8 IN VIEW
A CORONAVIRUS CALL TO ARMS
Manufacturers across Lancashire have been urged to come together to respond to the overwhelming demand from the NHS in the battle against coronavirus.
In an unprecedented call to arms, the Covid-19 Manufacturing Cluster for Lancashire and South Cumbria was launched last month.
Its aim is to act as a single point to pass on the requirements of the NHS to manufacturers in the area – and to make it easier for companies and NHS organisations to engage with each other.
Annette Weekes of PDS CNC Engineering in Nelson helped found the group with a number of partners, including Lancaster University, the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and CUBE Thinking.
She said: “In Lancashire we have some truly awesome capability, there really is nothing we can’t produce so let’s pull together now and support our local NHS services.
“I ask any local manufacturers who want to help to come forward now and work with us so we can be as responsive as possible to NHS demand.”
Sherry Kothari, director of Lancaster University’s Health Innovation Campus, has been working closely with the NHS and playing a key role in the emerging cluster.
She said: “At a time of national crisis, it is gratifying to see the offers of help that are flooding in from every corner.
Annette Weekes
Businesses which believe they have the capability to support local NHS requirements or can reconfigure to manufacture for the NHS have been urged to sign up to the initiative.
“It is vital to capture and coordinate these so that we can optimise help for our local NHS teams as well those working on the front line across other agencies.
“The more we can do with local SMEs, the more agile and responsive we can be in providing sustainable support for the region.”
Manufacturers have been to register their interest at
Covid19cluster.co.uk
Sherry Kothari
The CBI called on firms with the skills or expertise that could be harnessed to get involved, as well as those who have skills that could be useful for the fight, including the suppliers, lawyers, logistics and others needed to make this critical endeavour happen.
Steve Fogg, who chairs the LEP, said: “Lancashire has a significant and world-class manufacturing base with the flexibility, skills and expertise, and is well placed to rise to the challenge during this time of national crisis.”
The CBI in the North West and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) have both urged businesses to join the ‘battle’ to produce protective equipment for the NHS and front- line workers.
DAWN OF NEW DIGITAL ERA
Everyone reading this will have felt the impact of Covid-19. We’ve lost loved ones. It’s changed the way we live. It’s changed the way we work.
I’ve joined millions around the world who have turned their homes into offices; who have had to learn a new way of working and adapt to the challenges that brings.
No one will forget Covid-19. We’ll all need time to recover, to adapt to a new ‘normal’. But, in business, what will ‘normal’ be?
A new technological era dawned decades ago: many businesses embraced that and developed the technologies and communication methods that have served them well in these unprecedented times. For others, it’s been a stark reminder of how vulnerable business can be when the unexpected happens.
As business leaders, we’ve had to start communicating digitally – internally to our teams and externally to customers. These new technological skills and video conferencing platforms – whether Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Google Hangouts – are the foundations on
Neil Burrows
I’m not the only one who wishes they could see into the future, see what business legacy Covid-19 leaves us. How do we confidently forecast what staff we’ll need? What new
which future business efficiency, productivity and prosperity are built. As a business community, we have the opportunity to learn from each other and take a leap forward in our use of technology - whether that’s training more or travelling less.
skills or resources? Will what we do now meet our customers’ needs in future?
These are questions at the forefront of our minds at Themis. We’re thinking not just weeks or months ahead but years, to ensure every young person who has the passion and determination to start their career as a Themis Apprentice gets that opportunity. We’re looking at how we can support businesses to adapt, by further enhancing our training programmes, to ensure we are supporting them the right way. We’re planning ahead in an uncertain world. We’re adapting, we’re becoming more and more agile – and that can only be good for Themis going forward.
One thing is for sure though. The business landscape will not be the same after Covid-19. There will be a new ‘normal’. It’ll be challenging. But as business leaders, we’re in this together. We’ll stand united, learn the lessons from Covid-19 and create a brave new world.
Let’s start the conversation. Contact me on
n.burrows@burnley.ac.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67
