Food & Drink Processing & Packaging Issue 48 2023 | Page 32

What ’ s going on at Advanced Engineering in 2023 ?

Advanced Engineering , the UK ’ s largest annual gathering of engineering and manufacturing professionals , is set to open its doors in a few weeks . Now in its 14th year , this year ’ s show comes with a fresh rebrand , removing the previous show zones and introducing a main stage for the event ’ s well-attended forums .
Advanced Engineering , taking place on November 1 and 2 at the NEC , Birmingham , was previously divided into several zones . However , in order to meet the future demands of the engineering and manufacturing sectors , the show has been re-engineered to encourage even more cross-industry collaboration .
This year , the long-established composite zone will remain , but the automotive , aerospace and connected manufacturing zones will be removed . However , these sectors will still have a strong presence 32 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk at the event , with the industry-specific forums remaining . There will also be a central stage on this year ’ s floor plan where discussions about key challenges in the industry will be discussed .
“ Making these changes wasn ’ t an easy or a quick decision ,” explained Alison Willis , director of Easyfairs , the organiser of Advanced Engineering . “ We spoke to over 200 exhibitors , visitors and speakers to make sure that any changes made were future-proof and reflective of all stakeholders . We realised that many of the issues that our exhibitors and visitors are facing align . Take sustainability for example — we wanted to make sure that our floor plan allows attendees to share ideas and solutions to challenges like this ,”
“ Advanced Engineering has expanded greatly over the years , starting as a specific aerospace event 14 years ago .
2023 felt like the right time to fully encourage collaboration across industries and to prepare the show for a new era of manufacturing and engineering .”
With the rebrand , Advanced Engineering returns with a speaker programme made up of some of the leading figures in UK engineering and manufacturing . This year ’ s day one keynote is Richard Noble , OBE , former holder of the world land speed record and serial innovator at ThrustWSH . Also on the main stage , Eman Martin-Vignerte , Director of External Affairs and Government Relations at Bosch , will share her thoughts on digitalisation and automation . In the afternoon , there will be a women in manufacturing panel , followed by a discussion from a Make UK representative on how new industrial technologies are affecting the skilled workforce .