5 minute read - 13th January 2025
Smart Manufacturing Week 2025: From factory floor hacks to future trends
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 brings together a powerful lineup 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 as well as more than 450 exhibitors and 200 speakers and was named Best Tradeshow at the Conference & Events Awards 2024, SMW 2025 is poised to deliver an even larger, more ambitious, and more transformative event, with more international manufacturers and engineers expected to visit this year. Free visitor registration is now open and a limited number of Premium Plus Visitor passes are available to be purchased. To find out more, visit: Smart Manufacturing Week
Smart Manufacturing Week will be taking place at Birmingham’s NEC on the 4th and 5th of 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.
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.
Smart Manufacturing Week takes place at the NEC on 4th and 5th June 2025 / Picture: Nineteen Group
Reflecting on the 2024 event, Malcolm Greenhill of Charter Controls, said, “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, Charter Controls, 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 startups and the 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 and Training and Skills, ‘Product’ which centres in on Design, R&D and Materials, ‘Process’ which includes Productivity, Resilience, Supply Chain and AI and ‘Planet’ which encompasses NetZero, Sustainability and Energy Management. Following the success of 2024, where attendees engaged with groundbreaking solutions from the next wave of tech 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 & Robotics to Sustainability, Industrial Data & AI, and Product Innovation & Design these thoughtfully curated pathways make it easy to navigate the show and ensure visitors won’t miss out on what’s important. The free educational programme is comprehensive with seven solutions theatres dedicated to addressing a wide array of topics including; Digital Transformation, Industrial Data & AI, IIoT & Connectivity, Design & Innovation, Automation & Robotics, Leadership & 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 the next generation of 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 students 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.
Other exhibitions also taking place at the NEC at the same time include Automechanika, Med-Tech Innovation Expo, TCT 3Sixty and Subcon / Picture: Nineteen Group
On the fun side the much-loved Guitar Legends competition will make a return – with a 3D printed guitar to be awarded to the winner – and adding to the festival atmosphere, The Shadow Monkeys will return with their signature high energy and crowd-pleasing hits to close out the first evening’s visitor party. For those with entrepreneurial ambitions, this year’s event introduces an exciting 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 tech demo area, where innovative solutions will be showcased, offering a detailed look into some of the most exciting developments in technology.
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. We create a festival type atmosphere that is entertaining as well as a fantastic opportunity to connect businesses, encourage innovation, and create a platform for industry-shaping conversations.” said Managing Director, Grace Gilling.
To register and secure your place, visit: Smart Manufacturing Week
