Scotland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition

Members of our EQ Engineering & Manufacturing team recently attended the Scotland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition at the SEC in Glasgow.

Greg Stapley, Head of EQ Engineering & Manufacturing, commented: “The event was well attended, with exhibitors covering all relevant sectors and industries including automation, robotics, engineering, electronics, 3D printing etc. There were also numerous speakers and panelists providing a broad range of knowledge and discussion throughout the day.”

In between the various lectures and seminars, we were able to catch up with some contacts and clients, including Steve Aikman from the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS) and the team at SP Technology and Automation, who were both exhibiting on the day.

Greg added: “It is always great to get out of the office and meet clients and contacts at these events, and I especially enjoyed talking with some of the exhibitors about the technology on display and making new connections in the process.”

We have highlighted some of the key takeaway points from the conference below:

• Although there have been challenging times recently, most notably with interest rates rises, increased utility costs, and general price inflation, data suggests confidence is returning to the sector.
• There are lots of tools and advice available for companies in Scotland, through intermediaries such as Scottish Enterprise and SMAS, with examples provided on the day of successful projects they have helped to undertake.
• Various funding and other finance and insurance avenues are available to be explored, including via the Government UK Export Finance team, innovation funding, grants, capital allowance and R&D tax credits.
• Companies are encouraged to actively seek the support of the various government agencies and other experts in the sourcing of financing for capital expansion, and the search for business and productivity improvements and efficiencies to reduce overheads.
• New technologies continue to develop and constantly evolve, allowing for various new opportunities to be considered – examples seen on the day include optical spectroscopy technology used for the on-site detection of counterfeit whisky.

If you would like to discuss how we can support your business, please contact our EQ Engineering & Manufacturing team on engineering@eqaccountants.co.uk or contact one of our offices.