CBM sets a route to electric vehicles

The Confederation of British Metalforming has joined forces with the WMG SME Group for a 'Ready 4 Electrification' breakfast meeting at its 49 Birmingham Road headquarters, to understand the UK and global drivers of electrification, the key players and timetable of opportunities.

The January 17 session at 9am is the latest in a series of events and seminars identifying business opportunities for members, and CBM president Steve Morley believes the electric vehicle sector is worth around £5 billion - just in the UK alone.

“We have previously identified the major industrial sectors where members would have the right experience, capabilities and resources to enter their supply chains, and set up this series to pass across the required information, contacts and knowledge for them to pitch for work. We've held similar sessions focusing on the aerospace, HS2, Metro and light-rail sectors, and they've all been very successful, so we're expecting a similar outcome for this event,” he said.

“We pride ourselves on being a membership-led organisation, and the majority of our members are SMEs, so they are always hard-pressed to find time to research potential pathways to future business. Our aim is to go into the marketplace find out what’s out there for them and deliver it to them in a format they can relate to.

“Demand for electric vehicles is increasing steadily, and WMG has become one of the major players in this sector, not least through the presence of an energy innovation centre on its campus and its HMV Catapult programme. They are keen to engage with our SME members and we are delighted that they are supporting our members by bringing this event to our headquarters in the heart of the Black Country.

“Our event will feature presentations by speakers whose companies have made the transition to working with the EV sector, as well as representatives from WMG, and we'll also be guiding members as to sources of support if they look to enter EV supply chains.”