Vehicle component makers from across Europe will meet in Stratford-upon-Avon
this year for the annual CLEPA* conference. The two-day conference, which is
held in a different country each year, begins on 21 June and is to be hosted
by the SMMT.
This year’s programme includes an afternoon panel discussion,
chaired by Conservative MEP Malcolm Harbour. Senior executives, from Jaguar
Cars, Leyland Trucks and Toyota Manufacturing (UK) Ltd, are scheduled to talk
on themes including assemblers’ experience of component sourcing, production
trend forecasts and the position of component suppliers within a global economy.
This will be followed by delegate questions.
Looking forward to the conference, SMMT chief executive Christopher
Macgowan said, ‘The role of component suppliers to the economy should never
be underestimated and I’m delighted that CLEPA is coming to Britain this year.
Raising the profile of the competitive challenges faced by UK component suppliers
will, I hope, focus this government’s attention on easing the tax burden on
our industry.’
Notes to editors:
- *CLEPA is the European umbrella organisation for the global
automotive supply industry. Its members represent almost 80 of the world’s
most prominent suppliers for car parts, systems and modules. National trade
associations, including SMMT, and European sectoral associations from 18 countries
represent more than 2,500 companies and more than two million jobs, covering
all products and services within the automotive supply chain. - The panel discussion takes place on 21 June from 15.30 –
17.30. Taking part are Jonathan Browning, managing director Jaguar Cars, Stuart
Heys, managing director Leyland Trucks and Rob Johnson, purchasing general
manager Toyota Manufacturing (UK) Ltd. The panel session will not be open
to journalists. However Malcolm Harbour, Christopher Macgowan, Trevor Bonner
CBE and Ralf Bergner, chief executive of CLEPA, will be available for interviews
at 2.30pm. - The automotive industry is the UK’s largest manufacturing
sector. It generates around 5.5 per cent of UK GDP and employs more than three-quarters
of a million people. In 1999, the component sector alone was estimated to
have generated £9bn for the UK economy.
