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The NEC Birmingham will once again play host to Smart Manufacturing Week (SMW), the UK’s largest festival of advanced manufacturing and engineering on 4-5 June 2025. SMW (www.smartmanufacturingweek.com) brings together a strong line up of events, including Smart Factory Expo, Maintec, Drives & Controls, Design + Engineering Expo and the Air-Tech and Fluid Power and Systems zones. Building on the success of the 2024 event, which attracted 13,500 visitors, more than 450 exhibitors and 200 speakers, SMW 2025 is poised to deliver an even larger, more ambitious, and more transformative event, with more international manufacturers and engineers expected to visit. Free visitor registration is now open and a limited number of Premium Plus Visitor passes are available for purchase. Reflecting on the 2024 event, which was named Best Tradeshow at the Conference & Events Awards 2024, Malcolm Greenhill of Charter Controls, says: “This is the best exhibition we’ve ever done, and I’ve been participating in exhibitions at the NEC since 1983.” Charter Controls returns to SMW in 2025 as a Platinum Partner, underscoring its trust in the event. Emphasising the ‘must see’ nature of the event is the presence of prominent exhibitors including Schneider Electric, FANUK UK, 3M, Epicor, Binder UK, Cembre, Ericsson, Hoffmann Group and ifm Electronic. Alongside other big names, the exhibition floor will showcase the most influential players in industry. Amongst these giant technology players are cutting-edge start-ups and innovative small businesses set to revolutionise the sector. At the heart of Smart Factory Expo, ‘Innovation Alley’ will feature emerging manufacturing technologies with exhibitors across four key categories: ‘people’ focusing on wellbeing, workforce management, recruitment, training and skills; ‘product’ centring on design, R&D and materials; ‘process’ concentrating on productivity, resilience, supply chain and AI; and ‘planet’ encompassing net zero, sustainability and energy management. Following the success of 2024, where attendees engaged with the latest solutions from the next wave of technology and consultancy businesses, the 2025 event will provide opportunities to meet start-ups and early-stage companies and their founders, uncovering transformative technologies that promise to shape manufacturing over the next decade. Visitor trails offer an exciting way to explore the vast show floor, guiding attendees to the most relevant exhibitors and must-see presentations. From automation and robotics to sustainability, industrial data and AI, and product innovation and design, these thoughtfully curated pathways make it easy to navigate the show and ensure visitors will not miss out on the show’s highlights. The free educational programme is comprehensive, with seven solutions theatres dedicated to addressing a wide array of topics including: digital transformation, industrial data and AI, the IIoT and connectivity, design and innovation, automation and robotics, leadership and strategy, and maintenance. New this year is the ‘Technology Showcase Theatre’, where visitors can see and get their hands on an array of cutting-edge innovations. Offering a rare glimpse into future developments and prototypes, the theatre will feature everything from advanced robotics to wearable technologies, bringing the next generation of breakthroughs to life. In addition, SMW 2025 will continue its commitment to inspiring future engineers and manufacturers through its dedicated STEM programme, sponsored by returning Platinum Partner FANUC. Now extended to focus on school-year students, as well as those in further education, hundreds of pupils and apprentices will have the chance to interact directly with industry experts, offering a hands-on introduction to the exciting world of advanced manufacturing and engineering. As in previous years, 2025 will also play host to several satellite events, such as The Manufacturer Top 100 Awards and the Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit. This two-day conference for senior leaders, which attracts many of the top 250 manufacturers from across the UK, is focussed on the application of digital technologies to enhance the processes, efficiencies and outcomes of the manufacturing industry. On the fun side, the much-loved Guitar Legends competition will make a return, with a 3D- printed guitar awarded to the winner. Adding to the festival atmosphere, The Shadow Monkeys will return with their signature high-energy, crowd-pleasing hits to close out the first evening’s visitor party. For those with entrepreneurial ambitions, this year’s event introduces a new feature: ‘Smart Tank’. Designed to inspire and empower budding innovators, this platform invites entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas and product concepts to a panel of industry experts. Additionally, event attendees can explore the dedicated technology demonstration area, where new solutions will be showcased, offering a detailed look into some of industry’s most exciting developments. Smart Manufacturing Week continues to prioritise sustainability, returning as a carbon- neutral event in 2025. In collaboration with Forest Nation, the organisers have pledged to plant one tree for every attendee, a practice introduced in 2023 that has helped reduce the event’s environmental impact while supporting global reforestation efforts. “Smart Manufacturing Week 2025 is laser focused on the visitor experience while ensuring exhibitors have the best opportunity to connect with their target customer base,” says managing director Grace Gilling. “We create a festival-type atmosphere that’s entertaining as well as a fantastic opportunity to connect businesses, encourage innovation and create a platform for industry-shaping conversations.” Smart Manufacturing Week will take place at Birmingham’s NEC on 4-5 June 2025. Other exhibitions are also taking place at the NEC at the same time, and these 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. Register for free at https://bit.ly/4iy8LxT