Business news

AMIC to partner with Northern Ireland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition

The Queen’s University-led Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), which represents investment of £100m under Belfast Region City Deal, has partnered with this year’s Northern Ireland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition taking place on June 22.

Colin Murphy, Managing Director of the Norther Ireland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition said: “We are delighted to announce that AMIC has come on board as our headline sponsor for the upcoming Northern Ireland Manufacturing and Supply Chain Exhibition. Their unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence in the industry makes them the perfect partner for this event, and we are excited to have them on board. We believe that their involvement will bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise, which will help make this exhibition a great success.”

The event at Titanic Exhibition Centre has a comprehensive conference programme with free workshops and keynote speakers as well as a wide range of exhibitors displaying the latest technological solutions and business services.

It serves as a forum for manufacturers and operators involved throughout supply chains across Northern Ireland to discuss pressing issues facing their industry.

The Northern Ireland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition will encompass the full manufacturing spectrum in Northern Ireland, including the food and drink, biopharma, medtech, healthcare, construction, procurement, and precision engineering sectors.

The event will cover various topical themes including Manufacturing, Supply Chain & Logistics, Sustainability, Lean Productivity & Continuous Improvement, Automation & Robotics, Procurement, 3D Printing, Hi-tech Manufacturing & Precision Engineering, IoT & Industry 4.0 and Research & Innovation.

It presents an opportunity for businesses to meet with Government agencies and supporting associations and gain free advice from experts on how to improve operational performance.

Under Belfast Region City Deal’s Innovation pillar, AMIC, an industry-led, open access manufacturing and engineering innovation centre with state-of-the-art facilities and an expert engineering team, underpinned by academic excellence, is set to reinvigorate Northern Ireland’s industrial potential and address the future technology and skills challenges faced by the region’s manufacturing sector.

Sam Turner, interim CEO of AMIC, said: “We’re delighted to partner with the Northern Ireland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference and Exhibition on this amazing event which is set to showcase innovative manufacturing approaches as well as the cutting-edge research that underpins them.

“It’s great opportunity for us to talk to delegates about the £100m investment to establish AMIC, which will turbocharge Northern Ireland’s manufacturing capabilities and embed a culture of innovation to act as a driver for increased productivity.

“We’re supporting local companies to be more competitive on a global scale as well as working with and attracting investment from UK and global companies and ensuring that we have the skilled workforce needed for the future.

“We’re also pleased that experts from the High Value Manufacturing Catapult will join us at the event. By collaborating with the HVM Catapult AMIC will link at scale into UK-wide networks, giving industry in Northern Ireland increased access to national expertise and giving local businesses a platform to showcase their expertise on a national stage.”

In partnership with Newtownabbey and Antrim Borough Council and Ulster University, AMIC builds on 50 years of sustained innovation and industry support through the Northern Ireland Technology Centre (NITC), the Polymers Processing Research Centre (PPRC) and the more recent university-industry partnership, NI Advanced Composites and Engineering (NIACE).

A 10,500m2 facility, set to open at Global Point in Newtownabbey in 2026, will give advanced manufacturing and engineering businesses access to the very latest technology, specialist equipment and expertise. The ‘Factory of the Future’ will be AMIC’s flagship facility and will become Northern Ireland’s national centre for advanced manufacturing, significantly accelerating levels of innovation and collaboration between industry and researchers