Samlesbury, Warton, Blackpool Airport and Hillhouse in Wyre.

Combined these sites provide a world-class offer to investors and occupiers within the advanced manufacturing, energy and engineering sectors with the potential to generate 10,000 new high value jobs.

Delegates will also hear about the Samlesbury-based Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre recently announced in the government’s £70m Growth Deal 3 funding.

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And they will be told about the construction of the £30m Engineering Innovation Centre at UCLan in Preston due to open in 2018.

Edwin Booth, chairman of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, said: “The LEP is looking forward to participating in this major conference to ensure those attending get a clear picture of the scale and significance of Lancashire’s manufacturing offer at the very heart of the Northern Powerhouse.

“Through our presence at this event the LEP has secured a high-profile platform where it can showcase new, dynamic initiatives such as the Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Enterprise Zone cluster, the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre project and UCLan’s Engineering and Innovation development whilst reaffirming our position as the UK’s number one region for aerospace activity”.

{http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/our-region/blackpool/blackpool-airport-enterprise-zone-flies-high-with-5m-new-investment-1-8330519|See also: Enterprise zone flying high

Related topics:LancashireFyldeBlackpool AirportWartonManchester