First Friday Club

This month we bring together senior leaders, innovators, and policymakers from across the materials, robotics, AI and research sectors to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of industry.

Our guest speaker is arguably one of the most influential and high profile figures from the sector – Dr Colin Church, CEO of IOM3.

Dr. Church will be joined by senior leaders from MAKE UK, Rockwool Core Solutions and First Friday Briefings regular ATUKI. The briefing will examine critical themes such as sustainable resource management, the role of advanced materials in the energy transition, digital transformation, robotics and AI.

Through our First Friday Club connections we foster cross-sector dialogue, showcase technological breakthroughs, and influence the policy agenda for a more resilient, low-carbon industrial future.

The challenges and opportunities in materials, minerals and mining, add some thoughts on where the UK is heading and how this sits in the global context.

What materials we use, where and how we get them, how we use them and what we do with them once they have been used are questions fundamental to the development of UK society and economy. Even five years ago, this might have been a surprising statement to many, but this is changing fast. Critical raw materials for the energy transition. The steel industry’s role in national security and resilience. Plastic packaging. These are all much higher in public and policy awareness, and all – and many other similar topics – are fundamentally dependent on the expertise of professionals in materials, minerals and mining.

In my presentation, I will set out a little more on the challenges and opportunities in materials, minerals and mining, add some thoughts on where the UK is heading and how this sits in the global context.

How thoughtful design can empower communities and create spaces that nurture people and planet.

CR² Sinapsi is an inclusive centre for disabled children in Cremona, Italy, developed by the Sinapsi Association with a strong commitment to sustainability, wellbeing, and the Active House vision. The modular structure, built with steel and stone wool, offers high energy efficiency and a healthy indoor climate. Features like ventilated façades, a green roof, and dry construction methods minimize environmental impact. Natural materials, daylight, and acoustic comfort support the specific needs of its young users. As an Active House, CR² balances comfort, energy, and environmental care—showcasing how thoughtful design can empower communities and create spaces that nurture people and planet.

Public attitudes out of step with industry’s sustainability and decarbonisation efforts

New report released following Earth Overshoot Day shows UK industry’s decarbonisation efforts go largely unnoticed by most consumers

Elaine Cobb will reveal the results of the 2025 Summer UK Attitudes to UK Industry research. She will walk the media through a unique perspective on the attitudes of the UK general public to the industrial sector’s efforts to decarbonise. This new research is revealed shortly after it was announced that the UK pushed back its Earth Overshoot Day - the day on which the global demand of ecological resources exceeds what the planet will generate per annum - by 40 days since the Day was first measured in April 2006. This achievement highlights how efforts by UK industry are already making a difference.

The UK is falling behind global leaders in robotics and AI - but we don’t have to.

Making it Smarter: Global Lessons for Accelerating Automation and Digital Adoption in UK Manufacturing, produced by Make UK in partnership with Sage, explores how targeted innovation and digital investment - especially in SMEs - could add £150 billion to the UK’s GDP by 2035.

What You’ll Learn:

Why the UK ranks just 24th in global robotics density

How leading nations like South Korea, Singapore, and Switzerland are transforming SME manufacturing through targeted support

What’s stalling UK automation and how to fix it - including the digital skills gap

The role of government strategy in enabling high-value innovation

Future Frontiers: Materials, Robotics, AI +
New research on consumer attitudes to Industry

Join Industry Leaders

Dr. Colin Church

CEO - IOM3

Prof. Marco Imperadori

Professor of Design and Technological Innovation at the Politecnico di Milano - Rockwool

Elaine Cobb, BEng

Dr. Seamus Nevin

Senior Account Director
ATUKI - A Cadence Initiative

Chief Economist
Make UK

Event Highlights

Future Frontiers: Materials, Robotics, AI + New research on consumer attitudes to Industry