Leading UK mineral products sector figures were gathering today at the QEII Centre in Westminster, London, England, for Mineral Products 2019.
Hosted by the
Expert panellists and speakers at Mineral Products 2019 were due to include Lindsay Herbert, author of Digital Transformation; Professor Vernon Bogdanor, research professor at the Centre for British Politics and Government, King’s College, London; William Zimmern, head of Global Macroeconomics, BP; Professor Michael Grubb, professor of Energy and Climate Change, University College, London; Keith Waller, programme director, Transforming Construction Alliance; Dr Matthew Free, director, Geohazard and Risk Management, Arup; Pascal Peduzzi, director, GRID-Geneva, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Andrew Bloodworth, science director for Minerals and Waste, British Geological Survey; and Matthew Ray, deputy director, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Nigel Jackson, MPA chief executive, and Martin Riley, MPA chairman, were also expected to give welcoming and closing speeches, respectively, at the conference.
A bespoke exhibition offering delegates the opportunity for informal discussion with suppliers was another key feature of the forum, as were excellent networking opportunities throughout the day.
The MPA is the trade association for the aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete, dimension stone, lime, mortar and silica sand industries. With the affiliation of British Precast, the British Association of Reinforcement (BAR), Eurobitume, MPA Northern Ireland, MPA Scotland and the British Calcium Carbonate Federation, it has a growing membership of 530 companies and is the sectoral voice for mineral products. MPA membership is made up of the vast majority of independent SME quarrying companies throughout the UK, as well as the 9 major international and global companies. It covers 100% of UK cement production, 90% of GB aggregates production, 95% of asphalt and over 70% of ready-mixed concrete and precast concrete production.
In 2016, the UK mineral products industry supplied £18 billion worth of materials and services to the Economy and was the largest supplier to the construction industry, which had annual output valued at £152 billion. Industry production represents the largest materials flow in the UK economy and is also one of the largest manufacturing sectors.