Warren Attends Make UK National Manufacturing Conference 2025

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On Tuesday 5th March, our Founder Owner, Richard Bridgman and Commercial Manager, Iain Milroy attended the Make UK National Manufacturing Conference 2025 in Westminster. This event brought together representatives from manufacturing businesses across the UK, offering valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities within the sector.

A day of insightful discussions

The conference was expertly hosted by Steph McGovern, who delivered the day’s welcome speech. With a background in engineering and manufacturing – having started her career at Black & Decker before moving into journalism – Steph’s understanding of the sector made her an engaging and insightful host.

The Keynote Speaker, journalist Robert Peston, provided an intriguing analysis of recent global political events. He shared insights from his first-hand experience in the Oval Office last week, where he witnessed discussions between Keir Starmer and Donald Trump. His speech focused on key topics including:

  • The war in Ukraine and its impact on UK and US relations
  • Potential UK/US trade deals and tariff concerns
  • Uncertainty following a difficult meeting between Zelensky and Trump

His analysis highlighted the potential challenges ahead for UK manufacturers navigating global trade and geopolitical uncertainty.

Exploring opportunities in nuclear defence

Later in the morning, we attended a breakout session on Defence – Nuclear, which proved to be both relevant and thought-provoking.

Breaking into the nuclear sector is notoriously difficult due to high security requirements and stringent standards. However, an interesting takeaway was that while these regulations apply to core nuclear operations, many infrastructure support services around nuclear projects do not.

With the development of Sizewell in our region, this could present new opportunities for Warren. As we continue to expand our capabilities, this is certainly an area worth exploring further.

Defence investment: a boost for UK manufacturing

The conference closed with a speech from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, who emphasised investment in the defence sector. With the increasing need to bolster UK and European defence capabilities, she highlighted several key initiatives, including:

  • Single source procurement – speeding up the MOD’s order placement process and giving SMEs greater access to defence contracts
  • The Defence Innovation Hub – a new initiative supporting tech and AI development in the defence sector

This was particularly encouraging for Warren as we continue to grow our involvement in the defence sector. The government’s focus on ensuring UK businesses benefit from defence spending aligns well with our ambitions.

Despite the uncertainty of current global affairs, the Make UK National Manufacturing Conference 2025 was a positive and productive event. It provided valuable networking opportunities, industry insights, and discussions on key challenges and opportunities for manufacturers like Warren.

We left the conference with a stronger understanding of where the sector is heading, and we are excited about the potential opportunities in nuclear infrastructure and defence manufacturing.