Understanding Manufacturing

Negative perceptions of manufacturing can damage the sector's prospects by acting as a barrier to attracting new talent or even adversely affect the investment climate.

To increase understanding of the positive aspects of manufacturing and influence cultural attitudes will take time. The work of the Forum will therefore ensure that the messages for the key audiences are effectively designed and the delivery routes for those messages are clarified and strengthened.

The key audiences to be addressed are School children, Higher and Further Education pupils, teachers, careers advisors, industry, investors, media, government, women and the general public.

Defining High-Value Manufacturing

This research, conducted by the Institute for Manufacturing, has emphasised that the value in manufacturing does not lie solely in production. Manufacturing is a complex process that spans activities from research and design, through production, and onto services such as distribution and after-sales service. A series of case studies will show that value for manufacturers can be service or product led - a single category does not capture all manufacturing. This research will help form the basis of new messages about manufacturing.

Defining high value manufacturing final report 2006

The Manufacturing Media Centre

The Manufacturing Forum have agreed that establishing an independent 'Manufacturing Media Centre' (MMC) is critical to the process of portraying a more accurate picture of the sector. The MMC will act as an independent press office.

The MMC will be set up using similar structure and principles to the Science Media Centre (www.sciencemediacentre.org), which in the last 2 to 3 years has established itself as a key resource for journalists for impartial and independent advice on science stories.

The MMC is independent, and aims to have a wide cross section of Industry, Professional Services, Professional Institutions, Academia, Unions and Media sponsorship.

Nick Brayshaw, Chair, Barclays Manufacturing Industry Group and Manufacturing Forum member, heads a temporary board, which includes representatives from Industry, Trade Associations and the Media.. Leading companies in the sector have been approached to provide funding for the launch and initial running period of the MMC.

For more information, view the presentation (below).

MMC Presentation