Horizon Works builds new connections at Make UK Defence Summit

It’s been a busy event season for Horizon Works – and we were represented at another major manufacturing event this month, when our Business Development and Marketing Manager, Richard Holmes, travelled to Birmingham for the Make UK Defence Summit 2023.

Held on November 23 and 24 at the stunning Millennium Point venue, the summit featured a vibrant programme of speakers and seminars, a range of Meet the Buyer sessions, an exhibition and a dinner hosted among the Spitfires, trams and robots of Thinktank at Birmingham Science Museum.

Make UK Defence is a national not-for-profit, member owned defence trade association, which is part of Make UK – the manufacturers’ organisation. It champions and supports the UK’s innovative and diverse defence manufacturers and the wider defence supply chain.

Make UK Defence Summit was the organisation’s biggest in-person event in four years and featured high profile speakers including: Major General Simon Hutchings, Director Joint Support, Ministry of Defence; Alex Chalk MP, Minister for Defence Procurement; Lord Hutton, Make UK Chair and former Secretary of State for Defence; John Healey MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence; Michael Formosa from Renaissance Strategic Advisors; and Paddy Walker and Peter Roberts of the Royal United Services Institute.

The summit’s dinner included fascinating speeches by Robert Fox, Defence Editor of the Evening Standard and Lt. General (Ret.) Sir Andrew Gregory KBE CB DL, former Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff and Controller of SSAFA – the Armed Forces charity.

Horizon Works is a partner in the Make UK Defence Competitive Advantage Programme (CAP), which helps Make UK Defence members grow their businesses by identifying challenges and opportunities and connecting them with experts.

Through the programme, we are helping manufacturers to assess and hone their marketing activities, through consultation, digital marketing audits and the creation of marketing recommendation reports.

Other partners in the CAP programme include specialists in law, cyber security, procurement HR, social values and corporate governance, and Richard was able to promote the initiative to members at the summit.

Samantha Vassallo, Managing Director of Horizon Works, said: “We are very proud to support Make UK Defence and its members through the Competitive Advantage Programme and we’re delighted to have been part of such a high profile event for the manufacturing and defence industries.

“We’d like to thank Make UK Defence Director-General Andrew Kinniburgh and the fabulous Make UK Defence team for their hard work in delivering the summit and we’re already looking forward to 2023’s event!”

Richard Holmes, Business Development and Marketing Manager at Horizon Works added: “Combining powerful insights into the manufacturing landscape for SMEs, the future of defence technology and emerging threats, with a platform to make new connections and tap into exciting opportunities, the summit was a fantastic example of what Make UK Defence can deliver for its members.

“I greatly enjoyed the two days in Birmingham and it was fantastic to see so many SMEs from the UK’s manufacturing community exchanging knowledge and ideas at the summit.”

For more information on Make UK Defence, click here.