Food & Drink Processing & Packaging Issue 58 2025 | Page 70

Unlock Tomorrow’ s Manufacturing Solutions and More at Smart Manufacturing Week 2025

Smart Manufacturing Week, the UK’ s largest manufacturing and engineering exhibition, will take place at the NEC Birmingham on 4th – 5th June 2025. The event returns bringing together a powerful lineup including Smart Factory Expo, Drives & Controls, Maintec, Design + Engineering Expo and the Air-Tech and Fluid Power and Systems zones.
The event’ s educational programme features seven Solutions Theatres, each dedicated to a critical aspect of modern manufacturing. These include Digital Transformation, Industrial Data & AI, IIoT & Connectivity, Design & Innovation, Automation & Robotics, Leadership & Strategy and Maintenance. Each of the sessions are designed to provide attendees with practical, actionable insights that can be directly applied to improve their operations.
A session visitors should be sure not to miss will be delivered by the‘ Godfather of Industry 4.0’, Professor Henrik von Scheel. His talk, The Future of Manufacturing: Megatrends that Shape the Next Decade, will examine the forces that will dominate the manufacturing landscape in the years ahead, including smart automation, AI integration and the evolving dynamics of the workforce. It’ s an essential part of a visit for those looking to stay ahead in the fast-evolving manufacturing landscape.
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Emphasising the‘ industry under one roof’ nature of the event is the presence of prominent exhibitors including Schneider Electric, FANUC UK, 3M, Epicor, Binder UK, Cembre, Charter Controls, Ericsson, IFS, Biffa, Hoffmann Group and ifm Electronic. Alongside other big names the exhibition floor will showcase the most influential players in industry.
Amongst these giant players are the startups and innovative small businesses set to revolutionise the sector. Part of Smart Factory Expo,‘ Innovation Alley’ will feature emerging manufacturing technologies from earlystage businesses, providing an opportunity to source the transformative technologies that promise to shape manufacturing over the next decade. New for 2025 is‘ Smart Tank,’ where these entrepreneurs will pitch their products and services to a panel of experts.
In addition, Smart Manufacturing Week will continue its commitment to inspiring the next generation through its STEM Programme, Manufacturers & Engineers of the Future, sponsored by FANUC. Now extended to include school year students, as well as those in further education, hundreds of students and apprentices will have the chance to interact directly with industry experts, offering a handson introduction to the exciting world of advanced manufacturing and engineering. As part of the programme, visitors can also witness the FANUC WorldSkills UK Industrial Robotics Competition qualifier.
For some fun, the popular Guitar Legends competition returns, with a 3D-printed guitar for the winner, plus the house band The Shadow Monkeys will pop up all around the event and return with their signature high energy and crowd-pleasing hits to close out the first evening’ s visitor party. Meanwhile, the Best of British Showcase celebrates the finest in UK manufacturing, spotlighting groundbreaking designs, pioneering methods, and export successes.
With so much to explore, Visitor Trails are the perfect way to navigate Smart Manufacturing Week with ease. These curated pathways help attendees make the most of their time, guiding them to the most relevant exhibitors, must-see presentations, and technologies based on their interests. Whether you are seeking the latest innovation and smart technology advancements or looking for groundbreaking sustainability and circular economy solutions, or products and services designed specifically for SMEs, these tailored routes ensure you don’ t miss anything.
Smart Manufacturing Week takes place at the NEC Birmingham on the 4th-5th of June 2025. Other exhibitions taking place at the NEC at the same time include Automechanika run by Messe Frankfurt; Med-Tech Innovation Expo and TCT 3Sixty from Rapid News Group and Subcon from the Mark Allen Group. One visitor badge provides access to all events.
For more information and to register for free visit: https:// www. smartmanufacturingweek. com /