Manufacturing is a vital asset to the Liverpool City Region economy, supporting nearly 50,000 staff in 3,000 companies and directly contributing £3.2bn to the overall economy. As part of the UK’s largest manufacturing region the City Region has a diverse mix of companies including Jaguar Land Rover, Unilever, Pilkington, Ineos and Astra Zeneca alongside Getrag, Johnson Controls, ABB as well as innovative SME’s, engineering and fabrication companies and manufacturing start-ups. In 2013 the LEP commissioned Cambridge University Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) to undertake a detailed analysis of the assets and capabilities of the City Region. The final Report ‘Making It – Advanced Manufacturing in Liverpool City Region to 2020’ outlines the vision for advanced manufacturing as well as identifying six short term opportunities and a number of global competencies on which the city region can grow.