In keeping with the city’s heritage, the University of Strathclyde recently held the 13th International Cold Forming Conference at its £60 million Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) and the newly opened £89 million Technology and Innovation Centre.Established in 2009, the AFRC is a state-of-the-art facility which operates within the UK’s manufacturing and engineering sector, whilst stimulating economic growth through research and strategy delivery.
The three day conference was themed on ‘Achieving step changes in cold formed product weight and process flexibility for future products’. It welcomed more than 130 international attendees with a programme consisting of more than 30 presentations, various demonstrations and organised tours of the facility.
Engineering is one of Glasgow’s key sectors and is aligned with two of the city’s academic institutions. The University of Strathclyde, founded in 1796, has Europe’s first research centre dedicated to the development of smart technologies. Founded in 1451, the University of Glasgow was the first university in the UK to appoint a Professor of Engineering in 1957, and the first in Scotland to have an electronic computer.
With a heritage steeped in innovation, Glasgow is globally recognised for the quality of its innovators like engineer James Watt. His inspired improvements to the Newcomen steam engine, were fundamental in spurring the changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution.
Engineering is a strong pillar of the city’s knowledge hubs. This is an area of strategic specialism, empowering knowledge exchange to unprecedented levels whilst producing world-leading research.
Archie MacPherson, CEO, Advanced Forming Research Centre, said: “Glasgow certainly lived up to its well-deserved reputation as a welcoming and lively city and many of our delegates used this opportunity to find out more about what the city and its surrounding area has to offer.
“The city also demonstrated its proud tradition of science, engineering and manufacturing and a genuine desire to play a key role in the future of industrial development, which is reflected in Strathclyde’s AFRC’s interest and involvement in turning the art of metalforming into a science.”
Aileen Crawford, Head of Conventions at Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “The International Cold Forming Conference is the perfect example of how Glasgow uses its expertise in a specific sectors to create a hugely successful conference.
“As a city we use our strengths, our knowledge hubs, to give us the competitive edge. We have an incredible pool of influential ambassadors, each expert in their own areas. Their work within industry and the city’s education institutions drives research which impacts people across the world.
“Competition in the global market place is growing increasingly fierce and our ‘smart approach’ to winning new business has positioned Glasgow shoulder-to-shoulder with other world leading destinations when it comes to bidding and winning large scale congresses.”
Links
Conventions at Glasgow City Marketing Bureau
University of Strathclyde – Technology and Innovation Centre