PECM Issue 52 2021 | Page 42

What can you expect from this year ’ s Advanced Engineering show ?

SHOWS & EVENTS BACK WITH A BANG IN 2021

ADVANCED ENGINEERING SHOW PREVIEW
What can you expect from this year ’ s Advanced Engineering show ?
The UK ’ s largest annual gathering of engineering professionals , Advanced Engineering , will return to the NEC , Birmingham on November 3 and 4 , 2021 . Here , the UK ’ s talented and vast engineering industry can meet again for the first time in almost two years to do business , make new connections and discover innovation .
This year , there will be seven show zones — aerospace , composites , automotive , performance metals , connected manufacturing , medical devices and , new for 2021 , space and satellite . Also , for the first time , Advanced Engineering UK ’ s sister show , Lab Innovations , will take place in the same hall . Advanced Engineering UK hopes that having so many sectors under one roof will enable cross-industry collaboration and the formation of new business relationships after 18 months of limited interactions .
There will be four forums held during the two-day show , featuring some of the leading voices from engineering and manufacturing . A huge topic at the aerospace forum this year is decarbonising aviation . During the show , there will be presentations on electrification , zerocarbon aviation and hydrogen propulsion from the Aerospace Technology Institute ,
Rolls-Royce , Ampaire , ZeroAvia and ID TechEx . Supply chain management is a concern for many companies this year , so Advanced Engineering UK will welcome talks from Airbus UK and ADS on supplier expectations and supply chain excellence .
On day two , the forum will have a whole morning dedicated to space and satellite engineering , with talks from the UK Space Agency , Skyrora , D-Orbit UK and the Space Applications Catapult .
At the automotive forum , electrification and sustainability will also feature as major themes , with talks from JCB , Ford , the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre ( AMRC ), Jaguar Land Rover and many more .
On the composites stage , visitors can find out more about what digitalisation means for composite manufacturing , the 3D printing of composite parts and how composites are enabling the UK ’ s move towards its net-zero carbon emissions targets . Composites UK CEO , David Bailey will return along with the National Composites Centre ’ s Head of Digital Engineering , Marc Funnell . BAE Systems and Transport for London will also take to the stage .
During the connected manufacturing forum , Ian Gardner , Industry 4.0 and Oracle Specialist at IBM and Stephen Phipson , CEO of Make UK , will deliver keynote speeches . They ’ ll be supported by speakers from the Connected Places Catapult , Brunel University London and IoT North , to name a few .
As well as its impressive speaker programme , Advanced Engineering UK will be supported by some of the world ’ s key industry associations , such as The Institution of Engineering and Technology ( IET ), Composites UK , Make UK , the Institution of Mechanical Engineers , GAMBICA , BARA and the Department for International Trade , all of whom now feature as trade body partners .
Advanced Engineering UK is the go-to show for anyone wanting to meet the world ’ s leading engineering companies , plus the UK ’ s most innovative start-ups , thanks to the return of the show ’ s Enabling Innovation zone , supported by Innovate UK . Here , ten chosen start-ups will have the opportunity to showcase their groundbreaking product or technology , before presenting it to a panel of esteemed judges for the chance of winning a stand at next year ’ s show .
The show already has several exciting features confirmed , including an original prototype of the ExoMars rover , created by Airbus Defence and Space . The rover , commonly known as Bruno , is semi-autonomous and equipped with all the same technology as the final rover , including the sensors , actuators and cameras that allow the rover to see in 3D while navigating Mars . Advanced Engineering UK ’ s new show zone dedicated entirely to space and satellite innovation will be Bruno ’ s landing site for the show , and can be found in the existing Aero Engineering floor .
Also on display will be RS Electric Boat ’ s Pulse 63 . The boat ’ s power source is a battery pack derived from the automotive industry , which harnesses a RIM drive unit rather than a traditional propeller , increasing the boat ’ s efficiency and offering a lightweight power solution . The boat is zero emission and the most sustainable
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