Industry, Influence and the Future of UK Manufacturing

In his role as Executive Chair of leading trade body Automate UK, Peter is looking to use his 25 years of experience in robotics and automation to support end users in adopting the latest in automation technology and to help raise awareness of the benefits that automation can bring to UK manufacturing. His experience comes from RARUK Automation, a company he formed in 2016 that is now a world leading supplier of collaborative robots (or cobots), and for which he is also now a non-executive director.

Andrea Wilson is Managing Director of Hone-All Precision, a specialist SME based in Leighton Buzzard offering precision machining services in deep hole boring, deep hole drilling, CNC honing and CNC turning, with a skilled, and long-serving, team of forty. Hone-All is a successful company with a vibrant and strong brand, recognised throughout the industry and is regularly cited as an exemplar business for continuous improvement and regular investment in both their teams and technology. The business services over four thousand customers who represent every industry including Aerospace, Defence, Automotive, Petrochemical, Nuclear, and Construction. Andrea has spent almost 30 years working to improve the awareness, recognition, and image of the industry within the UK and has been active in influencing the Government’s approach and focus to ensure long term manufacturing strategic planning and success. A Top 100 alumni, her numerous contributions have included roles on the EEDA Manufacturing Panel, the Automotive Academy Steering Committee, the NSAM / SEMTA skills Council for the Eastern region and the MTA Training & Education Committee. She was Chair of the Make UK Eastern Regional Advisory Board for over 10 years and still sits on the Make UK Eastern RAB. She is also a member of the Enginuity Strategic Advisory Group and has recently been appointed the Vice-Chair of the Made Smarter Advisory Board for the Eastern Region pilot rollout. She is a passionate campaigner for a dedicated Minister for Manufacturing to represent engineering and manufacturing and improve the knowledge of, and support for, SME businesses within Government in the hope of changing the “one size fits all” approach once and for all.