Smart Manufacturing Week 2025: The UK’s Largest Festival of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Returns

The NEC Birmingham is set to once again host Smart Manufacturing Week (SMW), the UK’s largest festival of advanced manufacturing and engineering, on 4–5 June 2025. This flagship event will showcase a powerful line-up of exhibitions, including Smart Factory Expo, Maintec, Drives & Controls, Design + Engineering Expo, and the Air-Tec and Fluid Power and Systems zones.

Building on the success of the 2024 event, which attracted 13,500 visitors, 450 exhibitors, and 200 speakers, and was named ‘Best Trade Show’ at the Conference & Events Awards 2024, SMW 2025 is set to be even larger and more ambitious. With an increase in international manufacturers and engineers expected, this year’s event promises to be a transformative experience. Free visitor registration is now open, with a limited number of Premium Plus Visitor passes available for purchase.

Malcolm Greenhill of Charter Controls reflected on last year’s event, saying, “This is the best exhibition we have ever done, and I have been participating in exhibitions at the NEC since 1983.” Charter Controls will return in 2025 as a Platinum Partner, further cementing the event’s reputation as a must-attend industry gathering.

SMW 2025 will feature prominent industry players such as Schneider Electric, FANUC UK, 3M, Epicor, Binder UK, Cembre, Ericsson, Hoffmann Group, and ifm Electronic, alongside cutting-edge start-ups and small businesses set to revolutionise the sector. At the heart of the Smart Factory Expo will be Innovation Alley, a space showcasing emerging technologies with exhibitors focused on four key categories: ‘People’, ‘Product’, ‘Process’, and ‘Planet’. These categories will address important topics such as workforce management, sustainability, AI, and net-zero initiatives.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to meet start-ups and early-stage companies, discovering transformative technologies set to shape the future of manufacturing. To help attendees navigate the exhibition, ‘Visitor Trails’ will guide them to the most relevant exhibitors and must-see presentations, covering topics like Automation & Robotics, Sustainability, Industrial Data & AI, and Product Innovation & Design.

A highlight of the event will be the Technology Showcase Theatre, where attendees can interact with cutting-edge innovations, including advanced robotics and wearable technologies, offering a glimpse into the future of manufacturing.

FANUC UK Ltd will also sponsor the STEM programme, extending its focus to school students and those in further education. Hundreds of students and apprentices will engage with industry experts, gaining hands-on experience in advanced manufacturing and engineering.

In addition to the core exhibition, SMW 2025 will host several satellite events, including The Manufacturer Top 100 Awards and the Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit, a two-day conference for senior leaders focused on digital technologies in manufacturing. For those with entrepreneurial ambitions, the new Smart Tank feature will allow entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas to a panel of industry experts.

SMW 2025 continues its commitment to sustainability as a carbon-neutral event. In collaboration with Forest Nation, the organisers will plant one tree for every attendee, supporting global reforestation efforts and reducing the environmental impact of the event.

Grace Gilling, Managing Director, said, “Smart Manufacturing Week 2025 is laser-focused on the visitor experience while ensuring exhibitors have the best opportunity to connect with their target customer base. We create a festival-type atmosphere that is both entertaining and a fantastic platform for industry-shaping conversations and innovation.”