EVENT REPORT
The third seminar theatre was dedicated to tooling topics, which remain central to modern manufacturing, from cutting tool materials to tool paths and cutting data.
James Selka, CEO of the MTA, added:“ Our core focus was to ensure this year’ s show was designed to guide and support manufacturers in navigating challenges such as rising operational costs, skills shortages, supplychain disruption and geopolitical uncertainty. I believe we achieved that, and more, with 26,000 attendees seeking ways to remain competitive in the current challenging and uncertain environment in which we operate.”
MACH highlights
The first day of MACH saw Mission Community, in partnership with the MTA, launch a new industry guide aimed at helping armed forces’ leavers transition into careers within the manufacturing sector.
On the second day of the show, headline sponsor Lloyds welcomed senior representatives and met with HMRC following their guided tour of the exhibition.
Day three proved to be the busiest day of MACH 2026. Visitors were keen to explore how businesses can sustainably adopt new technologies to improve productivity, increase efficiency and minimise waste.
The seminar programme’ s morning sessions focused on additive manufacturing( AM), including the impact of robotic LFAM on transportation and how AI is transforming
the way manufacturers design for additive manufacturing.
The show was also visited by Mr Crispin, a former Rolls-Royce engineer who has built a strong following as an engineering influencer. During his visit, he engaged with exhibitors and explored the latest innovations across the manufacturing and engineering sectors.
The MTA team was honoured to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to the show on the fourth day, when he toured the exhibition and met exhibitors.
On the final day of MACH, the MTA was pleased to host the UK Minister of State for Skills, The Rt Hon. Baroness Smith of Malvern, and the UK Shadow Minister for Business and Trade, Dame Harriett Baldwin, for a guided tour of the exhibition.
MACH, which has a huge focus on sustainable manufacturing and carbon reduction through its six Knowledge Hubs and fourteen Technology Zones, is also a big attraction for young people looking for a career in industry, with thousands of students( aged between 12 and 18) attending the show.
MACH snap survey
The MTA revealed the results of its latest survey at the launch of MACH 2026, highlighting strong support from manufacturers for reducing the UK’ s reliance on international supply chains, particularly in light of ongoing global conflicts and economic uncertainty.
“ The findings showed that 74 % of the 358 participants would be willing to do more to build capacity in key sectors such as defence, energy and transport. However, only a quarter said they could meet increased demand immediately, whilst others indicated it could take up to six months before they would be in a position to help, highlighting a potential supply chain bottleneck if action is not taken now,” outlined the MTA.
“ Access to funding was identified as the biggest barrier to growth, followed by lack of space, the cost of finance and wider economic uncertainty. Manufacturers called on the UK government to support the sovereign manufacturing agenda through grants, enhanced tax incentives and increased support for training. Overall, the findings suggest that UK manufacturing is ready to respond to growing demand for greater sovereign production capability, but stronger government support will be needed to help turn ambition into reality,” it concluded.
MACH 2028 will take place from 3-7 April 2028 at the NEC in Birmingham. n
www
. machexhibition. com
www. mta. org. uk
To see the full results of MACH’ s snap survey, see https:// machexhibition. com / wp-content / uploads / 2026 / 04 / MACH-2026-Snap-Survey-1. pdf
ISMR June 2026 | ismr. net | 15