Ian Collinson leads the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Services activities across the West of Scotland supporting manufacturers' journey to productivity and excellence through continuous improvement, investment, innovation, people and performance. Key support can be categorised as Operational Excellence, Industry 4.0 Investment, Supply Chain Performance & Development, Leadership & Culture. Ian said: “It’s very much a privilege for all in SMAS to share best practices and our experience with the Scottish Manufacturing community”. Prior to joining Scottish Enterprise and SMAS, an industrial career within Scotland’s Food & Drink sector ensured field to plate service to the UKs retailers for Meat, Biscuits and Malt Whisky – a veritable smorgasbord of the best of Scottish produce.

Nina Falk is a Textile product developer and co-founder of Kalopsia Collective, an award-winning Textiles product manufacturer in Scotland. With 20 years of experience of creating multifunctional products, Nina specialises in developing brand strategy and creative product solutions for international brands and companies such as Bauhaus, Hanky Department Store, Harrods and Xbox. Developing a blend of strategic and effective system-led solutions which address issues around suitability and longevity while still producing commercial products. Having studied in Sweden, Japan and the UK, her own work has always focused on subverting norms and questioning standard industry practices, whether it be to do with gender, workers rights, model exploitation or environmental impacts. After spending most of her early career in Stockholm, running designer labels and stores, Nina has spent the last 15 years in Britain and where she today is running manufacturing company Kalopsia Collective with business partner Adam Robertson in Fife. Under her leadership, the company has grown and is today providing a platform for designers and brands to showcase and produce their work.

Dr Alastair Conway is Head of Operations at the Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC), a pioneering industrial focused research facility at the University of Strathclyde. The AFRC seeks to create major advancements in net shape manufacturing techniques that will result in sustained increased competitiveness of the UK’s manufacturing base. Alastair has extensive experience in leading and delivering large multi-million-pound collaborative research and development projects with a track record in delivering large scale and innovative R&D projects with multiple Aerospace OEMs such as Rolls-Royce, Boeing and SAFRAN, as well as a significant portfolio of commercial R&D work from other sectors such as automotive and defence.

Peter Walker is the editor at Scottish Business Insider, and has covered various areas of business and finance during his career. Beginning in 2010, he covered pensions and asset management for Institutional Investor Euromoney, before moving to the adviser beat at the Financial Times. Then it was over to the technology side of things, editing FStech, National Technology News and Retail Systems.