What is Watchtower

Watchtower is a 2 year £1,000,000 initiative from Lancashire County Council to support the Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing (AEM) sector targeted at tackling some of the economic impacts of Covid-19, the current climate and stimulating growth. There has been a temporary collapse in demand for AEM products as a result of lockdowns, which has impacted on the aerospace, automotive and power markets and supply chains. In turn, significant numbers of high value jobs had been furloughed and potentially lost, impacting on Lancashire’s skills base and wealth generating capacity.

Aerospace Industry North West England – North West Aerospace Alliance

Steve Jones of P34B Ltd attended the event to understand the challenges and gaps in the industry, and listening to guest speakers from Addison Group, Westinghouse and Valetine Pietri.

Topics covered included the future and potential future of technological improvements, how people will likely develop in the sectors, and a review of the skills sector in the UK and particularly Lancashire.