EVENTS SMART MANUFACTURING WEEK
Smart Manufacturing Week is set to return to Birmingham’s NEC on 3–4 June 2026, bringing together manufacturers, engineers, technology providers and industry leaders from across the UK and beyond
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idely recognised as the UK’s largest festival of advanced manufacturing and engineer- ing, the event will showcase the latest innovations shaping
the future of industrial production. The two-day exhibition and conference
programme will focus on the technologies driving Industry 4.0, including artifi cial intelligence, robotics, automation, digital twins, predictive maintenance and smart factory solutions. Organisers say the 2026 edition will be the biggest yet, featuring
hundreds of exhibitors, live demonstrations and expert-led sessions designed to help businesses accelerate digital transformation and improve operational effi ciency. Smart Manufacturing Week incorporates
several co-located events, including Smart Factory Expo, Maintec, Drives & Controls and Design & Engineering Expo, offering visitors access to a broad cross-section of the manufacturing ecosystem under one roof. The event is designed to support organisations at every stage of their smart manufacturing journey, from SMEs exploring automation
for the fi rst time to global manufacturers investing in advanced industrial technologies. Alongside the exhibition fl oor, attendees
can expect keynote presentations, networking sessions and live content theatres featuring speakers from across the engineering and manufacturing sectors. Sustainability, workforce development and supply-chain resilience are also expected to be major themes throughout the programme as businesses continue adapting to economic pressures and evolving environmental targets. The event continues to position itself as a
key meeting point for the UK manufacturing community, combining business networking with practical insight into emerging technologies and industrial best practice. Organisers expect thousands of visitors to attend across the two days, refl ecting growing industry demand for innovation-led manufacturing strategies.
www.smartmanufacturingweek.com PPMA SHOW 2026
The PPMA Show will return to Birmingham’s NEC from 22–24 September 2026, bringing together the latest developments in processing and packaging machinery, robotics, industrial vision systems and automation technology
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idely recognised as the UK’s leading event for the sector, the exhibition is expected to attract thousands of visitors from across manufacturing,
food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, logis- tics and consumer goods industries. Organised by Automate UK, the three-day
event will feature more than 350 exhibitors and over 1,500 brands showcasing solutions designed to improve productivity, effi ciency and sustainability across manufacturing operations. Visitors will have access to live demonstrations, product launches and seminars covering topics including smart manufacturing, automation, digitalisation and operational resilience. The PPMA Show has built a reputation
for giving manufacturers hands-on access to emerging technologies and practical engineering solutions. Exhibitors are expected to demonstrate advances in robotics, machine vision, packaging design, processing equipment and integrated automation systems, with many companies using the event to unveil new technologies to the UK market for the fi rst time. One of the returning features for 2026 is
the Innovations Eleven live demonstration theatre, where selected exhibitors will present newly launched technologies directly to attendees. Organisers say the programme is designed to help visitors better understand how automation and
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digital technologies can be implemented to optimise production lines, reduce downtime and future-proof operations. Alongside the exhibition fl oor, the
event will host networking sessions and industry seminars featuring expert speakers discussing key challenges facing manufacturers, including labour shortages, sustainability requirements, regulatory compliance and technology adoption. The
12 MAY 2026 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
show continues to position itself as a central meeting point for the UK processing and packaging sector, offering businesses the opportunity to discover new suppliers, benchmark innovations and strengthen industry partnerships.
www.ppmashow.co.uk/sectors/ warehousing-logistics
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