Welcome to the South West Manufacturers Network

Manufacturing in the far South West of England

The extent to which manufacturing occurs across the four counties of the far south west astounds most people. This part of the country which is famed for its beautiful natural environment to which we normally associate with agriculture and tourism is actually amazingly productive.

The four counties of the far South West accounts for over six billion pounds worth of GVA from manufacturing. That’s 10.69% of the overall economy and includes some real hotspots like South Somerset – 27% manufacturing; North Devon 21.09%; Mid Devon 19.74% and Plymouth 17.67%. Remember the comparative figure for the whole of country is less than 10%. Source: ONS 2022.

This is the website for the South West Manufacturers’ Network or SWMN. It is a collaboration between all of the individual manufacturing representative bodies from across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset. Plus a lot more besides – as we’ll explain.

About South West Manufacturers Network

As was mentioned above, the Network exists principally to give greater coherence and cohesiveness to the issues that its core constituent members are agreed upon and wish to promote primarily sub-regionally, but also nationally.

Purpose & Membership

The Network exists principally to give greater coherence and resonance to the issues that its core constituent members are agreed upon and wish to promote primarily sub-regionally but also nationally.

Core Members

The Core Members represent manufacturers from a discrete geographic area within the peninsula.

Stakeholder Members of the Network

In addition to the Core Members, the Network regularly invites a number of representatives of organisations to also attend its meetings.

Chairmanship of the Network

The deliberately virtual and informal nature of the group means that it doesn’t feel the need to appoint a Chair per se, preferring instead to use any of the Chairs of its core members to represent and present its position at any time.

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The Networks Purpose

The signatories to Network’s Memorandum of Understanding agree to collaborate with one another under the name of the South West Peninsula Manufacturers Network and to agree common strategic priorities and thereby strengthen the lobbying power of all those they represent.

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