About The Debates

We are proud to announce an ambitious series of six programmes designed to highlight the challenges facing the sector – and to seek the solutions that will help manufacturers navigate the turbulent business environment created by multiple recent shocks to the global system.

The programmes are supported by the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and Sage.

Each programme falls into two parts: a 60-minute documentary-style Report hosted by veteran manufacturing journalists Nick Peters and Jonny Williamson, with pre-recorded interviews providing expert testimony. This Report will be followed a week later by an online Debate, open to all manufacturers and friends, to discuss the issues raised. Special guests will also be invited to contribute.

The first Report will be published online in late-November and will ask what must happen for manufacturing to deliver the growth and productivity the UK economy needs. It will be followed a week later by the first Debate.

Katherine Bennett CBE, CEO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, said: “If we are to deliver industrial transformation and drive economic growth, we must firstly understand the concerns of UK manufacturers. This series will help us find answers to some of the pressing questions facing the sector – whether that is energy costs, carbon emissions or future skills – before demonstrating how we can transform manufacturing together.”

ManufacturingTV’s Editorial Director Nick Peters said, “Our goal has always been to weave together the many and varied voices of the manufacturing sector. This new series delivers that, providing new perspectives for manufacturers struggling to cope with an unprecedented array of external pressures and strong messaging that policymakers can and should listen to.”