This month the latest meetings of the regional Committees in the UK took place. We were hosted by MGH Offshore in Teesside for the Northern meeting, Sandra Antonovic at the Institute of Directors in London for the South and Petrofac in Aberdeen. We would like to extend our thanks to the hosts for their hospitality and making us most welcome at their premises.
It was great to see so many people attending the meetings, with new committee members being welcomed in each region. The conversations were wide ranging but also saw some similarities across all regions.
Whilst we are hearing there are many challenges continuing to be faced by the supply chain around accessing finance, political uncertainty in decision making, the slowing of new project work and the lack of work in the UK to mention a few, the supply chain remains resilient and has adapted in many ways.
Diversification is key with many moving from solely working in oil and gas to exploring the energy transition opportunities such as hydrogen, CCUS and more recently SAF. The EIC has also diversified further to making strong in roads into the tracking of data centres. Whilst this is a new sector for us, we are adding more projects to EICDataStream daily so coverage will grow over time.
We also heard that companies are introducing new innovative products to help their clients and gain work in new sectors and many are now looking to export markets for further work. There has also been a shift towards maintenance work where new projects have slowed. Work that has been put off has now become critical so those who can focus here are seeing a pickup in business.
The EIC provided updates on our recent and forthcoming activities such as our networking events, updates made to our EICAssetMap offering and a reminder that the Survive & Thrive interviews are well under way. There were insights given into some of the things we are focusing on such as working with GB Energy on roundtable opportunities and with Norway on potential capabilities of the supply chain. We are also monitoring US and global tariffs and the situation in the Middle East.
Introduction to the EIC Committees in the UK
If you aren’t familiar with the Committees, I have included below a summary of what’s involved.
We have three UK Committees covering Scotland, the North and the South.
Each region holds three meetings per year, which last 2 hours maximum, including networking time. They move around the regions and are hosted by members or linked to events where possible.
Committee members are expected to attend at least two of the in-person meetings. On the occasion they are unable to attend, they can send a colleague to represent them. Each committee can have one representative per company, but it is possible to have one person on each committee from the same company.
Your input prior to the meeting will be minimal, as we recognise that people are busy. The agenda is sent out about a week prior to the meeting so that attendees can come prepared with ideas for discussion.
Topics include those shown above but this is not an exhaustive list. These groups are for our members to help us steer the direction of the EIC, so we are always looking for new items for conversation.
Each region has a Chair and Vice Chair who have input into agenda, lead the meetings, keep discussions on track and ensure all voices are heard.
Notes are taken during the meeting by the EIC manager and shared with the group afterwards. Any actions to be taken are clearly noted and followed up by the relevant parties. The following meeting sees a review of progress on any actions and the opportunity to ask questions.
Want to join your local Committee?
We are always looking for new applicants for the Committees, so, if you would like to be involved in regional discussions, help steer the EIC for the good of the energy supply chain and network with your peers, please contact me to find out more.
Helen Doona, Senior Membership Manager, UK
Phone number: 07921 438061
E-mail: helen.doona@the-eic.com