4 minute read
M&E Week provides manufacturing sector with its own innovation festival
Manufacturing and Engineering Week 2023 is living up to its promise of becoming ‘the festival of industrial innovation’ with a number of new events added this year, including Smart Factory Expo and the Drives & Controls zone.
The major differentiator of M&E Week 2023 is that it brings together all aspects of manufacturing and engineering – from design through to the creation and delivery of products.
The week beginning 5th June 2023 is Manufacturing & Engineering Week with the centrepiece exhibitions Design & Engineering Expo, Smart Factory Expo, Maintec and the Drives & Controls zone taking place at Birmingham’s NEC on 7th and 8th June. Other exhibitions are also taking place at the NEC during the week, 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. In addition, the centrepiece exhibitions will be surrounded by several related activities such as digital days, factory visits and student tours
Educational content at the centrepiece exhibitions will come in the form of solutions theatres, each focused on different stages of the value chain. Each theatre offers a schedule of free presentations delivered by manufacturing and technology experts. Solution theatres topics include Automation & Robotics, Digital Transformation, IIoT & Connectivity, Industrial Data & AI, Innovation and Maintenance.
Manufacturing & Engineering Week begins 5th June 2023 / Picture: Nineteen Group
Manufacturing and Engineering Week strives to offer something different. An example of this is a focus on engineering and music with a number of activities for the music fans in attendance! Among the keynote speakers are those from the music world such as Marshall Amps and, for the budding Eric Claptons; Joe Bonamassas and Dave Grohls, there is a chance to win your very own 3D printed guitar with The Visitor Guitar Player Competition.
There are several other notable events taking place as part of Manufacturing & Engineering Week 2023 including the Sustainable Digitalisation Summit – an executive level conference for businesses with a turnover in excess of £100m. This is a two-day knowledge sharing event that informs manufacturers on how to develop their business models in a practical manner. The event brings together professionals to share their experience of tackling the challenges they face and making the most of the opportunities that exist to ensure the future growth of manufacturing.
Similar, but for businesses with a turnover below £100m, is the SME Growth Summit. The event provides a unique opportunity for SME delegates to get the information they need from experts in digital manufacturing. The summit is designed for the leadership teams of UK SME manufacturers looking to increase market share, break into new markets and thrive in today’s business landscape.
A notable activity, moving from its Liverpool home to take place as part of M&E Week, is The Manufacturer Top 100 which in 2023 celebrates ten years of highlighting the work of inspirational industry leaders. The Manufacturer Top 100 began in 2013 as an awareness campaign to help address the lack of visible role models in the manufacturing industry. It aimed to provide a platform for the most inspiring individuals in the industry, to illustrate the enthusiasm and commitment present in modern manufacturing and to underscore the exciting, well-paid, and rewarding careers that exist in the sector.
Organisers have said that M&E Week brings all aspects of manufacturing and engineering together / Picture: Nineteen Group
These activities will run alongside a number of fringe events, all taking place as part of Manufacturing & Engineering Week 2023. For example, special editions of The Manufacturer Directors’ Forum will take place to capitalise on the fact that so many manufacturers are going to be in Birmingham during the course of one week. The Manufacturer Directors’ Forum is a 10+ year-old professional network of senior manufacturers drawn from across the industrial spectrum. Its 1800+ members are a highly engaged community and meet at invite-only events throughout the year to discuss the key issues and the emerging opportunities for their businesses. These events are co-hosted by The Manufacturer and a Strategic Partner and are formatted as candid discussions about the realities of running manufacturing businesses in today’s climate with informed insights from industry experts. The round table format provides a great opportunity for peer-to-peer networking and insight into current business issues, whilst sharing ideas, views and experiences – plus at the same time creating valuable personal connections.
Other activities continue to be announced as they are finalised and are expected to include: The Marketing to Manufacturers Night Summit, a Manufacturers of the Future showcase, STEM programme and much more. It is encouraged to sign up for email notifications or to follow the event on social media because more details about these components will be revealed in the coming weeks.
For more information and to register follow the link below
