Member Article

North East Northern Powerhouse insight: Jack Hanwell, Advanced Manufacturing Forum

In an ongoing series, Jamie Hardesty is talking to North East business leaders in an attempt to understand the region’s feelings towards the government’s Northern Powerhouse initiative.

This investigation, surveying regional business opinion, hopes to add coherence to the concept and today we present the views of Jack Hanwell from the Advanced Manufacturing Forum (AMF), which represents the manufacturing sector in the North East.

The Forum was set up by the private sector to offer a single voice on behalf of the manufacturing community.

Manufacturing Sector Development Manager Jack joined the Forum after many years in training and business development in shipbuilding, oil & gas and renewables. He spent over 20 years with Swan Hunter Shipbuilders before having spells with Vickers Defence Systems, AMEC, Euro-Seas and NOF Energy.

What does the Northern Powerhouse mean to you?

At the moment it is still feels like the emphasis from government is concentrated on the North West and that we in the North East either haven’t embraced the concept fully or are being treated a little differently.

With the demise of the Business Growth Service and MAS there seems to be less and less support available for manufacturers, particularly SMEs. Business itself can play a crucial role in the process and business support groups like the Advanced Manufacturing Forum are ideally placed to facilitate.

Are there signs of the Northern Powerhouse starting to bear fruit in the region?

No.

Has the government done enough to convince you of its commitment to Osborne’s vision?

The government is very clear in its rhetoric about being committed, however, the proof of the pudding will be in the distribution of funding to the North East.

Will it be proportional to other areas of the country and will manufacturing be singled out as needing special treatment because of the wealth creating opportunities it provides through jobs, exports etc?

Transport improvement is intrinsic to the Northern Powerhouse. Do you believe that spending billions of infrastructure will improve Northern productivity?

Not if it stops at Leeds. Dualling of the A1 has in my opinion been long overdue and if and when the expected upturn in the oil & gas sector comes a fully dualled link to Scotland, specifically Aberdeen is very important.

Are there any other areas which you believe money should be spent on, ahead of transport?

I believe that more should be spent supporting manufacturing generally and SME’s particularly. A strong and effective NELEP could also help the whole process.

The forerunner to NELEP, ONE North East, while having its critics was very successful with campaigns such as Passionate People Passionate places and with the real support it gave to industry.

More practical backing, to, for example, the steel industry and shipbuilding, would be very well received and sensible. Can you imagine the USA or France allowing such industries to disappear the way we have let things go?

Does the North East need a mayor? If so, who should it be?

My reading of the situation is that it doesn’t matter whether the region needs one or not, in order to move forward one simply has to have one.

Will the Northern Powerhouse be realised in the North East?

Yes.

Thanks Jack.