Smart Manufacturing Week 2025: Innovate, educate, and elevate your operations

AS INDUSTRY 4.0 continues to advance and with (whisper it) Industry 5.0 on the horizon, this year’s Smart Manufacturing Week will highlight the latest breakthroughs in automation, AI, and robotics, while also addressing the perennially important areas such as maintenance, reliability, and asset management. With manufacturers and engineers increasingly focused on minimising downtime and maximising efficiency, the festival will showcase technologies and strategies designed to improve operational efficiencies. Attendees will have the chance to experience state-of-the-art innovations up close, hear from leading industry experts, and gain valuable insights into the future of manufacturing and engineering.

A key focus of Smart Manufacturing Week 2025 is addressing the growing skills gap in the sector. As the demand for digital expertise rises, manufacturers are placing greater emphasis on attracting and retaining talent to meet the industry’s evolving needs. This year’s event will showcase strategies to tackle this challenge, including collaborations with organisations such as WISE (Women into Science and Engineering) and WES (Women’s Engineering Society), that aim to promote diversity and inspire the next generation to pursue careers in engineering and manufacturing.

In addition to showcasing technical innovations, Smart Manufacturing Week 2025 will offer an impressive educational agenda featuring presentations from industry leaders from the best-known manufacturers as well as from academia.

Four exhibitions under one roof

Smart Manufacturing Week brings together four exhibitions and two special interest zones, each offering their own insights and innovations. From automation and industrial software to design advancements and maintenance solutions, there’s something to attract the interest of every visitor:

• Drives & Controls: A key destination for readers of this publication, Drives & Controls highlights developments in motion control, automation, and power transmission. Exhibitors such as Binder, RA Rodriguez and Innomotics will present solutions that enhance performance and reliability in industrial systems. This exhibition covers everything from robotics and automation to sensors, motors and drives, offering solutions for improving manufacturing processes across sectors.
• The Air-Tech Zone/ Fluid Power & Systems Zone: Drives & Controls is also home to two specialised zones: Air-Tech and Fluid Power & Systems. Exhibitors will highlight product areas such as air compressors, pneumatics, hydraulics, and high-precision sensors, with a focus on improving efficiency and system reliability. Many of the exhibitors in these zones will present solutions that balance the reduction of environmental impact with enhanced performance.  
• Smart Factory Expo: Smart Factory Expo focuses on the digital transformation of manufacturing. It showcases the latest advancements in automation, AI, and smart manufacturing solutions, helping businesses improve efficiency and productivity through technology. Visitors can see real-world examples of how these innovations are applied in manufacturing environments, from AI-driven processes to advanced automation solutions.
• Maintec: Maintec is the UK’s leading exhibition dedicated to maintenance, reliability, and asset management. Focusing on the latest innovations in predictive maintenance and asset management, the event offers solutions to extend product lifecycles and reduce downtime. With a strong emphasis on reliability, Maintec presents technologies and services that help businesses drive uptime and improve operational performance across various industries.
• Design & Engineering Expo: Design & Engineering Expo brings together designers and engineering professionals from all tiers of the supply chain looking to reduce costs, streamline processes and optimise future strategy. Exhibitors such as 3M and igus will showcase technologies aimed at improving design processes, enhancing product performance, and addressing practical challenges.

Located within a single hall, all these events are seamlessly integrated, allowing visitors to move between them.

The five pillars of Smart Manufacturing Week

Smart Manufacturing Week 2025 has identified, through the research conducted by Hennik Research, five themes that are key to the future of the sector: Sustainability and Circular Economy, Digital Transformation, Workforce Development and Upskilling, Innovation and Smart Technologies, and Supply Chain Resilience. These themes make up the pillars that are the foundation of the event, with the collocated Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit, the expo exhibitors and free-to-attend education sessions, and other activities all designed to help manufacturers and engineers address these challenges and position themselves for future success.

1) Sustainability and circular economy

Sustainability and the challenge of achieving Net Zero is at the forefront of the thinking of manufacturers and engineers, not just as a regulatory necessity but as a catalyst for innovation and efficiency. Smart Manufacturing Week 2025 is a platform for visitors to explore the solutions that minimise environmental impact, optimise energy consumption, and drive circular economy models. Visitors interested in this area should look out for the Sustainability Stream taking place in the Sustainability Stream of the educational agenda which will take place in the morning of Day 2 (5th June) in the Leadership & Strategy Theatre. Reinforcing its own commitment to sustainability, Smart Manufacturing Week has continued its partnership with Forest Nation to plant a tree for every visitor, ensuring that the carbon impact of the show is offset as much as possible.

2) Digital transformation

Across manufacturing and engineering businesses of all sizes the path to digitalisation is at the very heart of Smart Manufacturing Week. The integration of digital technologies is transforming manufacturing at an unprecedented pace. Smart Manufacturing Week will showcase a range of solutions aimed at improving productivity and efficiency. From AI and robotics to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), the event will highlight the tools needed to enhance operations and stay competitive as well as hosting several Solutions Theatres in the free-to-attend educational agenda dedicated to these topics. This topic is also at the centre of the Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit, a dedicated two-day conference for senior leaders. Attracting many of the UK’s top 250 manufacturers, the Summit is focussed on the application of digital technologies to enhance the processes, efficiencies, and outcomes of the manufacturing industry, a separate ticket is required for this event.

3) Workforce development and upskilling

The UK manufacturing sector faces an urgent skills shortage, with 97% of manufacturers in 2024 identifying hiring and retaining skilled workers as a major challenge. This issue is compounded by the rapid pace of digitalisation, as businesses increasingly require expertise in automation, AI, and data analytics. Research also shows that 80% of manufacturers struggle to find workers with the necessary digital skills, making workforce development a pressing concern.

In addition to partnerships with organisations such as WISE, WES, Innovate and the Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, helping to broaden the appeal of the industry and the dedicated Manufacturer’s and Engineers of the Future programme, Smart Manufacturing Week will also host sessions focused on upskilling existing employees and provide opportunities for both employers and potential employees to connect, ensuring the sector has the talent it needs for the future.

4) Innovation and smart technologies

Innovation is the heartbeat of modern manufacturing, and Smart Manufacturing Week 2025 will celebrate the latest advancements in manufacturing processes, materials, and technologies. The event will highlight breakthrough innovations that are not only enhancing product quality but also helping manufacturers and engineers streamline operations, reduce waste, and drive profitability. Innovation Alley will be an exciting destination for visitors looking to explore this aspect of the show, as well as the exciting new ‘Smart Tank’ where entrepreneurs will pitch their business ideas and product concepts to a panel of experts

5) Supply chain resilience

In today’s volatile global landscape, a resilient supply chain is more vital than ever. At Smart Manufacturing Week, visitors will discover innovative strategies and new technologies designed to help them overcome disruptions and create more adaptable, agile systems, including exhibitor Epicor, who will have their Kinetic cloud-based ERP solution for manufacturers on show. With a series of dedicated sessions in the Solutions Theatres, the event will equip businesses with the essential tools to future-proof their operations and ensure continuity in the face of ongoing challenges.

Industry Insights at the Solutions Theatres

The educational agenda at Smart Manufacturing Week 2025 has been developed in response to the latest research on the critical challenges facing manufacturers and engineers today. The seven Solutions Theatres will cover a range of key topics coming from that research, including Digital Transformation, Industrial Data & AI, IIoT & Connectivity, Design & Innovation, Automation & Robotics, Leadership & Strategy, Maintenance, and a new Technology Showcase Arena. Each of these theatres will deliver practical, actionable insights that manufacturers and engineers can apply directly to improve their operations.

One noteworthy session taking place in the Automation & Robotics theatre at 10.30am on 4th June will be of particular interest to readers of Controls, Drives & Automation. Quentin Wylie, Robotics & Automation consultant for Schneider Electric will host a session entitled Unlock a cost-efficient and sustainable future using robotics. During the presentation Quentin will discuss how robotics can be applied across the entire supply chain to both close the skills gap and help aid growth.  

Focusing on the topics that matter most to the industry right now, the Solutions Theatres will provide an opportunity for attendees to engage with experts, gain a deeper understanding of emerging technologies, expand their industry knowledge and learn how to implement strategies to drive efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure competitiveness in the rapidly changing industrial landscape.

Unsurprisingly, at Smart Manufacturing Week 2025, workforce development is a central theme, with ‘People and Skills’ forming one of the five core pillars of the event. By offering insights into the strategies and initiatives being implemented to attract and train the next generation of engineers, as well as upskill existing employees, the event will be a source of answers to the tough problems the industry is grappling with.

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