This year’s Global Manufacturing Festival in Sheffield will feature Sir Roger Bone, president of Boeing UK, as a guest speaker.

Bone will launch the event with a lecture organised by Sheffield University that will be held at its Octagon Centre on 21 March, in association with Sheffield Hallam University.

Boeing was the founding member of Sheffield University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in 2001 and Bone, who co-ordinates all Boeing business activities in the UK, was appointed an honorary ambassador for British business by the prime minister in 2010.

The two-day festival is intended to reaffirm the UK’s position as a global leader in advanced manufacturing and innovation.

Day one will feature the ‘Get Up To Speed — Skills and Education Show’ that will be open to young people, schools, parents and students who wish to meet with local engineering and manufacturing businesses. It will take place at the The Blue Shed at Ekspan, Compass Works, Brightside Lane, Sheffield, between 11am and 6pm.

Headline sponsors for the Global Manufacturing Festival include Nabarro, Sheffield University and Siemens.

On 22 March an international convention and trade show will take place at Sheffield’s City Hall, with business leaders from around the world attending. Key themes at the convention will be UK strategy and support; new markets and opportunities; and technology and commercialisation.

Confirmed speakers include Ric Parker from Rolls-Royce, Dr Alan McLelland from NAMTEC, Alan Cumming of EDF Energy, Andrew Peters from Siemens Drive Technologies, Sir Chris O'Donnell formally of Smith & Nephew and Professor Keith Ridgway, CBE executive dean of Sheffield University’s Advanced Manufacturing Institute.

The festival will come to a close with the Made in Sheffield awards dinner at Cutlers’ Hall, which will celebrate manufacturing companies from the Sheffield City region and their success in supplying products throughout the world.

Anyone wishing to attend both the convention and management lecture over the two days can purchase a package ticket for £199 + VAT. Special packages are available for regional companies and exhibitors at a discounted rate.

For more information visit www.globalmanufacturingfestival.com.