Make it in Great Britain Exhibition opens
Today Vince Cable opens the Make it in Great Britain exhibition at the Science Museum, celebrating the success of British manufacturing.
24 Jul 2012
The exhibition is the culmination of the Government’s Make it in Great Britain campaign and will feature a mix of displays from 39 businesses of all sizes including iconic names like McLaren, Mars, BAE and Rolls Royce.
Vince Cable joined Business Minister Mark Prisk to launch the exhibition, which is taking place for six weeks during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It shows young people the rewarding career opportunities available in British manufacturing and dispels the myth that the UK ‘doesn’t make anything anymore’.
Vince Cable said:
“Generating £137bn each year and employing 2.5 million people, manufacturing is a vital part of the UK’s economy.
Perceptions of the industry are outdated and need to change if we are going to attract the talent needed to support manufacturing in the long term. Both Government and industry have a role to play, which is why we launched the Make it in Great Britain campaign and are hosting this exhibition.”
Entry is free to the Make it in Great Britain Exhibition. It will be on display until 09 September 2012.
The Make it in Great Britain Challenge
As well as being able to see the manufacturing businesses at the exhibition, you also have the chance to view the finalists of the Make it in Great Britain Challenge - a competition to seek out the next big pre-market products or ideas from across the UK.
These include a new technology which could offer relief to tinnitus sufferers and an eco-friendly alternative to everyday cement that could reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90 per cent.
As part of the Challenge, all finalists of the Make it…Breakthrough category were put to a public vote ahead of the exhibition for the chance to be crowned the ‘People’s Choice’.
The winner has today been named as Bedflex, which is a device designed by a group of BAE Systems apprentices to assist the recovery of amputees and critical care patients by allowing them to take part in bed-based exercises.
Throughout the exhibition you can vote on what finalists you want to win across all five categories. The winners from each category will go on display together during the final week of the exhibition. An overall competition winner will then be chosen.
Business Minister Mark Prisk said;
“We have a mixture of iconic names, but also small and medium sized businesses like Elfab and Ultra Global that are leaders in their field, and have come together to show the public what modern manufacturing is all about.
“There is a range of rewarding career opportunities available, requiring advanced skills and expertise. I would encourage people to come along to the exhibition and see first hand what manufacturing can offer them.”