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Registration & Refreshments
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Welcome Remarks

The UK Advantage in Innovation

Speaker
Amanda Johnston
Co-Director (Innovation)
Advanced Food Innovation Centre
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Keynote: The State of Industry

• Overview of current trends in the UK Industry

• Economic and regulatory outlook for the next financial year

• Innovations shaping the future of food production

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Enhancing Supply Chain Visibility

Sponsored by:


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Panel: Cost, Compliance & the Future: What Does Operational Excellence Need to be in 2026 and beyond?

This session will address how operational excellence moves forward, through digitalisation and preparing teams with the skills to work alongside smart technology & AI:

• Strategies for managing rising costs without compromising quality

• Navigating compliance requirements

• Using data and automation to address these challenges

• Sustainability as an emerging trend in Opex

• Smart tech and the future of the factory floor

Speakers
Sofia Karlén
Smart Factory Product Management Lead
Mars Petcare
Siska Lannoo
Founder
Backbone
Keith Thornhill
Head of Food and Beverage Automation
Siemens UK and Ireland
Serkan Atlas
Head of Operational Excellence – EMEA
ofi
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Networking Coffee
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Optimising Operations: How Technology is Shaping Food and Beverage Production
Speaker
Keith Thornhill
Head of Food and Beverage Automation
Siemens UK and Ireland
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Roundtable Session

Topics Including:

• Automation, Digitalisation & AI

• Allergen Management

• Addressing Rising Operational Costs

• Developing Supplier Relations

• Supply Chain Risks

Speakers
Mehdi Adjiri
Group Head of Technical Accounts
The Compleat Food Group
Ruairidh Fraser
Operational Excellence Lead UK & Ireland
Suntory Global Spirits
To be announced
Senior Analyst
IFST
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Lunch
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Panel: From Visas to Regulation Divergence, Inside the Real Impacts of Brexit

• Upcoming regulations to be aware of

• Workforce challenges and visa policy changes

• Compliance with both UK and EU law

• Regulatory divergence and its effect on exports/imports

• Adapting to new trade relationships

Speakers
Antony So
Agrifood & Food Systems Policy Analyst
Dominic Watkins
Partner and Global Lead of Consumer Sector
DWF
To be announced
Senior Analyst
IFST
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Roundtable Session

Topics including:

• Scaling Digital Initiatives: Moving Beyond Pilot Projects to Enterprise Adoption

     - From leadership commitment, what elements must be put in place, to defining and tracking success.

• New and Novel foods

• Food Authenticity & Traceability

• Sustainability as a Value Proposition

• Workforce Development & Talent Retention

Speakers
Robert Edge-Partington
Senior Communications Manager
Institute of Food Science and Technology
Mariano Marcondes Ferraz
Applied Food Safety Expert - R&D
Nestlé
Helen Ireland
Strategy & Transformation Director
Future Food Movement
Sofia Karlén
Smart Factory Product Management Lead
Mars Petcare
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Networking Coffee
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Panel: Resilient Supply Chains: Preparing the Food System for Tomorrow’s Challenges

• Climate change and geopolitical risks

• Traceability and visibility in procurement

• Collaboration across the value chain

• Future-proofing operations

• Creating a resilient and sustainable food system in the UK

Speakers
Helen Ireland
Strategy & Transformation Director
Future Food Movement
Evette Hammond
Head of Technical
PrepWorld
Emma Piercy
Head of Climate Change & Energy Policy
Food and Drink Federation
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Closing Remarks: What’s Next

Funding, Regional Support, and Opportunities you Might be Missing

Speaker
Amanda Johnston
Co-Director (Innovation)
Advanced Food Innovation Centre