Smarter Tech, Smarter Maintenance, Smarter Industry: Smart Manufacturing Week 2025
Published: 22 May, 2025
The NEC Birmingham will once again play host to the UK's largest manufacturing and engineering event, Smart Manufacturing Week, on 4-5 June 2025. Bringing together four major exhibitions including Smart Factory Expo, Design & Engineering Expo, Drives & Controls, and Maintec, along with specialist zones for Fluid Power & Systems and Air-Tech.
However, it is not its breadth alone that distinguishes Smart Manufacturing Week. What sets it apart is its ambition to reshape expectations of what a manufacturing event can deliver. This is a show defined by rich technical content, future-facing innovation, and a commitment to industry’s most urgent priorities.
Demos That Bring Tech to Life
Smart Manufacturing Week brings to the fore the technologies that will define the next chapter of industrial innovation. As such robotics, artificial intelligence, digital twins and connected devices will take centre stage in the Technology Showcase Arena, where visitors will see live demonstrations of wearables, advanced automation, and other high-impact tools in action.
A particular highlight is T-1-FNY, an eight-foot-tall, 300-kilogram robot built from reclaimed parts. Once designed to wreak havoc on screen, it now performs household chores to demonstrate object recognition and adaptive automation with surprising precision and personality.
Elsewhere, JoinXR by Fracture Reality will hold VIP sessions demonstrating how their extended reality platform is transforming design workflows, facilitating decision-making, enhancing collaboration among teams, streamlining technical training, and reducing errors in complex projects. Those who wish to take part must sign up for these exclusive sessions in advance.
Fluke are one of the big names at Maintec with live demonstrations showcasing how their solutions can significantly enhance uptime, reliability and energy efficiency. Their experts will be available to discuss real-world applications across industries. Visitors can also take part in Fluke’s Batak game for a chance to win exclusive prizes, sharpening their reaction time while seeing firsthand how predictive insights can help detect equipment issues earlier.
Innovation Alley will once again offer a platform for early-stage companies and university spinouts. These are businesses not just experimenting with the future but actively building it. Their presence at the event makes this zone a must-visit for those seeking the next commercial breakthrough.
Leaders, Learners and the Next Generation
Smart Manufacturing Week is also notable for the weight it gives to the people shaping the industry. The Manufacturers and Engineers of the Future programme is designed to give young people hands-on exposure to the realities and possibilities of working in manufacturing. With practical workshops, interactive demonstrations and access to experienced professionals, the initiative goes beyond awareness building to foster meaningful engagement.
Across seven dedicated theatres, the speaker programme promises to be compelling. Senior leaders from BMW, Airbus, Mars and others will share insights on critical topics including the application of AI at scale, the deployment of Industrial IoT, and new approaches to supply chain resilience.
Essential Maintenance
For Plant & Works Engineering readers, Maintec remains an essential part of Smart Manufacturing Week. Focused on predictive maintenance, asset management and reliability, this long-established event is evolving alongside the technologies it showcases. From AI-powered spares pooling to cutting-edge condition monitoring tools, Maintec 2025 highlights how the integration of intelligent systems and human expertise is shaping the next phase of industrial maintenance. As Industry 5.0 moves into view, Maintec offers a clear view of how maintenance strategies are becoming smarter, more sustainable, and more central to operational success.
Amongst an extensive educational agenda the Maintenance Solutions Theatre will be a key hub for information and education for maintenance professionals, with sessions including a headline keynote from BMW’s Nick Evans, Applying New Maintenance Methods and Technologies to Existing Production Systems which will explore integrating advanced maintenance technologies, and a headline panel Transforming Maintenance Strategies: From Reactive to Proactive in Smart Manufacturing featuring AETC’s Ruth Rollings exploring the shift from reactive to proactive strategies in smart manufacturing.
Talent, Trailblazers, and a Touch of Rock ‘n’ Roll
The week will also host the Manufacturer Top 100 Awards, which celebrates inspiring leaders, innovators, and industry trailblazers across categories such as ‘Digital Transformer’, ‘Net Zero Hero’, and ‘Young Pioneer’. It is a timely moment of recognition amid a fast-moving and highly technical event.
For a change of pace, Guitar Legends returns. This light-hearted competition invites visitors to show off their musical skills, with winners on each day receiving a custom-made 3D-printed guitar. It is a great reminder that creativity and precision often go hand in hand.
Smart Manufacturing Week 2025 offers more than a snapshot of industrial progress. It presents a vibrant and multi-dimensional view of a sector in motion, innovating, adapting and looking ahead with clarity and purpose.
Whether your interest lies in the latest developments in automation, the challenge of building resilient supply chains or the future of the engineering workforce, this is an opportunity to engage with the full spectrum of UK manufacturing. And crucially, to consider where it might be headed next.
To register for free or find out more, visit www.smartmanufacturingweek.com
