ATI’s flagship event brought a strong mix of strategists, programme leads and suppliers to Newport for two focused days. The through-line was clear: turn “Destination Zero” from roadmap to certified hardware – with agile, quality-led supply chains that can iterate fast and evidence everything.
Key Themes We Took Away
To set the scene, these were the cross-cutting messages we heard again and again. each with direct implications for how suppliers plan, measure and deliver:
SAF now, new propulsion next: Sustainable Aviation Fuel is the immediate lever while electrification and hydrogen scale through targeted demonstrators.
Ultra-efficiency & lightweighting: Precision, thin-wall features and repeatable tolerances remain central to mass and performance targets.
Digitalisation for yield: Measurement plans, traceability and right-first-time processes reduce scrap, cost and carbon.
Finance & scale-up readiness: Access to capital and robust supplier networks are prerequisites for industrial solutions.
Standout Speakers & Sessions
Amid a strong programme, two early speakers set the tone and especially crystallised the opportunity ahead of the industry:
Paul Adams (ATI): Clear framing of the UK opportunity and how evidence-led manufacturing will unlock scale.
Rebecca Evans MS (Welsh Government): Strong regional context and support for high-value aerospace activity anchored around ICC Wales and the wider ecosystem.
Beyond the talks, the breakout sessions explored how to turn aerospace ambitions into certified, manufacturable hardware.
Collaboration was the standout theme – shared measurement plans, interoperable data, and earlier supplier engagement came up repeatedly.
Nowhere was this more clear than in the session led by the Regional Aerospace Alliances, where we discussed how cross-region clusters can shorten feedback loops and accelerate NPI.
What Suppliers Should Do Next
Translating the agenda into action, these are the immediate, practical steps suppliers can take to stay programme-ready:
Prototype at pace: Compress NPI cycles for electrified and hydrogen test hardware, fixtures and rigs.
Design for manufacturability early: Co-engineer parts to be robust to machine, inspect and assemble.
Instrument the process: Plan inspection from day one; capture data to support qualification and PPAP-style evidence.
Build scalable documentation: Traceability and change control must travel with the part.
How Tarvin Precision Is Supporting ATI Priorities
Here’s how our capability maps directly to those priorities and keeps programmes moving:
AS9100-certified quality system and audited supplier to Raytheon, aligning with aerospace documentation and process expectations.
Low-volume, high-variety CNC machining for prototypes, NPI batches, fixtures and ground-test hardware.
Thin-wall & tight-tolerance capability across aluminium, stainless, engineering plastics and common aerospace alloys.
Inspection & traceability (full reports on request) and DFM collaboration to reduce risk and lead time.