Last week I had the pleasure to attend the annual West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF) conference.  Starting with a gala dinner on Wednesday with beautiful food and great company, Thursday was the day of the conference itself and saw a series of very interesting talks by aerospace industry leaders.  The theme "The Challenge of Change" certainly feels very timely in today's uncertain times.

First up was Phil Tulitt of Thales Cyber & Consulting and his talk on the strategic importance of protecting our assets against the Cyber threat.  He quite rightly pointed out that cyber security isn’t optional and is especially important in the aerospace and defence industries.  In addition, he pointed out that management just focusing on security isn’t enough - it is every employee’s responsibility and everyone in the organisation must be coached and encouraged to follow through.

Next came Simon Jones, Vice President of Leonardo Helicopters, who gave a super talk entitled The Challenge of Change within Rotary Wing. He gave a great overview on how Leonardo is adapting to changing customer demands and market conditions.  Definitely thought provoking for me when thinking about KDC Projects, our engineering services arm, and how we ourselves can approach change.

Malcom Scott, Corporate Development Officer of the Aerospace Technology Institute, came next with his presentation on how the organisation is helping to prepare and position the UK for continued success in the aerospace industry.  It is brilliant that we have the likes of the ATI to support us as we look to grow.

The history and development of Martin Baker’s ejector seats was the next talk from Tony Gaunt, Business Development Executive at Martin Baker.  In his presentation, he detailed the evolution of the product as well as the importance of the ejector seat to aircraft development.

Simon Young, the Chief Executive of WEAF, closed the show with an update on WEAF and its strategy.  I'm delighted that we have the support of such a well-managed trade organisation planning and battling for aerospace in the South West.

All in all, another fantastic event.  It was great to catch up with familiar faces and meet new contacts that also have a passion for developing the aerospace industry in the South West.  Once again KDC Resource are WEAF’s official strategic recruitment partner and I’m delighted to be able to support such a brilliant organisation.