EXHIBITION PREVIEW FEATURE
SUBCON: THE MANUFACTURING supply chain event returns to the NEC
When Subcon takes place on 5-7 June, the best of British manufacturing will be on display
alongside a wealth of market-leading
international suppliers, all looking to help UK manufacturers increase their competitive advantage in 2018 and beyond
T
aking place this June at Birmingham’s NEC, Subcon is described by the
show organiser as the UK’s only dedicated event for contract and subcontract manufacturing. It covers all sectors and technologies and allows subcontract manufacturing buyers to source suppliers, benchmark capabilities, and form new manufacturing partnerships. The show will be co-located with The
Engineer Expo, a new event dedicated to providing UK engineering professionals with the latest in-house manufacturing and design solutions, alongside developments in advanced engineering technologies. The show provides a platform for engineers to source the latest advanced engineering technology, products and services, enabling them to optimise production and process throughout the manufacturing cycle.
THE CONFERENCE PROGRAMME In addition to the exhibition which will feature over 400 exhibitors, there will be a six-stream 36-session conference programme held across two theatres. Rolls Royce CTO, Paul Stein, will present the keynote, one of many highlights of this year’s programme that also features sessions on digitalisation, robotics, prosthetics, motorsport, Blockchain, smart materials and technology transfer delivered by some of the UK’s leading engineers. A key theme of this year’s conference is cross-sector collaboration and technology transfer with Dr Caroline Hargrove, CTO of McLaren Applied Technologies, talking about how
TACKLING WORKPLACE DIVERSITY ISSUES IN MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING
Against the backdrop of an ever more acute skills shortage, recruiting young people and improving the presence of women employees now dominates workforce concerns for
UK manufacturers. However, there is clearly a lot of positive movement on this issue if the Subcon research and speaker line up is anything to go by. Gordon Kirk, event director, Subcon, comments
For 2018, Subcon research has shown that nearly two thirds (63%) ranked ‘increasing the number of young people working in the engineering industry’ as very important, and 24% ranked ‘increasing the number of women working in the engineering industry’ the same. These are the hallmarks of an industry committed to increasing not only the critical lifeblood of
new employees but also embracing the issues around increasing the presence of female employees. For far too long, UK engineering and manufacturing have had an image of oil rags and unattractive careers. Both industries have lost talent to either other sectors or global businesses that have seen top designers and engineers leave the UK shores. However, manufacturing and engineering businesses have begun to fight back. From high tech
initiatives such as the virtual reality cave at Jaguar Land Rover to apprenticeships at the likes of Rolls Royce and BAE Systems, there is now a concerted effort to promote engineering and manufacturing like never before. Our research shows that improved outreach to young people and women alike ranks as the top
tactic to improve their presence in industry, as well as a higher profile of female engineering leaders. So, Subcon will have no shortage of inspirational female speakers: cybernetics specialist Nadine Stech,
who helped to design Linx, the world’s most intelligent prosthetic limb, is just one example. She will be joined by Dr Caroline Hargrove, the CTO of Mclaren Applied Technologies; Dr Lina Huertas, head of Technology Strategy for Digital Manufacturing at the Manufacturing Technologies Centre; and Professor Dame Jane Jiang, director of the EPSRC Future Metrology Hub. With such a strong line up of female engineering leaders we are confident that, this year, Subcon can play its role in increasing the diversity within UK engineering and manufacturing.
technological expertise in motorsport can be spun out into other sectors; and BAE Systems’ Dr Henry White teaching delegates how technology from the defence sector can be applied to the world of sport. On the manufacturing side, the conference programme will cover everything from the practicalities of implementing Industry 4.0 technology to the latest developments in 3D printing, composite materials and advanced metrology technologies. Highlights here include Xaar’s Professor Neil Hopkinson, one of the pioneers of 3D printing in the UK. Other key speakers include The AMRC’s
head of digital, Professor Rab Scott; and Professor Dame Jane Jiang, who heads up the EPSRC’s Future Metrology hub at the University of Huddersfield. The conference streams are:
• Design and Innovation – industry leading, need-to-know, content for design engineers
More than 4500 visitors from the aerospace, automotive, defence, electronics, energy, materials, oil and gas and rail sectors will attend Subcon this year to do business with over 400 exhibitors
• Advanced Manufacturing – the best current and future applications of additive manufacturing, measurement testing and metrology, machining and Industry 4.0
• Manufacturing Materials – the next generation materials that are transforming manufacturing and engineering
• Subcontracting – best practice supply chain optimisation and procurement expertise
• Collaborate To Innovate – the strategies for successful cross sector collaboration • Technology Transfer – the technology lessons that one industry can teach another to accelerate ROI. Register to attend via the website.
www.subconshow.co.uk DESIGN SOLUTIONS | MAY 2018 25
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