The webinar featured insights from:

• Steve Barbour, Managing Director of Composite Braiding; 
• Andrew Clifton, Global Sustainability Manager at Rolls-Royce; 
• Steve Foxley, CEO of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC)
• Margarete McGrath, Strategic Propositions Global Lead at Dell Technologies
• Professor Andrew Schofield, Programme and Technology Integration Director at BAE Systems
• Mark Yeeles, Vice President of Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric

The spotlight guest was Roger Morton, Managing Director for Technology and Innovation at European Metal Recycling (EMR).

• The main opportunities that sit alongside manufacturers’ growing obligation to be sustainable are reducing production costs and gaining new business
• SMEs and larger manufacturers have their own unique parts to play in achieving industry-wide sustainability
  
• Sustainability is a global journey that can’t be completed by businesses acting individually; collaboration and transparency are key, and technology supports both
  
• To start reaping the rewards of sustainability, businesses must first assess their current position; they can then identify opportunities, measure improvement and build confidence
  

Sustainability is fast becoming a licence to operate for manufacturers, but the case for going green isn’t just about surviving. There are also significant business opportunities that sit alongside the obligation.

By optimising energy usage and limiting waste – two of the simplest ways to reduce emissions – businesses naturally cut operating costs. They become leaner and, in turn, more resilient and versatile; these are vital characteristics to have in the current climate, but will also keep manufacturers healthy in the long term.

Green manufacturers can create new commercial opportunities, too, as the appetite among consumers and other businesses for sustainable products continues to grow.

Innovation is what drives sustainable change, but industry-wide sustainability will only be achieved if new, greener ways of working can be applied at scale. 

SMEs with their smaller, more defined remits have a vital role to play here as they’re better able to develop, pilot and measure new technologies. Large manufacturers can then learn from the innovations of SMEs and apply them at scale.

It must be a two-way exchange, however. With greater resources, large manufacturers must support innovation at SME level. That means investment in collaborative problem-solving - one company could fund R&D for a smaller supplier, for example: the investor improves production efficiency as a result and the supplier can provide the same, proven solution to others.

While being green can make businesses more competitive, the journey there relies on effective collaboration and knowledge-sharing between companies of all types and sizes. 

Most manufacturers will find that others in their networks have similar concerns and objectives around sustainability. Each organisation also has expertise that can be used to benefit the wider shift towards greener manufacturing – if that expertise is shared openly and honestly. 

Knowing where to start is a common stumbling block for manufacturers that want to be more sustainable. Digital analytics is a crucial part of the journey, but, for that to be useful, businesses must first be able to accurately assess their current position so they can identify opportunities, create objectives and measure progress.

If you would like to find out more about sustainable manufacturing solutions or how to make your business more sustainable, please speak to your Relationship Manager, contact WMG at wmgbusiness@warwick.ac.uk or submit an enquiry to the High Value Manufacturing Catapult at: hvm.catapult.org.uk/talk-to-us.

For SMEs, there is also the opportunity to join like-minded businesses in the Net Zero Innovation Network – find out more here: WMG SME Group | Net Zero Innovation Network (warwick.ac.uk)