Manufacturing & engineering week – full programme announced

The free-to-attend educational programme is incredibly diverse in the subject matter it covers while having Sustainability, Digital Transformation, Innovation, Supply Chain Resilience, and People and Skills as key recurring themes. 

Among the most notable sessions are those from some of the most prominent figures in the industrial landscape. On day 1, Juergen Maier, CBE – former advisor to the government on industrial strategy and former Chief Executive of Siemens UK – will provide his perspective on UK manufacturing and the opportunities and challenges it is facing in a session titled ‘What’s Next for UK Manufacturing?’  This session will begin with a welcome address from Nusrat Ghani, Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade and the Minister of State responsible for the Investment Security Unit at the Cabinet Office.

Similarly on Day 2 Make UK CEO, Stephen Phipson, CBE hits the stage for a keynote entitled ‘State of the Nation.’ This session will provide an overview of how UK manufacturers can put themselves in the best position to succeed and, following the recent industrial strategy report from MAKE UK, will also provide an update on the state of play after a decade dominated by disruptions.  

Other notable names presenting include Katherine Bennett CBE, CEO of the High-Value Manufacturing Catapult, Mike Wilson, Chief Automation Officer of Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), Libby Meyrick, CEO at the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED), Director of Siemens Digital and co-Chair of Made Smarter, Brian Holliday, National Manufacturing Institute of Scotland CEO, Chris Courtney, and HVMC Policy Director, Rosa Wilkinson. 

The Maintec Keynote Theatre, sponsored by RS, also has a full programme including several ‘firsts’ such as the first public output from the Maintenance Research Project. This session will provide the initial results from Industry in Motion, an independent report created by RS Maintenance and the IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers), that reveals the challenges facing maintenance professionals within UK manufacturing. This report contains key statistics and data taken from interviews with over 750 senior maintenance professionals.  

The Maintec Keynote Theatre will also see the launch of a Global Responsibility Competency Compass by Engineers Without Borders UK. The Compass is for those who are struggling to respond effectively to the complexity, uncertainty, and challenges of the age. The action-oriented tool, developed through extensive consultation and testing, articulates the essential skills, knowledge, and mindsets that engineers increasingly need to deliver the most positive impact on the four principles of global responsibility: responsible, purposeful, inclusive, and regenerative.   

For those seeking insight on specific topics there is much to be seen at the Six Solutions Theatres whose themes include Digital Transformation, IIOT and Connectivity and Industrial Data, and AI.

More educational content can be found in the Innovation Village through organisations such as Innovate UK KTN, Innovate UK Edge, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and its Centres, and Made Smarter Innovation.

The village has its own Innovation Stage with a full educational programme championing and demonstrating innovation in low-carbon advanced manufacturing. 

Additional free educational sessions are being hosted by the Institute for Manufacturing in the IfM Theatre. These Masterclasses are designed to challenge and extend the attendees' thinking in relation to some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities they face.  Masterclass topics include: Digital Supply Chain Strategy, Sustainable Continuous Improvement, and Managing Organisational Innovation. IfM Masterclasses require advance booking, and this can be done when registering for your ticket to visit M&E Week’s Smart Factory Expo.

Details can be found on the manufacturing and engineering website.