All-Party Parliamentary Manufacturing Group

Bob Gilbert

Chairman, High Value Manufacturing Catapult

Bob Gilbert is the Chairman of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult since 2012. The HVM Catapult exists to assist UK businesses to innovate and bring new cutting edge commercial products to market which in turn will help grow the UK’s manufacturing base. Bob's responsibilities include ensuring the Catapult team meets its strategic objectives, agreed with the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), as well as ensuring good corporate governance for the organisation.

The Catapult is part of a network of world-leading technology and innovation centres established and overseen by the TSB as a long-term investment that will open up global opportunities for the UK and generate economic growth for the future. It brings together seven institutions of excellence to better support UK manufacturing:

  • Advanced Forming Research Centre (University of Strathclyde)

  • Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (University of Sheffield)
  • Centre for Process Innovation (Wilton & Sedgefield)

  • Manufacturing Technology Centre (Coventry)

  • National Composites Centre (University of Bristol)

  • Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (University of Manchester and Sheffield)

  • Warwick Manufacturing Group (University of Warwick)
  He was previously a senior Partner in Birmingham-based law firm Wragge & Co for 35 years, a role which led to him sitting on the board, as non-executive chairman, of a number of private and publicly quoted companies. These positions have spanned across a variety of different fields, including automotive, manufacturing and digital/internet. In June 2004, he was appointed by the Secretary of State for Industry to chair the government's Motorsport Development Board.

Bob is also chairman of Paintbox Group Ltd and of the Government’s Intellectual Property Office.