WORKING GROUPS
The NEAA facilitates a series of industry-led working groups which focus on key Automotive sector issues and opportunities.
At the core of NEAA’s membership offering is networking and connectivity, whereby members can utilise these services to support business development.
In addition to this, the NEAA operates in a number of thematic areas from innovation to business resilience to skills. Members can access working groups related to these areas to support their business needs.
Select a service below to find out more.
BUSINESS RESILIENCE
The Business Resilience Group is taking steps to understand the key issues “on the desk” of our members and meets regularly to share intelligence and best practice to help capability improvements and cost reduction activities.
The resilience of the Automotive sector is ingrained within the NEAA membership. Covid, global supply issues, skills shortages and the “B” word have presented, at the very least, a challenging situation. With that in mind, the Business Resilience Group operates a very fluid structure to adapt to member needs and the changing environment.
We are in a unique position to understand the common challenges and problems that are being experienced across member companies and the membership allows us to foster these discussions with an exemplar peer group.
At present, the following Focus Groups are running within the Business Resilience Group
Energy Group
Showcasing best practices amongst member companies, together with a combined shared understanding of current competitiveness practices and forward-looking market influencing factors and technology adoption related to energy. The Working Group is also involved in gathering the voice of the customer to support local and national Government direction.
Safety Group
Understanding and supporting members current needs in relation to safety. Sharing best practice (knowledge and site visits), discussing current issues and distributing forward insights.
Injection Moulding Group
Working together to solve common problems, sharing of best practice and supporting companies in relation to Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery and Environment.
HR Forum
Bringing together HR professionals from OEM and Tier 1 suppliers to share best practice, offer advice, solve common issues, network and invite guest speakers to provide their professional advice and services when specific needs arise.
Join the Business Resilience Group
If you would like to find out more information about the NEAA Business Resilience Group or wish to join, please contact Stuart McGivern, Project Manager on SMcGivern@northeastautomotivealliance.com
EV NORTH
Electrification is a key part of the Government’s plan to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to Net Zero by 2050 and this represents a huge opportunity for the North East of England. No other region in the UK can compare to the North East’s electrification credentials which date back to the 1920’s.
The region is home to Europe’s most successful Electric Vehicle (EV), the Nissan LEAF, Europe’s first Giga battery manufacturing facility, and has full Power Electronics, Motors and Drives (PEMD) capability.
EV North is an important step in supporting the North East’s transition to become a true automotive powerhouse and a location of choice for automotive investment in Europe.
EV North is chaired by Ryan Maughan, founder of AVID Technology and has long been at the forefront of the shift towards electrification, specialising in the design and manufacture of electrified powertrain components
The EV North mission is to:
- Strengthen the North East of England’s position as a global centre for design, development and manufacture of electrified vehicle powertrain technologies
- Raise the profile of the region and its capabilities within the UK and internationally both with Government and automotive OEMs and Supply Chain
- Encourage collaborative R, D & I projects to leverage public and private sector investment
- Ensure engagement with further and higher education for relevant provision of skills for the future of the sector
- Maximise the benefits to the region of the Driving the Electric Revolution (DER) programme and DER Centre North East
- Identify opportunities to exploit our automotive electrification capabilities and seek opportunities in other sectors
- Attract investment to the region to support building and scale-up of manufacturing, research and development excellence for electrified powertrain components
- Align strategies with national and regional priorities and leverage support from the public sector
EV North will support through:
- Gateway to NEAA membership
- Dissemination & promotion
- Consortia building
- Supply chain visualisation
- Supply chain development
- International trade
- Inward investment
- Events
Join EV North
If you would like to find out more information about EV North or wish to join, please contact evnorth@northeastautomotivealliance.com
Check out our latest event
DIGITALISATION
The Digitalisation Group exists to support the regions advances in new technology and digitalisation to drive collaboration and regional competitiveness. The group will ensure the North East automotive industry delivers a consolidated approach to manufacturing project challenges, pooling knowledge, and resources to identify best solutions for maximum productivity and adoption.
The objective of the group is to:
Showcase latest technologies
Improve links with Universities
Provide funding advice and support
Coordinate collaborative project grants
Help commercialise new products and technologies
We are proud that the North East accounts for 26% of all EV production across Europe.
Join the Digitalisation Group
If you would like to find out more information about the NEAA Digitalisation Group or wish to join, please contact Chris Appleby, Innovation Manager on CAppleby@northeastautomotivealliance.com
SKILLS
The NEAA Skills Group comes together to address the skills needs of our members across four key areas of Future Workforce, Apprenticeships, Graduates and Current Workforce.
Working with members, we look to assess the current and future Automotive sector needs in relation to people and skills, and then look at how these can be obtained by facilitating exchange between STEM engagement programmes, education providers, Universities and Colleges.
The NEAA ensures sector representation at a number of regional and national working groups including:
- Automotive Council Skills Group
- NE LEP Employability and Skills Board
- Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network
- Enterprise Ambassadors Network
The NEAA is also a Signatory of the Tomorrow’s Engineers Code, which is a commitment to work towards common goals to increase the diversity and number of young people entering engineering careers. The Code Community is made up of engineering firms, professional institutions, government departments, universities and more. Any organisation with UK operations that funds, designs and/or delivers engineering-inspiration activities is invited to become a Signatory and it’s free to become a member.
The NEAA looks to assist the sector’s skills needs through:
- Raising the profile of the Automotive sector as an excellent career opportunity
- School Engagement programme awareness and collaboration
- Promoting educational industrial initiatives
- Signposting Placements, Apprenticeships and Graduate opportunities
- Lobbying and promoting industry needs to Government and education providers
- Aligning industry needs with funding incentives for academia
- Seeking appropriate funding opportunities on behalf of the sector
- Working with providers to upskill the current workforce to meet future sector demands
In addition to this, we also facilitate an NEAA HR Forum. The purpose of this forum is to bring together HR professionals from Tier 1 suppliers to share best practice, offer advice to one another, network and invite guest speakers to offer their professional advice and services when specific needs arise.
For more information on the HR Forum, please read Business Resilience section.
Join the Skills Group
If you would like to find out more information about the NEAA Skills Group or wish to join, please contact Mark David, Skills Manager on MDavid@northeastautomotivealliance.com
TRADE
Established in 2019, as a result of the NEAA Advisory Board’s five-year strategy review, the Trade Group supports member needs in relation to trade activity through networking, collaboration and shared best practice.
Under the guidance of Colin Simpson, Business Development Director at Tomlinson Hall as the group Chair, companies and wider stakeholders come together to learn and share intelligence.
COLLABORATION
In light of the ever-changing landscape, including challenges not only from the aftermath of a Global Pandemic, Brexit, and Supply Chain Shortages, but also the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the support and collaborative working amongst Trade Group members is more important than ever.
Join the Trade Group
If you would like to find out more information about the NEAA Trade Group or wish to join, please contact Joe Routledge, Membership Manager on JRoutledge@northeastautomotivealliance.com
