Mission description

The Midlands Engine initiative aims to boost economic growth across the region through enhanced trade and investment. This is your chance to join a Midlands-wide trade and investment mission, led by Make It Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire in partnership with the Department for International Trade Staffordshire at two overseas technical ceramic events in 2017. 

The objectives are to:

• Strengthen the Midlands' unique selling point as being the UK home for advanced materials and in particular, technical ceramics
• Generate and attract foreign direct investment to the region
• Encourage Midlands' companies to showcase their products and expertise in the sector whilst exploring and maximising the US and Chinese export markets. 

Advanced materials includes composites, certain polymers, specialist alloys and technical ceramics - the latter alone is a sector with an estimated global value of €21 billion and is expected to increase by a massive 66 per cent by 2020. 

It is arguably one of the fastest-growing sectors as technical ceramics are frequently being used to replace metals, polymers, and refractory materials in a wide variety of applications due to their notable high temperature capability, strength, and electrical properties.

All user industries like automotive, aerospace, energy and medical rely on ceramic technologies for these very reasons.

Events

Ceramics Expo Ohio, US: 25-27 April 2017

Ceramics Expo was launched in 2015 and such has been its success that in 2017, the exhibition will grow twice its original size. It is expected to attract 300 exhibitors and well in excess of 3,000 visitors.

Ceramics Expo has become the annual focal point for the North American ceramic community and is a dedicated market place for all raw materials, equipment, machinery and technology used within the ceramic manufacturing supply chain.

Make it Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire in partnership with the Department for International Trade have exhibited at the expo since 2015 and see it as an excellent opportunity to continuously raise the profile of the Midlands Engine as a centre of manufacturing excellence and advanced materials expertise.

Ceramics China Guangzhou: 1-4 June 2017

Ceramics China has been successfully held for 29 years and has developed into one of the world’s leading exhibitions for ceramic equipment and materials.

The show congregates the latest and leading ceramic production and processing technologies, equipment, machinery, raw materials, colours and glazes, building and sanitary producers from around the world.

This year there were more than 900 exhibitors, with 21.5 per cent from overseas and some 97,000 trade visitors.

China is one of the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of ceramic tiles. In 2013, China’s ceramic tile production reached 9.69 bm2, a rise of 7.8 per cent from 2012. The amount is nearly equivalent to 60 per cent of world production. This presents opportunities in new printing technology and equipment, energy saving and emission reduction technology.

Opportunity – A UK Midlands Pavilion

This is an ideal opportunity for business development in two of the world’s largest economies, meeting innovative companies and decision-makers who set the agenda for ceramic manufacturing and applications as well as potential investors from key user industries looking to exploit the Midland’s advanced materials expertise. 

In parallel, there will be a lead-generation campaign, engaging overseas consultants with expert knowledge of the market and sector to generate potential leads and arrange face-to-face meetings at the events.

In 2015, the US was the biggest single source of FDI in the Midlands for manufacturing projects. The UK came tops in Europe, attracting more Chinese investment than Germany, France and Italy combined – since 2005, some £29bn has gone into purchasing prime real estate, banks, football clubs, utilities with the Midlands benefiting from recent significant investments by Geely and CCA. 

A maximum of five Midlands companies in the sector, on a first-come first-served basis can also join in this trade and investment mission to explore and enhance export opportunities in the US and China. Please help to publicise this opportunity to interested companies in your area. Part-funding towards travel cost may be available for eligible SMEs.

Event Package

Ceramics Expo US

• £1,500 – event participation with pre-event publicity
• £2,250 – event participation with pre-event publicity, lead generation support by our US consultancy to broker potential investor meetings at an on stand Afternoon Tea Party
  
  

Ceramics China

• £2,000 – event participation with pre-event publicity and stand Chinese translation
• £3,000 – event participation with pre-event publicity, stand Chinese translation, use of an interpreter on stand and lead generation support by our China consultancy to broker potential investor meetings at an on stand Afternoon Tea Party

Partners are expected to meet their own flight, accommodation costs and associated expenses. 

Register your interest

Email karen.tsang@makeitstokestaffs.co.uk to lodge your expression of interest by Wednesday, November 9 or call Karen Tsang on 01782 231977.

Stay Connected If you enjoyed reading this update, why not check out the other updates and newsletters Stoke-on-Trent City Council offers by clicking here