Manufacturing Task Force

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Manufacturing Task Force (MTF) is an industry-led collaboration aimed at ensuring that Mid and East Antrim has a prosperous future as the home of world class, innovative advanced manufacturing.

Established in 2018, the MTF collaboration has brought together the expertise and skills of more than 65 representatives from manufacturing companies, industry bodies, education and other sectors. It aims to support the continued growth of the sector through collaborative actions to tackle common issues.

One of the many challenges facing manufacturing businesses is the transition to Industry 4.0 technologies. It is essential that businesses explore and adopt these technologies in order to continue to improve productivity and keep the competitive edge that NI manufacturing has held for nearly half a century. Digitalisation is therefore a current and key focus of the MTF alongside CleanTech and Skills.

Since its inception, the MTF has achieved the following:

• Successful delivery of a range of Skills Academies; including Transport, Welding, Manufacturing;
• Development of an Assured Skills Academy in Supply Chain, Procurement and Logistics, in conjunction with Northern Regional College;
• Hosting the prestigious Professor Brian Cox Science Summer School in 2022 and again in 2024, as part of a collaborative vision for the area to nurture future talent;
• The launch of a NI wide Buy and Supply portal, which aims to simplify the supply chain connections for local manufacturing firms; Click here for more info
• Funding secured for a Collaborative Growth Network (CGN) Phase 1 and the, continuation and development of Phase 2 of the CGN for CleanTech; and
• Assisting companies access digital transformation support programmes to progress their pathway to Industry 4.0
• We are working on the NI Government approval for the i4C Innovation & CleanTech Centre funded under the Belfast Region City Deal initiative to proceed
• And a Hytech NI hydrogen economy project for test-beds in Mid and East Antrim;
• The delivery of the Hydrogen Training Academy a first of its kind programme in NI, which offers Level 2 to Level 7 in the field of Hydrogen.]
• Continued development of activity and initiatives that support local industry.

find out more