ACROSS ITS 15 exhibition halls, the SPS 2025 will welcome around 1150 companies from the automation industry to showcase advanced smart production solutions and their latest product ranges. Besides such international industry giants as Siemens, Beckhoff Automation, Phoenix Contact and Bosch Rexroth, a great many British companies, such as Analog Devices, Motortronics, and Mechan Controls will also be in attendance with their own exhibition booths.

Artificial intelligence in production technology will be a central theme of this year’s SPS. Industrial AI is being adopted by a wide range of industrial products and processes to support process engineering, control devices through various AI models, or as a component of smart tools for predictive maintenance, quality control, and adaptive production control. These technologies are fundamentally changing automation technology and opening up new potential for efficiency, flexibility, and resource conservation. As Sylke Schulz-Metzner, Vice President SPS, explains, “In many production environments, industrial AI is no longer a topic for the future, it is already a reality. At the SPS 2025, our exhibitors will be showing how AI is already being used in practice today and its potential for future automation applications.”

The twice-daily guided tours offered by SmartFactory Kaiserslautern offer practical insights into this. Guided by experts, the tours take in innovative companies in the hardware and software sector, highlighting the technical challenges currently being faced. According to Dr. Ingo Herbst, press spokesperson for SmartFactory Kaiserslautern, “The aim of our tours is to provide targeted insights into key technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital twins, and security in system architecture. A key priority for us is facilitating the transfer of technological expertise into industrial practice.”

The diverse solutions, specialist presentations, and live demonstrations also appeal to an international trade audience, including from the UK. In 2024, for example, the number of UK participants exceeded 460. The SPS helps visitors navigate the changing technological landscape and offers inspiration for driving innovation in their own companies.

In addition to the expansive exhibition area, the SPS 2025 will offer a diverse and future-oriented program of supporting events for trade visitors, industry experts, and young talent alike.

Live on stage

A total of four stages in Halls 1, 3, 3C, and 6 offer an opportunity for discussion, knowledge sharing, and inspiration. A particular highlight will be the Technology Stage powered by VDMA/ZVEI in Hall 3, which is organized by the two leading industry associations. In addition to Industrial AI, its focus will be on current developments, trends, and challenges in automation – from digital transformation to sustainable production. What’s more, the neighboring Meet the Speaker zones offer an opportunity to speak to the speakers in person. Visitors can ask specific questions, network, and explore the presentation content in greater depth.

In Hall 6, three shared booths combine expertise and creative inspiration:

- Automation meets IT: At this booth, visitors can dive into digitalization, cybersecurity, and Industry 4.0 topics. Here, the world of traditional automation merges with that of cutting-edge IT

- International Start-up Area: At this hotspot for innovation and networking, start-ups from around the world will present fresh ideas and disruptive technologies

- young INNOVATORS: This shared booth, which is sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), offers young, innovative German companies an opportunity to present their developments to a broad trade audience.

Nurturing talent

With the SPS Makeathon and the Young Talents Day, the event also has a clear focus on nurturing young talent. Aimed at school pupils, students, apprentices, and young professionals, the Makeathon, which will run on all three days of the exhibition, gives participants, working in interdisciplinary teams, 2.5 hours in which to develop their own prototypes live on site and in direct exchange with companies. The format is being supported by ITQ, New Automation, NürnbergMesse, as well as dedicated sponsors from among the exhibitors. The final event will be Young Talents Day on the last day of the exhibition: Guided tours in the morning and afternoon as well as individual careers advice offer young interested parties valuable insights and support with carving out a future career in the automation industry.

sps.mesago.com

Signed by both parties at the Defence & Security Equipment International event in London in September, the MOU encourages shared and mutual collaboration, with the ultimate aim to minimise time to production for new Rolls-Royce technology, while reducing cost and risk within an increasingly complex engineering, manufacturing and operational environment.

Rolls-Royce Submarines currently employs more than 5000 people and designs, manufactures and provides in-service support to the pressurised water reactors that power every boat in the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet.

Siemens’ trusted software and hardware from the Siemens Xcelerator open business innovation platform helps companies transform processes – accelerating innovation, improving productivity and enhancing efficiency.

This collaboration with Siemens will support Rolls-Royce Submarines in delivering UK sovereign defence requirements more effectively, enabling a more knowledgeable, productive, secure and agile operation.

Both parties will benefit from the sharing of best practice across the digital landscape, with the ultimate aim being to enhance skills across engineering, manufacturing, research & development, training and reactor operation and maintenance, using digital technology as an enabler.

Rolls-Royce is currently supporting the existing Astute and Dreadnought boat build programmes through the delivery of reactor plant and associated components. It also provides frontline support across the world for reactor plant equipment from its Operations Centre in Derby and supports the submarines when in the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard and the naval bases at Devonport and Faslane. In addition, there are technical specialists working in offices in Glasgow and Cardiff, with a unique test facility operating in Thurso, Scotland.

www.rolls-royce.com

Vanguard is the dedicated commercial brand of Briggs & Stratton, offering not only innovative petrol engines but also advanced battery system solutions that meet the needs of OEMs.

Headquartered in Munich, Germany, Mobotic develops and supplies compact, modular and high-performance drive systems and components for mobile robots. Serving customers across industries including logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, security, healthcare and heavy-load transport, Mobotic is recognised for its innovative MoboDrive product family, which powers a wider variety of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and mobile machinery. 

“By utilising Vanguard batteries, we upgrade our solutions with the power, flexibility, and operational efficiency needed to maximize both performance and reliability.” said Gregor Modrijan (pictured), CEO of Mobotic. “Our clients consistently highlight the value of integrated, plug-and-play systems, which streamline production and maintenance alike. Equally important is the compact and space-efficient design, making Vanguard batteries the ideal choice for mobile robotic applications where every centimeter and every minute of uptime truly matters.”

The technology partnership combines Mobotic’s proven expertise in mobile robotics with Vanguard’s decades of experience in commercial power solutions. Together, they provide reliable, future-ready systems for customers all over EMEA and the world.

Sjoerd van de Velde, managing director of Briggs & Stratton EMEA said: “Our Vanguard technology partner network is designed to give OEMs the expert support they need to accelerate the electrification of their products. We are delighted to welcome Mobotic into the Vanguard community. The specialist’s expertise in mobile robotics, combined with its commitment to innovation and industry leading products, makes them an ideal partner as we continue to expand the network into new industries.”

Modrijan added: “Our collaboration allows us to deliver complete, high-performance products for mobile robotics. With Briggs & Stratton, we have a reliable and trusted partner – one that not only delivers consistent project support but also demonstrates a deep understanding of the market landscape and our specific operational needs.”

www.vanguardpower.com

Enabled by the DMG simulator’s realistic feedback and highly accurate correlation to real vehicle performance, engineers and test drivers can exploit a virtual environment more powerful than ever before, to explore vehicle characteristics and develop engineering solutions.

While real-world dynamic testing remains essential, engineers can now ‘close the loop’ on development challenges with greater speed and efficiency, feeding insights from physical testing back into an exceptionally accurate digital model that is experienced through the simulator’s ultra-low latency and high motion bandwidth. Akin to a Formula 1-style investigative process, the ability to replicate scenarios experienced by test drivers during real-world testing gives even greater visibility of the exact data behind why a car performs, behaves and drives a certain way – and with this a more detailed understanding of the DNA that defines the visceral experience of driving a McLaren.

Dynisma’s latest DMG simulation technology enables a higher level of insight throughout development stages, from CFD simulations to wind tunnel testing, aero mapping, simulator trials, and real-world validation. As an example, moment-by-moment readouts of downforce and aerodynamic performance in any given scenario are critical to bridging the gap between wind tunnel insight and real-world assessment, unlocking a deeper understanding of how suspension and aero systems interact.

The first car to benefit from the use of a simulator as advanced as the DMG is the McLaren W1; the high-downforce, low-drag, active aerodynamic technologies and suspension settings and control systems having been finalised as part of a combined simulator validation and aerodynamic development programme.

The deployment of DMG technology in developing and validating the McLaren W1’s active aerodynamics and suspension served as compelling proof of concept and paves the way for deeper integration of virtual development into future vehicle programmes.  

“The accuracy and representativeness of the Dynisma Motion Simulator allows us to extract a new level of detail and data from virtual development activity. We can explore a wider range of dynamic possibilities and behaviours in a virtual environment. The fidelity of road texture and ride inputs is so precise that we can simulate standard road conditions at lower speeds, alongside high-load scenarios on test tracks or race circuits, with remarkable realism," commented Emmanuele Raveglia, chief vehicle programme officer at McLaren Automotive.

cars.mclaren.com

M3P3 brings together over 22 technical communities for two days of insight, debate and collaboration. Delegates will hear from experts and policymakers on industrial strategy, AI, circular economy, critical minerals, infrastructure and the skills pipeline.

A key highlight is the Industrial Strategy panel, part of the Changemakers in Conversation plenaries. The session will explore the UK Government’s Invest 2035 strategy, focused on long-term growth across eight high-growth sectors including advanced manufacturing, clean energy and life sciences. Speakers include Rt Hon Charles Hendry HonFIMMM, Visiting Professor at University of Edinburgh; Dr Cathryn Hickey, CEO of AMRICC; and Jon Bolton FIMMM, Chair of the Materials Processing Institute. They will discuss how the materials community can be recognised and supported, and where focus is needed to deliver sector growth.

Other highlights include four Changemakers in Conversation plenaries, twelve interactive Topical Knowledge Exchange Sessions, IOM3 Training Academy taster workshops, satellite conferences on timber, bio-based polymers and materials for fission and fusion net zero, and a dedicated student and early careers programme.

Keynote speakers include Ed Conway HonFIMMM, Economics Editor at Sky News; Mary Creagh CBE MP, Minister for Nature; Sarah Mukherjee MBE, CEO of ISEP; and David Knowles FREng CEng CSci FIMMM, CEO of Henry Royce Institute.

Dr Colin Church, CEnv FIMMM, CEO of IOM3, said: "M3P3 is about more than technical discussion. It is about shaping the UK’s industrial future. By bringing together our community, we are creating a space where people can connect, collaborate and influence what comes next."

M3P3 is open to all, with one-day and two-day passes available. Delegates can connect, share ideas and explore the developments shaping the sector.

iom3.org

Lucy Hart from Caroline Haslett Primary School in Milton Keynes and Tracey Ellicott of East Wemyss Primary School and Nursery in Fife were joint winners in the primary school category. Dewi Thomas of YGG Bro Edern in Cardiff, and Clare Doherty from St. Mary’s College, Derry, were both awarded the secondary school prize. 

Their schools receive £12,000 over three years to support their STEM engagement projects, and the teachers, who typically run all these STEM activities pro bono and in their own time, receive an individual award.

It is the first year that the Clark Prize has been jointly awarded to two teachers per category of school, and the first time that schools in all four devolved countries of the United Kingdom are represented.

Every year the unique prize, organised by the ERA Foundation and named after former foundation Executive Secretary, the late Dr David Clark, rewards the contributions of teachers working in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) engagement, who do exemplary work to link school children with engineering experiences and activities. David Clark sadly passed away in September and was a devoted servant of ERA Foundation, and Warwick Manufacturing Group.

Tracey Ellicott has been the STEM lead at East Wemyss Primary School since 2014. 

She set up a STEM-based collaborative learning environment for pupils to experience working with materials, “Tinkertots” sessions that offer STEM activities to pre-school children with their parents and has delivered a programme of family STEM workshops. In 2018 the school won the Rolls-Royce Science Prize and used the prize money to invest in resources to support the school’s mission, including a 3D printer, Lego robotics kits (Mindstorms, Education and Spike), 22 iPads and K’Nex engineering sets.

“I have been working co-operatively with teachers to build their confidence and develop their STEM capital, while training classes to use the space safely and productively,” says Tracey. “I delivered a further series of STEM Family Workshops across early, middle and upper stages to whet the children’s appetite for STEM-related activities and learning. During British Science Week in March, our Primary 7 and Primary 2 classes led a whole-school STEM event, for which the older children achieved their Young STEM Leader Level 3 Award.” 

Tracey is a Primary Science Cluster Champion with SSERC, the STEM resource provider in Scotland.

Lucy Hart of Caroline Haslett Primary School has established two after school clubs that use “Educademy” resources to vivify STEM learning. Lucy champions diversity in STEM, and her work led to the school being recognised as an iBelong Champion in December 2024, a scheme to encourage girls to study computer science.

Last year she entered Key Stage 2 learners at her school into the Bebras Challenge, a global competition focused on computational thinking. The children achieved 17% above the national average in computational thinking. At this year’s British Computer Society BBN Prize Award, Lucy took a team of learners to Cranfield University to compete in a national competition, where the Year 6 girls secured first place for their innovative Online Safety Coding project, showcasing their coding ability.

Lucy has also encouraged children to enter the Primary Engineer competition, ‘If You Were an Engineer, What Would You Do?’. 

Stellar secondary schoolteachers

Dewi Thomas founded Engineering and Technology as a subject at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg (YGG) Bro Edern, Cardiff, in 2012 and now leads a dynamic and inclusive STEM culture that is helping students in a socio-economically deprived area. Dewi’s roll call of achievements and awards is remarkable, where his students have achieved national and international recognition in several prestigious UK STEM competitions, including winning the Big Bang UK Young Engineer of the Year, the Engineering Education Scheme Wales Sixth Form Pupil of the Year, and consecutive UK and World Finalist positions in the F1 in Schools competition. 

Bro Edern students have also earned multiple Arkwright Scholarships, IPO Prizes (including patent filings), and numerous placements in the TDI Challenge, Teen Tech Awards, and WJEC (Welsh Joint Education Committee) Innovation Awards, nine of which were won in the past three years. Dewi’s department runs an extracurricular programme that includes LEGO League, CyberFirst Girls, and STEM Racing.

A spokesperson for the school said: “As a WJEC Engineering Design A-Level team leader and moderator, and a contributor to the Made-for-Wales Engineering Design Qualification, [Dewi] has helped raise standards and share best practices across Wales. His….  mentorship has guided students to top universities including Imperial College London, UCL, and Loughborough, as well as apprenticeships with elite organisations including Williams F1 Academy.”

Clare Doherty from St. Mary’s College, Derry has introduced two highly successful Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) events to promote STEM, entrepreneurship and innovation to pupils of all ages. Her award-winning annual Engineers Week event attracts more than 1,000 students from local secondary and primary schools. 

Presenting the awards, Dame Helen Atkinson DBE FREng, said the award committee were pleased that Clare’s work was influencing people far beyond her own school. “Clare’s leadership in Technology, Design & Engineering is now regarded as the blueprint for all similar departments within Foyle Learning Community, a group of 13 post-primary schools in Northern Ireland – and as a centre of excellence for student examination achievement throughout Northern Ireland.” 

Clare is also responsible for initiating the first TeachMeetTD in Ireland, where STEM teachers come together to share good practice in a supportive environment. She runs an annual Entrepreneurship Week, that is affiliated to Global Entrepreneurship Week UK.  Since 2012 students have seen presentations by over 60 entrepreneurs, including panellists on RTE Dragons Den.

“The winning teachers of this year’s Clark Prize are outstanding; it is quite overwhelming to see the amount of work they devote to connecting engineering and manufacturing with school pupils,” says Andrew Everett, executive secretary of ERA Foundation. “Their biographies speak for themselves. The Clark Prize will continue to identify and reward hard-working STEM teachers and schools, and we know there are many more out there.”

Sixteen teachers in total have received the Clark Prize since 2016.

www.erafoundation.org

UNLIKE CLOUD-based AI, Edge AI processes information locally, offering clear advantages. Edge AI eliminates network latency, enabling real-time decision-making in areas such as quality control, predictive maintenance, process automation, and safety monitoring. Edge AI also reduces bandwidth consumption by transmitting insights rather than raw data. Most importantly for manufacturers, it keeps sensitive production data on site.

Edge AI encompasses two types of AI: predictive AI and generative AI. Predictive AI analyses historical data to forecast future events. For example, AI can help create safer manufacturing work environments by predicting potential hazards or ensuring compliance. In automated quality inspection, production lines can continuously be monitored using Edge AI for real-time insights for quality control and significantly reduce the risks of defects.

Generative AI captures patterns and trends in historical data and creates new data and content based on that understanding. Generative AI, or GenAI, can be employed in manufacturing environments to aid the development of new products, enhance digital simulations, and enable users to analyse complex data in new ways. 

The key technical characteristic that enables Edge AI is separating training from inference. Although training large AI models still requires substantial data center resources, the inference phase, in which AI applies what it has learned to new data, is far less demanding. Thanks to advances in processor design and AI accelerators, complex inference workloads can now be carried out on compact, energy-efficient edge servers. This makes sophisticated intelligence practical on the factory floor.

From vision to value: Edge AI in action on the factory floor

Manufacturers recognise the value of Edge AI in its ability to analyse data in real time and trigger immediate, automated responses. Machine vision, for example, has become integral to modern quality assurance. While traditional inspection systems might sample one in twenty parts for defects, Edge AI-powered vision systems can inspect every single part as it comes off the production line. These systems cannot only detect defects instantly but also identify subtle variations in quality that may signal emerging process issues, enabling action to be taken automatically before defects occur and minimising costly downtime.

The impact is measurable. According to McKinsey, the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies - including AI, advanced analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT) - can reduce machine downtime by 30 to 50 percent as well as reduce quality-related costs by 10 to 20 percent []. These improvements are not limited to quality control. Predictive maintenance, powered by Edge AI, allows manufacturers to move beyond rigid maintenance schedules. Instead, AI continuously monitors equipment, learning to recognise the early signs of wear or failure. In process automation, it facilitates rapid decision-making, enhances operational agility, and streamlines workflows.     

Workplace safety is also an area where Edge AI is making a difference. By analysing data from security cameras, machinery, and operational software, AI systems can identify hazardous situations in real-time, such as workers approaching moving equipment too closely, and recommend or even initiate corrective actions. Edge AI is the only technology capable of instantly processing and acting on large volumes of video and sensor data.

Infrastructure matters: Building for reliability and longevity

As manufacturers transition from pilot projects to production-scale Edge AI, the choice of infrastructure becomes critical. Unlike office IT, manufacturing environments require systems that can operate reliably for years, often in challenging conditions. While standard servers may suffice in some settings, many applications require ruggedised hardware that can withstand temperature extremes, dust, vibration, and shock. Fanless designs are often favoured in dusty environments to minimise maintenance needs and reduce the risk of failure.

Reliability is paramount. Metrics such as mean time between failures (MTBF) and the ability to upgrade or reconfigure systems over time should be carefully considered. Modular server architectures, like those offered by Supermicro, enable manufacturers to customise systems according to their specific workload and environmental needs. This modularity also provides a clear path for future upgrades, ensuring that infrastructure investments remain viable as AI workloads evolve.

Selecting the right AI accelerators should be a key decision. Graphics processing units (GPUs) are the most common type of AI accelerator, and various specialised GPUs are available to address the diverse needs of Edge AI workloads in manufacturing. To ensure optimal performance and support for the intended applications, compatibility between server platforms and AI accelerators must be verified.

Overcoming implementation challenges

Despite the clear benefits, implementing Edge AI is not without its challenges. Manufacturing environments often have space, power, and cooling constraints. Edge servers must be compact, energy-efficient, and able to operate in less-than-ideal conditions. Another hurdle is data management: the sheer volume and diversity of data generated on the factory floor can overwhelm traditional IT systems. Efficient local processing, storage, and robust security are essential.

When considering management, it is important to note that edge deployments are usually spread out over several sites and often lack adequate on-site IT support. The infrastructure must therefore support remote monitoring, updates, and troubleshooting to minimise downtime and operational disruption.

Integrating with existing systems is also often a stumbling block. AI solutions must interface with legacy machinery, manufacturing execution systems (MES), and safety protocols. Careful planning is required as well as the use of software development kits (SDKs) and pre-built modules that simplify integration and accelerate time to value.

Supermicro and NVIDIA: Proven solutions for manufacturing

In close collaboration with NVIDIA, Supermicro has developed a portfolio of Edge AI solutions designed to meet the demands of manufacturing environments. This comprehensive, full-stack approach combines modular, ruggedised server hardware with support for the latest NVIDIA AI accelerators. 

Supermicro’s systems cover a wide range of form factors and performance levels. They range from compact, fanless edge servers for space-constrained environments to high-performance, multi-GPU systems that can handle the most demanding AI workloads on the factory floor. These systems are designed to work seamlessly with NVIDIA accelerators. Each is tailored for specific AI inference and generative tasks.
 
As an example, Supermicro’s ARS-E103-JONX is ideally suited for advanced edge applications in manufacturing, logistics and other industries. It comprises the NVIDIA Jetson Orin™ NX, the most advanced AI computer for applications and processes that require low-power, high-performance data inferencing. Delivered in a compact, fanless form factor, the system allows 157 TOPS for multiple concurrent AI pipelines with a versatile set of high-speed IO interface options, including 5G and Wi-Fi.

Other systems range from compact fanless systems to powerful box PCs and rackmount edge systems, capable of deploying multiple GPU accelerators such as the NVIDIA RTX PRO™ 6000 Blackwell Server Edition or NVIDIA H200 NVL. Each model has distinctive use cases based on the type and volume of data being processed, as well as deployment factors such as size and power consumption. Selecting the right hardware, therefore, includes identifying which AI accelerator is required and ensuring the server platform is compatible. 

The software stack is equally critical. NVIDIA AI Enterprise provides manufacturers with optimized frameworks, libraries, and tools that ensure efficient AI inference and seamless integration into existing workflows. Those developing custom applications will find that the availability of SDKs and pre-built modules further accelerates development and reduces complexity, enabling faster time-to-value for AI-driven manufacturing solutions.

Best practices for a successful Edge AI journey

When implementing Edge AI, manufacturers should start with clearly defined use cases and measurable goals. They ought to select infrastructure that is reliable, modular, and compatible with the necessary AI accelerators. Manufacturers must also consider environmental factors, such as temperature, dust, and vibration, and design systems that allow for remote management and easy integration with existing processes.

Most importantly, manufacturers should view Edge AI as a journey, not a destination. The ability to upgrade and adapt infrastructure over time is essential, given that AI technologies and manufacturing needs are constantly evolving. Investing in robust, modular infrastructure and proven solutions from trusted partners can accelerate manufacturers' AI journeys, helping them achieve greater efficiency, quality, and competitiveness in an increasingly digital world.

Matthias Huber is senior director, solutions manager, IoT/ embedded and edge computing at Supermicro

www.supermicro.com

Helping to mark the occasion, Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, gave a keynote speech on the Academy’s strategy and its focus on skills for engineering, was joined by ERA President Sir Alan Rudge CBE FREng, Chair Andrew Churchill OBE FREng, and 130 guests to toast the support of a long list of pro-engineering activities, from value-creating enterprise hubs to engineering fellowships, and teachers whose work has showcased engineering to school children across the UK.

The ERA Foundation was a founding donor of The Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub, ranked for the second year running in the top three enterprise hubs in the UK, and 14th in Europe by the Financial Times and Statista. The Hub’s activities have contributed to the creation of nearly 6000 jobs.

The Foundation has funded 55 industrial Fellowships, linking university research to businesses to help solve engineering challenges more quickly and help society. It has helped fund over 100 young students via the Smallpeice Trust’s Arkwright Engineering Scholarship, that sponsors students aged 16 to 18 to pursue engineering training with mentoring and access to STEM events.

The fellowships it has supported, jointly with both The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 and The Royal Academy of Engineering, involve some of the UK’s best physical sciences research that has advanced space exploration, net zero energy, battery storage, flood detection systems and much more. 

The non-profit foundation, 25-years old but with roots that go back 100-years, also runs The Clark Prize, recognising hard working, inspirational teachers who help students to experience engineering and connect with technical careers, awarding prizes to 16 teachers and schools since 2016. 

Since 2001, over £20 million has been dispersed to programmes that align with the foundation’s goals of inspiring, influencing and implementing, through grants and awards, activities that promote engineering and manufacturing, especially to educate and empower young people.

Engineering enterprise and engineering for all society

The Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub was founded in 2013, supported by an ERA Foundation grant. Since then, the Hub has supported over 600 researchers, graduates, and entrepreneurs, who have helped create nearly 6,000 jobs and whose members have successfully secured over £1.3 billion in additional funding. Hub member startups have raised £3.8 billion to date.

It'a not just the large and high-profile programmes that have benefited, though. With ERA Foundation’s help, the Smallpeice Trust has funded more than 100 Arkwright Scholarship students through their ‘A’ levels, Scottish Highers and International Baccalaureate exams, connecting them to industry opportunities through mentorship. Smallpeice also runs courses to inspire girls to choose physics and engineering, which the Foundation has previously funded.

Last year ERA Foundation supported five British women who enrolled on an electrical and electronics engineering degree, part of the Electrical Association of Women Centenary. And it has funded numerous Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Follow-on Grants, as well as Royal Society Mercer medal winners. 

Sir John Lazar CBE’s speech focused on strategy, skills and society, where much of his work has been the advancement of engineering to benefit society in Africa. He said: “Equity, diversity and inclusion is a vital thread through all three goals [of the Academy’s strategy] because we can’t talk about delivering positive outcomes for people without talking about how engineering designs for all of society, and how engineers therefore need to reflect all of society.”

Rewarding invention in universities and schools

Examples of supporting research include Samuel Winter of BT Group, who is the 2025 Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Industrial Fellow, supported by ERA Foundation. Working with the University of Bath, Samuel developed variational quantum algorithms that optimise telecommunications systems, that will lead to cost, energy and time efficiencies. He is now doing a PhD in quantum physics linked to this work, while working at BT’s research centre.

Clare Doherty, a teacher at St Mary’s College in Derry, has devoted 29-years to technology education in schools and initiated the first TeachMeetTD in Ireland, an event that shares best practice among STEM teachers. 

The work of Lucy Hart, a teacher at Caroline Haslett Primary in Milton Keynes, led to the school being recognised as an iBelong Champion in December 2024, a scheme to encourage girls to study computer science.

Clare and Lucy are two of four winning teachers of the 2025 Clark Prize, funded by the Foundation, that is named after former foundation Executive Secretary Dr David Clark. 

“It is very exciting to celebrate the commencement of our 25th year of the ERA Foundation,” said new Chair of ERA Foundation, Andrew Churchill OBE FREng. “We are very privileged to be custodians of a foundation that has the means to support such an array of brilliant projects right across the spectrum, from big investments like the Royal Academy of Engineering’s ‘Enterprise Hub’, which has funded over 600 entrepreneurs, to the primary schools of teachers such as Lucy Hart and Tracey Ellicott, who infectiously share the excitement of engineering with school children from a young age.” 

Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “We congratulate the ERA Foundation on its inspiring work to promote and enable future engineering innovation and skills over the last quarter of a century. I am delighted to be able to work with this far-sighted organisation, which has played such an active role in supporting the work of our Academy and particularly our successful and growing Enterprise Hub.”

Digital platforms extend influence

ERA Foundation has moved into the digital and social age, establishing the Born to Engineer video platform with films that share the experiences of young engineers, and teacher resources, to help young people connect with engineering careers. From this activity, five content creators have benefited from ERA Foundation grants to boost their engineering-centric social media and get this content onto platforms like Instagram and TikTok. 

And over its 25-year history, ERA Foundation has collaborated with and supported Engineering UK, STEM Learning, Primary Engineer, Kids Invent Stuff, WISE (women-centred EDI in STEM), In2Science and many other programmes, pump-priming these projects. 

With a new industrial strategy in development at a time when the UK badly needs economic growth, the ERA Foundation is a quiet but substantive partner to many far more visible organisations that are driving engineering, and therefore more invention and high-value growth in the UK economy. 

www.erafoundation.org

The system has been engineered specifically for complex industrial environments, where uninterrupted operation is essential for producing high-quality products such as infant formula, cream, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and cheese.

GEA InsightPartner EvoHDry applies real-time condition monitoring, a maintenance approach based on continuous collection and analysis of machine data to detect early warning signs of equipment degradation. Parameters such as temperature, pressure, vibration, and flow are tracked in real time, giving operators a clear view of system performance.

The solution offers an App and web-based component status to receive real-time information on machine health. In the dairy sector, one of the most frequent causes of unplanned downtime is a gradual loss of suction pressure in vacuum pumps within evaporation systems. This condition reduces evaporator efficiency, causing output to fall below target performance thresholds and potentially forcing an unplanned shutdown. Failures of this kind are commonly linked to dry running, wear in pump components, or lubrication loss when product contamination occurs. GEA InsightPartner EvoHDry employs predictive analytics to recognise these patterns early and generate pre-alarm notifications that prompt intervention before a critical failure takes place.

Beyond specific equipment failures, many dairy and liquid plants face broader operational challenges. Modern process plants rely heavily on SCADA systems (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) to monitor operations, but the number of alarms generated can overwhelm operators, making it difficult to filter and prioritise issues. At the same time, shortages of skilled technicians mean fewer personnel are available to interpret alarms or carry out diagnostics.

Traditional manual checks consume time and resources, while the absence of an integrated view of machine health often forces teams into reactive, emergency-driven maintenance. GEA InsightPartner EvoHDry addresses these problems by combining expert maintenance guidance with data-driven decision-making. Through real-time insights and predictive trends, operators can focus on the most critical issues, optimise maintenance schedules, and keep production on track.

The technical setup of GEA InsightPartner® EvoHDry is designed for both accuracy and security. It includes market-leading sensors for vibration, flow, and pressure, as well as links, cables, and an edge gateway – a local computing device that collects and preprocesses data before sending it to the cloud. By processing data locally, the gateway ensures rapid response times and reduces dependence on external networks.

The system operates independently of the customer’s IT infrastructure, so no direct access to plant networks is required, minimising cybersecurity risks. Once preprocessed, data is transferred securely to the GEA Cloud and GEA Portal, where GEA’s proprietary modeling algorithms evaluate equipment condition. Certified vibration specialists then validate diagnostics, adding human expertise to automated analysis.

According to Angela Yeung, digital portfolio and strategy lead for liquid and powder technologies at GEA, the system offers significant operational benefits: “Unplanned downtime remains the biggest challenge for dairy processors. By using predictive insights, customers can intervene before failures occur, reducing costs and improving efficiency. With GEA InsightPartner EvoHDry, operators gain clear insight into machine health. Instead of reacting to unexpected shutdowns, they can plan maintenance based on reliable diagnostics – keeping production stable and output consistent.”

The solution draws on GEA’s role as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), embedding decades of equipment and process expertise directly into its digital services. GEA InsightPartner EvoHDry has been tailored for evaporators, spray dryers, pumps, and rotating equipment, with monitoring extending from the vacuum stage through to CIP (Clean-in-Place) cycles, providing full coverage of peripheral systems. By aligning maintenance schedules with predictive recommendations, operators can extend equipment lifespan, minimise costs linked to downtime, and stabilise long-term production performance.

gea.com

THIS YEAR'S event comes at a pivotal moment for UK industry, following the government’s announcement of a new 10-year industrial strategy. With measures that could reduce electricity bills by up to 25 per cent for over 7,000 manufacturing firms and billions earmarked for innovation, R&D and AI, the strategy signals a renewed focus on long-term industrial growth — a direction that will be reflected across the show floor at Advanced Engineering 2025.

The show will also champion real-world problem-solving and high-value manufacturing, from net-zero composites to energy-efficient processes. By bringing engineers and innovators together, meaningful change and the industry’s most pressing challenges across all sectors can be addressed, including sustainability and skills development.

A highlight for 2025 is the newly expanded Composites Pavilion, now in its fourth year and fully booked well in advance. Delivered in partnership with Composites UK, the pavilion offers smaller companies and SMEs turnkey exhibition pods, making it easy and cost-effective to showcase their innovations. Strategically located next to the Composites Networking Zone, the pavilion provides high visibility and attracts key OEM visitors.

Hands-on demos

Alongside the pavilion, the Composites Networking Zone will feature hands-on demos from PRF Composite Materials, showcasing cutting-edge prepreg systems including rapid processing RP570 presses and innovative recycled carbon solutions. Insights from end users across aerospace, automotive, marine and renewables will highlight how composites are driving high-performance applications and net-zero ambitions across sectors.

Building on this, Composites UK has reimagined the Composites Forum for 2025, curating two full days of expert-led sessions focused on sustainability, material circularity and new product development, all aimed at strengthening the sector’s innovation and collaboration. Here, the Composites Networking Zone will be a key feature, with PRF Composite Materials hosting interactive demos and networking sessions designed to foster valuable industry connections.

The event will also reinforce the role of SMEs and agile innovators through dedicated spaces such as the SME Village, platforming disruptive technologies across automation, embedded systems, semiconductors and more. These zones underscore the crucial role SMEs play in driving innovation and growth across the UK’s engineering and manufacturing sectors.

“Advanced Engineering is the only UK event that connects every corner of the industrial ecosystem,” said Simon Farnfield, event director of Advanced Engineering at Easyfairs UK & Global. “With zones focused on composites, electronics and SME innovation, and forums designed to address the industry’s biggest challenges, the 2025 edition is set to deliver even more value for visitors and exhibitors alike. This edition will feature over 400 exhibitors, including more than 130 making their debut, meaning that a lot of the stands will offer something brand new to discover.”

Key topics

Over 200 expert speakers are also set to take stage across multiple forums to explore key topics including digitalisation, supply chain resilience, sustainability and government policy. The event will also continue its #MINDTHEskillsGAP initiative launched to help tackle the UK’s ongoing shortage of engineering and manufacturing talent.

In addition, Composites UK will co-locate its prestigious Industry Awards Dinner on the evening of 29 October at the neighbouring National Motorcycle Museum, providing a prime networking opportunity for sector leaders.

Register at:

www.advancedengineeringuk.com