Menopause Matters at Work Webinar - Take Action in Your Business
2026-01-28 12:00 - 13:00 (Europe/Paris)
In our recent webinar, we looked at what menopause inclusion means in practice for manufacturing employers in Northern Ireland, and why getting it right supports retention, performance and wellbeing. Manufacturing NI is pleased to share this session in partnership with Work Life People, helping organisations understand why menopause is now a strategic workforce issue and what the changing legislative landscape means in practice. The session also introduces the Menopause Accreditation Programme (MAP) – a structured pathway to help employers move from awareness to action and prepare confidently for Menopause Action Plans.

Manufacturing NI Member offer: Work Life People is offering a free Menopause Strategy Session and 10% discount on the Menopause Accreditation and eLearning Programmes.

For more information contact: karina@worklifepeople.com for visit: www.worklifepeople.com

E-DATA Winter Roadshow- Derry
2026-01-30 09:30 - 23:00 | Waterfoot Hotel, Caw Roundabout, Clooney Road, Derry, BT47 6TB, United Kingdom
Accelerate Your Digital Journey with E-DATA
In the 2026 competitive landscape, digital transformation has shifted from a luxury to a matter of survival for SMEs. To help you manage costs and meet rising market demands, the E-DATA SME Workshop offers a clear, actionable path to modernising your business.
Digitalisation isn’t just about technology; it’s about measurable growth.
Research indicates that digitalised SMEs experience:

A 30% average increase in annual revenue.
A 25% boost in overall productivity.
Operational cost reductions of up to 20-30% through automation and better resource management.

Join us to see how your peers are already winning:

Retail: One local retailer saw a 40% sales increase and a 25% cost reduction via e-commerce.
Manufacturing: IoT integration has helped firms reduce downtime by 30%.
Service & Efficiency: Companies are saving over 1,000 man-hours annually by adopting digital workflow tools.

Your Tailored Path to Growth
We recognise that every business is at a different stage. Our 75-minute session breaks down the flexible E-DATA support tracks designed for your specific digitalisation maturity level. During the session we will help you identify your most critical area for digitalisation within your business and how you can gain access to 1-to-1 expert guidance. Learn about our free support services and how we can help you with your digitalisation.
🗓️ Workshop Details:
Date: Friday 30th January 2026
Time: 9:30am – 11:00am
Location: Waterfoot Hotel, Derry~Londonderry
Cost: FREE
REGISTER HERE

Director’s Duties and Corporate Governance Webinar – Protect Yourself and Your Business
2026-02-04 12:00 - 13:00
In our recent webinar, we partnered with legal experts Emma McCloskey and Lyndsey McSherry from Mills Selig to give manufacturing directors a practical overview of their statutory duties. The session focused on the importance of strong governance, shifting director responsibilities during financial stress, upcoming Companies House changes such as director ID verification, and the value of early professional advice in reducing risk.
Key takeaways:

Directors’ duties are personal, non-delegable and owed to the company
Articles of Association and shareholder agreements protect both the business and directors
Insolvency risk shifts director focus from shareholders to creditors
Disqualification risk often stems from cumulative governance and compliance failures
Companies House is actively enforcing accuracy and ID verification

Access the recording and slides to review the key guidance and practical actions directors should prioritise now.
Slides are available here: Mills Selig Directors Duties webinar

E-DATA Sustainability Insights
2026-02-18 09:30 - 12:30 | Waterfoot Hotel, Caw Roundabout, Clooney Road, Derry, BT47 6TB, United Kingdom
Turn Sustainability into a Business Advantage
In the 2026 business landscape, sustainability is no longer a “nice to have” — it is a core driver of cost control, resilience, competitiveness, and compliance for SMEs. Rising energy prices, customer expectations, and regulatory pressures mean businesses must act now.
This Sustainability Insights Workshop provides a clear, practical route to understanding sustainability in the SMEs context, data driven techniques to improve sustainability, and identifying realistic actions that deliver measurable business benefits — without adding unnecessary complexity or cost.
Why Attend?
Sustainability isn’t just about doing the right thing — it’s about running a smarter business. Evidence shows that SMEs actively improving their sustainability performance benefit from:

10–30% reductions in energy and resource costs through efficiency measures
Improved access to contracts and supply chains where sustainability credentials are now a requirement
Stronger risk management against future regulation, price volatility, and supply disruption
Enhanced reputation and customer trust, supporting long-term growth

Real-World SME Insights
See how businesses like yours are already taking action:

Offices & Retail: Simple energy efficiency measures delivering 20%+ reductions in electricity costs
Manufacturing & Workshops: Process optimisation and data-led monitoring cutting waste and downtime
Service-Based SMEs: Carbon footprint insights identifying quick wins saving both time and money

No jargon. No greenwashing. Just practical steps that work.
Your Practical Sustainability Roadmap
We know every business is starting from a different place. This 3-hour interactive session will help you:

Understand what sustainability really means for your business
Identify your biggest environmental and cost-impact areas (energy, materials, transport, data)
Explore simple, data-driven actions you can take immediately
Learn how to access an efficiency toolkits, guidance, and expert support to develop your sustainability action plan

You’ll leave with clarity, confidence, and a realistic next step — not an overwhelming to-do list.

E-DATA Roadshow Winter Series – Dundalk
2026-02-27 09:30 - 11:00 | Hotel Imperial, 95 Park Street, Townparks, Dundalk, Louth, A91 ND6P, Ireland
Accelerate Your Digital Journey with E-DATA
In the 2026 competitive landscape, digital transformation has shifted from a luxury to a matter of survival for SMEs. To help you manage costs and meet rising market demands, the E-DATA SME Workshop offers a clear, actionable path to modernising your business.
Why Attend?
Digitalisation isn’t just about technology; it’s about measurable growth. Research indicates that digitalised SMEs experience:

A 30% average increase in annual revenue.
A 25% boost in overall productivity.
Operational cost reductions of up to 20-30% through automation and better resource management.

Real-World Success Stories
Join us to see how your peers are already winning:

Retail: One local retailer saw a 40% sales increase and a 25% cost reduction via e-commerce.
Manufacturing: IoT integration has helped firms reduce downtime by 30%.
Service & Efficiency: Companies are saving over 1,000 man-hours annually by adopting digital workflow tools.

Your Tailored Path to Growth
We recognise that every business is at a different stage. Our 75-minute session breaks down the flexible E-DATA support tracks designed for your specific digitalisation maturity level. During the session we will help you identify your most critical area for digitalisation within your business and how you can gain access to 1-to-1 expert guidance. Learn about our free support services and how we can help you with your digitalisation.

Restructuring and Insolvency Webinar - How to Protect Your Business
2026-03-04 12:00 - 13:00
Manufacturing NI’s webinar “Restructuring and Insolvency – How to Protect Your Business” with Mills Selig outlined the main restructuring and insolvency routes, and the practical steps businesses and creditors can take when financial pressure builds. Richard Craig and Kathryn McIvor highlighted how outcomes are shaped by creditor priority, HMRC’s position, and the route chosen, such as administration, liquidation, pre-packs, or a formal compromise with creditors.

Key Takeaways

Seek advice early and engage stakeholders quickly to stay in control.

Select the right route early to protect value and continuity.

Manage creditor risk proactively by limiting exposure and engaging early with HMRC and key creditors.

Protect directors and the business by documenting decisions and prioritising creditor interests as pressure increases.

Access the recording and slides to revisit the guidance and practical actions directors should prioritise now.

26 Mills Selig – MNI Presentation – RI – FINAL – To Share

E-DATA Roadshow Winter Series- Coleraine
2026-03-13 09:30 - 11:00 | Bushtown Hotel, 283 Drumcroon Road, Coleraine, Co. Derry, BT51 3QT, United Kingdom

E-DATA Roadshow Spring Series- Monaghan
2026-03-27 09:30 - 11:00 | Hillgrove Hotel & Spa, Old Armagh Road, Monaghan, Monaghan, H18 RK15, Ireland

Cyber Risk, Contracts & Compliance Webinar: Strengthening Your Defences in 2026
2026-04-01 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Manufacturing NI’s webinar “Cyber Risk, Contracts and Compliance” with Mills Selig outlined the growing legal, contractual and operational cyber risks facing manufacturers, and the practical steps businesses can take to strengthen resilience. Aisling highlighted how cyber risk now extends well beyond IT, with supply-chain exposure, insider threats, AI-enabled attacks and evolving UK and EU compliance obligations all increasing pressure on manufacturers to review governance, contracts and incident response planning.

Key Takeaways
– Treat cyber risk as a board-level issue that affects contracts, resilience, reputation and operations.
– Review supplier and customer contracts to ensure cyber security obligations, audit rights and breach notification timelines are clearly defined.
– Carry out legal and technical gap analyses to identify compliance requirements, contractual weaknesses and priority risks.
– Take a proportionate approach by focusing first on personal data, key systems and higher-risk suppliers.
– Strengthen governance, documentation and incident response plans to demonstrate preparedness and reduce regulatory and commercial exposure.

26 Mills Selig – MNI Presentation – RI – FINAL – To Share

Made in NI Awards 2026
2026-05-20 18:30 - 23:00
Insider’s flagship celebration of Northern Ireland’s manufacturing and engineering excellence returns in 2026 with an expanded and updated awards programme. Now in its 11th year, the event features new and enhanced categories that reflect the sector’s innovation, growth and evolving impact on the regional economy.
For the first time, the awards will be hosted as a gala black-tie evening on Wednesday 20th May 2026 at the Titanic Museum, Belfast. Category winners will also go on to compete on the national stage at the Insider Made in the UK Awards.
Online entries are now open, with an independent judging panel – chaired by Insider’s Northern Ireland business editor, Philip Cunliffe – selecting the finalists.
The list of award categories are:

Food & Drink Award
Bio-tech Manufacturer of the Year (NEW FOR 2026)
Automotive Supply Chain Award
AI Tech Innovation of the Year
Engineering Manufacturer of the Year (NEW FOR 2026)
Newcomer of the Year (NEW FOR 2026)
Sustainable / Ethical Manufacturer Award
Export Award
Product Innovation of the Year
Investment Project of the Year (NEW FOR 2026)
Collaboration of the Year (NEW FOR 2026)
Engineer of the Year (NEW FOR 2026)
Apprentice of the Year
Manufacturer of the Year (under & over £25m)
Outstanding Contribution to Northern Ireland Manufacturing (NEW FOR 2026)

Why enter?

Free PR exposure
Complimentary ticket for all finalists
Build business connections
Automatic entry for winners to the Made in the UK Award

Manufacturing Solutions 2026
2026-09-03 09:00 - 15:00 | La Mon Hotel & Country Club, 41 Gransha Road, Comber, Belfast, BT23 5RF, United Kingdom
GTMA in association with The Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), and supported by Manufacturing N.I and The Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, will be holding a prestigious & free to attend Manufacturing Solutions N.Ireland event on 3rd September 2026

The Venue for the 2026 event is the highly acclaimed La Mon Hotel & Country Club, Gransha Road Castlereagh, Belfast BT23 5RF, Northern Ireland

Bringing all the leading technology suppliers together the event provides an ideal conduit for the transfer of technology from the specialist suppliers to the practical industrial landscape, where its take-up and practical application can be used to learn more about the very latest in manufacturing processes, new technology/equipment, materials as well as key measurement and inspection technologies and service providers.

There will be free parking and free refreshments on offer to all exhibitors and visitors.

INTERESTED IN EXHIBITING? – contact david@gtma.co.uk
