On Monday, we joined the UK Regional Aerospace Alliances (RAAs) Mix & Mingle & Dinner in Newport – an evening focused on local sourcing, supplier capability and practical collaboration across the UK aerospace ecosystem.
A well-paced Mix & Mingle followed by a relaxed, genuinely enjoyable dinner made this a standout networking evening. As members of the Aerospace Wales Forum, we value the role that the Regional Aerospace Alliances play in connecting UK organisations and creating space for meaningful conversations about capability, lead times and local partnerships – without the hard sell.
The RAA community – bringing together organisations such as Aerospace Wales, NWAA, MAA, WEAF, FAC and others – convened OEMs, Tier-1s and specialist SMEs to compare capabilities and identify regional partners. The conversation repeatedly returned to supply-chain resilience, faster iteration and the value of geographically close suppliers.
Why It Matters for Programmes
Programmes are under pressure to move faster with less risk. Regional collaboration helps by shortening feedback loops, improving visibility, and cutting logistics friction. Here’s how that translates on the ground:
Local sourcing = shorter lead times: Proximity trims logistics time and risk for prototypes, NCR rework and urgent spares.
Quality & traceability as standard: Aerospace customers expect robust process control, documentation and open communication.
Cost and risk reduction: Clear DFM dialogue plus shorter chains reduce total programme risk and rework.
Where Tarvin Precision Fits
We’ve shaped our capability around exactly these needs – responsive CNC machining for aerospace, rigorous quality, and collaborative engineering support that keeps programmes moving:
AS9100-certified quality system, and an audited supplier to Raytheon, supporting aerospace-grade process control and documentation.
Low-volume, high-variety CNC machining for development parts, fixtures and NPI batches.
Material agility: Aluminium, stainless, engineering plastics and common aerospace alloys.
Inspection & documentation: Full reports on request; lot traceability as standard.
Collaborative DFM: Early manufacturability feedback to de-risk builds and hit schedule.
Thanks To The Organisers
Credit to the Regional Aerospace Alliances network for curating a practical, business-first forum that made it easy to connect capability to need.