The North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA), which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, will take to the floor again at the House of Commons on Wednesday 30 November during a Reception hosted by Sharon Hodgson MP for Washington and Sunderland West.
Hot after the announcement that the new Nissan Qashqai and the X-Trail SUV will be built in Sunderland, the NEAA and industry representatives will cement the significant contribution the North East automotive sector makes to UK PLC.
The event will offer an opportunity to highlight the challenges and opportunities the sector faces and showcase how the industry has taken a collaborative approach to these through the automotive cluster group, NEAA.
Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington and Sunderland West said: “I am delighted to be sponsoring a second event with the NEAA, which is testament to the strong and growing automotive manufacturing sector in the North East, which now generates over £11bn of sales and employs over 30,000 people directly.
“In September Nissan celebrated 30 years of automotive manufacturing in Sunderland and with the news of the new Qashqai and X-Trail being built in the region, it certainly re-affirms the North East’s position as a global centre of excellence for automotive manufacturing; and provides a springboard for the future growth and expansion of the sector.”
Launched in March 2015 the NEAA was set up to support the sustainable economic growth and competitiveness of the North East automotive sector. Today the industry-led cluster boasts a staggering 180 members, and a further 26 SMEs engaged on an ERDF funded programme to support the growth and competitiveness of North East based SMEs.
With over 200 cluster participants, the NEAA has successfully created a number of thematic working groups where local automotive industrialists collaborate on issues that have an impact on their sector including Business Competitiveness, Skills, Innovation & Technology and Trade & Investment. Where possible the NEAA works closely with national activities addressing similar issues to ensure there is a collaborative and more effective approach to these.
Kevin Fitzpatrick, Nissan Divisional Vice President for European Manufacturing & Chair of the NEAA says of the event: “We are delighted to be showcasing the region’s automotive industry to the rest of the country at a second NEAA Westminster reception.
“We need to ensure that wider stakeholders are fully informed of the activity that takes place in the North East as well as the expertise that has grown here; and this event provides us with a platform to demonstrate this.”
The event will feature presentations from key industry figures highlighting the strength of the North East automotive sector.
Mike Matthews MBE, Managing Director at Nifco UK and Vice Chair of the NEAA who will be speaking at the reception, said: “The NEAA works to overcome barriers to growth by providing a voice for the sector on regional, national and international platforms and driving the agendas of key issues such as innovation and skills.
“The NEAA is a vital support organisation not only for the North East region, but the industry as a whole, and this is why it is important to ensure Members of Parliament are well informed.”
Paul Butler, CEO of the NEAA further commented: “The NEAA is very much industry-driven, with all our working groups populated by industrialists who work together and share best practice in order to improve regional performance.
“One of the reasons NEAA was formed was to raise awareness and act as the voice of the North East automotive sector. The Westminster Reception is about letting the Government know how the North East industry is driving the region’s competitiveness.”
Councillor Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council said: “The alliance has become an important organisation in a very short space of time. This importance is reflected in its growing membership, its activity, and how the automotive sector is a major part of the North East and national economy.
“The NEAA is helping to drive growth and this event is about reminding decision-makers in Westminster how important the North East’s automotive sector is to UK plc.”