WATER INDUSTRY GAINS FOCUSED SUPPORT
Posted: Monday 6th April 2009
Yorkshire Chemical Focus (YCF) has been awarded a contract to deliver the Water Industry Forum until March 2011 by the region’s development agency, Yorkshire Forward.
The Forum, which has been running for nearly two years, will continue to support the water and waste water treatment sector in Yorkshire and Humber through a vibrant regional network for the water industry supply chain, helping it to manage the current economic downturn.
Led by a representative body of suppliers, manufacturers, technical experts and regional universities, the Forum provides information, advice and business opportunities for the water sector across Yorkshire and Humber.
With more than 115 member organisations, the Water Industry Forum promotes trading, networking and transfer of product, process and regulatory information to enable experiences to be shared, problems solved and the needs for innovation identified within a regional environment.
Jim Farmery, Assistant Director of Innovation at Yorkshire Forward comments: “We are certain that with YCF at the helm, the Forum will continue to grow from strength to strength. It will help our region’s businesses expand by offering support and advice both for UK expansion and to exploit overseas opportunities”.
“We encourage firms within the sector to join and benefit from the advice, support and networking opportunities it offers. In these times of economic difficulty it is more important than ever that initiatives such as these are there to support and bring industries together, to weather the storm and come out stronger when the upturn comes.”
Yorkshire Chemical Focus, the not-for-profit membership organisation that supports Yorkshire’s £2.2 billion chemical sector, has delivered significant support to the industry since its launch in 2005. This includes joint purchasing agreements, networking, help in accessing grant assistance, and a major industry conference launched in 2008.
Dr Jane Mockford, CEO of Yorkshire Chemical Focus says: “We’re delighted to be taking on responsibility for the Water Industry Forum”.
“We will be liaising closely with the industry and bringing in some industry specialists to develop the Forum. I believe that the experience we have built up with Yorkshire Chemical Focus will be invaluable in delivering what the water industry needs to sustain and grow its services which are so vital to both business and the community”.
“A significant number of YCF members in the chemical sector are also active in the water industry so there’s an obvious synergy between the two which we’ll be looking to develop.”
The Water industry Forum also works in partnership with organisations concerned with recycling, sustainability and energy efficiency.
The Water Industry Forum can be contacted at 01484 433215 or by email info@waterindustryforum.com
