MAA Annual Conference 2025

Update! Full agenda announced - see below.

Join us for the next MAA Annual Conference at the RAF Museum Midlands, Cosford.

The MAA Conference – which takes place on 26 March - is renowned for being a great opportunity to hear from leading industry experts from the Midlands and beyond so you can grow your business in aerospace.

The 2025 conference agenda is packed with insights that could be critical to your business strategy including:

✈️ Expert perspectives on the latest industry opportunities and challenges from major aerospace players outside the Midlands - Airbus and GKN.

✈️ New initiatives, latest developments and current challenges being faced right across the global industry related to production rate increases, supply chain resilience, skills, raw materials, costs at key Midlands players.

✈️ What the industry can expect from Labour’s new Industrial Strategy, which will impact both civil and defence aerospace and include devolution of more powers to local authorities, the MAA’s own policy experts and featuring the Mayor of the West Midlands.

To make sure you have a seat at this important event, book your place today!

The venue

The conference venue is the Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford.

Update! New keynote speakers announced: 

Update! Full agenda

08:00 Registration, refreshments, networking

09:00 Welcome to RAF Museum Midlands

• Alan Edwards, Head of Operations for Midlands and London, RAF Museum
• Introducing MAA Conference 2025 Dr Andrew Mair, Chief Executive, Midlands Aerospace Alliance

09:15 Session 1: AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION RATE INCREASES: THE NUMBERS, VIEW FROM AN AIRCRAFT PRIME AND TIER 1

• Clive Lewis, Managing Director, Achieving the Difference.  Clive will be setting out the latest aircraft programme growth statistics and business opportunities

• Beth Owen, Head of Logistics and Transport, Airbus and Director, North West Aerospace Alliance.  Beth will be sharing her thinking about aircraft production rates and supply chain resilience from the perspective of an aerospace prime.

• Stephen Cowan, Vice President of Supplier Development & Strategic Dual Sourcing, GKN Aerospace Services and Chair, Aerospace Growth Partnership Manufacturing and Supply Chain Working Group.  Stephen will be talking about rate increases and supply chain resilience from a Tier 1 perspective

• Elizabeth Williams, Head of Aviation, Aerospace and Defence, Gowling WLG.  Elizabeth will explain Gowling WLG’s expertise in the aviation, aerospace and defence sectors and the law firm’s plans to work with the MAA and support MAA members in future

10:30 Break, refreshments, networking

11:00 Session 2: SUPPLY CHAIN RISK AND RESILIENCE: AERO ENGINE TIER 1 AND MANUFACTURER PERSPECTIVES, FINANCE, SKILLS

• Lisa Charlesworth, Head of Fan and Combustion Systems Operating Unit, ITP Aero UK. Lisa will be bringing us up to speed on the latest developments in manufacturing and operations at ITP Aero
• Simon Ward, Chairman, Accrofab.  Simon will share perspectives from the supply chain with regards to OEM ramp up ambitions as well as insights into the company's story
• Andrew Brough, Director – Aerospace & Defence, Siemens Advanta.  Andrew will discuss business opportunities relating to both new aircraft programmes and rate increases, what barriers the UK supply chain is facing to capitalising on these, and what can be done about them
• Chris Weir, Chief Technology Officer, Midlands Aerospace Alliance.  Chris will report early findings of the MAA's work on skills and recruitment challenges facing MAA member companies
• Panel discussion with our morning speakers
• West Midlands Combined Authority
• Review of WMCA's support for business in the West Midlands

12:45 Lunch and networking

13:45 Session 3: WORKING TOGETHER TO ADDRESS OUR CHALLENGES: INDUSTRY, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, GLOBAL UNCERTAINTIES

• Richard Parker, Mayor, West Midlands Combined Authority.  Richard will talk about takeaways from visiting aerospace companies in the region; high-level priorities and where aerospace fits in; policy aims; growth plans; and more
• Meaghan Preece, Hydromechanical Engineer, Moog.  Meaghan will speak about efforts to increase female representation within Moog as well as the benefits of diversity and allyship for business
• Alice Hignett, Business Operations Graduate, Collins Aerospace Actuation Systems and Project Manager, Aerospace Growth Partnership.  Alice will be explaining how you can get involved in a new initiative to help all tiers of the industry work collaboratively to address supply chain resilience and risk, led by the national Aerospace Growth Partnership’s Manufacturing and Supply Chain Working Group
• Chris Weir. Chris will outline the MAA's thinking on a new regional strategy for our aerospace cluster
• Dr Andrew Mair.  Andrew will share his perspective on working together across the Midlands and making the most of new industrial strategy in a world of economic and political instability

15:30 Conference closes

Registration rates for 2025

All prices are subject to VAT at the current rate.

Click here to see if you are members of the MAA.

We have a limited amount of bursary places available for early careers colleagues (e.g. apprentices/graduates) to attend the conference with a paying delegate. Contact us here to enquire.

Become an event partner - Places now sold out!

You can promote your company at this excellent event, to see the partnership opportunities available click here. If you have any questions do please call the MAA Member Services Team on 024 76430250.

Photos of the 2023 conference held at this venue:

Book your place now!