Manufacturing and Engineering Week returns for 2023

Nineteen Group announces the return of Manufacturing and Engineering Week in June 2023. The week-long festival combines both live and digital events and celebrates the best that the UK industrial sector has to offer.

The centrepieces of the week are four exhibitions - Design and Engineering Expo, Drives and Controls featuring AirTech and Fluid Power and Systems, Smart Factory Expo and Maintec that take place at Birmingham’s NEC. Nineteen Group describes it as the Glastonbury of the industrial world.

Commenting on the news, Peter Jones, CEO of Nineteen Group, said: “We launched the first Manufacturing and Engineering week this year and I referred to our ambition as being about building a Hannover Messe type event. However, in 2023, with the incredible additions we have made I think Glastonbury is a more relevant reference point – something uniquely British that celebrates creativity and original thinking both on a large scale on our ‘main stages’, the centrepiece exhibitions, or on smaller stages, or virtually, where cutting-edge technology can be demonstrated, or industry thought leaders can inspire through a series of topical sessions.

“It’s about bringing like-minded people together to create momentum and throw a spotlight on this vital sector, inspiring them and, more importantly, ensuring that it is a memorable and enjoyable week.”

Manufacturing and Engineering Week 2023 will address the most pressing subjects, as outlined by its advisory council that includes the likes of Rosa Wilkinson, director of policy for the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and Stephen Phipson CBE, CEO of Make UK and Manufacturing and Engineering Week chairman. Because of the broad range of areas covered the event is appropriate for a large-scale audience regardless of seniority. The sheer scale of the event guarantees that there are more than enough relevant activities for everyone.

The centrepiece exhibitions take place from 7-8 June 2023. Design and Engineering Expo allows all design engineers and product designers to access the latest technology whilst connecting with and learning from their peers. Whether it’s the latest CAD/CAM advances from established technology leaders or bleeding edge R&D prototypes from start-ups, the event will showcase them all, allowing visitors to discuss their technical challenges and find new solutions.

Maintec will inspire and celebrate the people, technology and tools used in the continual pursuit of uptime. Reflecting the fact that the Industry 4.0 and IOT revolution have changed the working life of maintenance professionals beyond recognition, the event will showcase both the latest predictive maintenance, condition monitoring and CMMS (Computerised Maintenance Management) technology as well as the bedrocks of MRO (Maintenance Repair and Operations) including bearings and lubrication.

A new addition for 2023, following Nineteen Group’s recent acquisition of The Hennik Group, is Smart Factory Expo produced by The Manufacturer and The Manufacturer.com. The event has a wealth of thought leadership content and is built on extensive market research and sector analysis. The SME Growth Summit and Sustainable Manufacturing Digitalisation Summitare designed specifically to equip leaders with the right ideas, connections and examples they need to scale up their business.

The Manufacturing Top 100 Awards will also run alongside these two events, which will publicly recognise the heroes of UK manufacturing and those who stand out for their contribution to changing the face of industry. The popular ‘innovation alley’ feature will also be back, a central area where technology start-ups showcase the latest breakthroughs that will change the landscape of manufacturing over the next 5-10 years. Smart Factory Expo replaces the previous Manufacturing Expo, further strengthening the focus on digital transformation.

Also added for 2023, following their acquisition in September 2022, are the Drives and Controls, Fluid Power and Systems and Airtech events. These will feature as zones in 2023 before returning as stand-alone events in June 2024. Drives and Controls is the ‘home of automation’ and with its sister events, will focus on the latest motor, drive, automation, power generation and transmission, compressed air and motion control technology.

Supported by Drives and Controls magazine, visitors to the zone will be able to access an incredible variety of educational content, such as The Automation and Robotics Theatre, delivered as problem-solving case studies by their peers as well as recognised thought leaders.

Working together with Grace Gilling, managing director of Hennik Research, Haf Cennydd, who oversees the Manufacturing and Engineering Week portfolio, said: “We are so pleased to have the addition of Smart Factory Expo and Drives and Controls, and its sister events incorporated within Manufacturing and Engineering Week 2023. The sheer scale of our ambition for Manufacturing and Engineering Week means that it will produce a momentum and a focus on the industrial sector that will benefit all.

“By bringing a large number of like-minded people, businesses and trade bodies together, we can effect real change in areas such as sustainability, the skills shortage, cyber security, energy costs, digital transformation and the supply chain.”