Smart Manufacturing Week returns to the NEC in Birmingham on 3-4 June 2026. Discover what the fifth edition of the largest festival of advanced manufacturing and engineering has in store for attendees, including this year’s themes, the co-location benefits, and a brand-new feature.
Last year, Smart Manufacturing Week welcomed 13,500 manufacturers, engineers, designers, maintenance professionals, industry leaders and technology solution providers from across every vertical sector.
The event addresses the urgent need for digital transformation, supply chain resilience and workforce skills, featuring over 150 expert speakers across its seven Solution Theatres. It aims to answer the sector’s most pressing questions.
Visitors can expect a powerhouse lineup of over 450 exhibitors, including industry giants like Beckhoff, FANUC, Schneider Electric, Solutions PT, and Sage. They’ll showcase the latest in robotics, IIoT, automation and more.
The power of co-location
Smart Manufacturing Week is an umbrella for several distinct shows. The show is home to six exclusive live events: Smart Factory, Drives & Controls, Maintec, Design & Engineering and Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit, proving it to be a must-attend for anyone in the sector.
Each co-located event reflects the modern-day factory that the exhibitors have solutions and technology for, and the visitors are operating in day in and day out. Maintenance and automation are no longer individual parts but must work in unison to keep the manufacturing site running smoothly.
Not only that, but for another year, Smart Manufacturing Week (including Smart Factory Expo, Drives + Controls, Maintec and Design + Engineering Expo) is partnering with Interplas, TCT 360, Med-Tech and Subcon, all taking place at the NEC on the same dates. A single ticket provides access to every show.
That means more technology, more suppliers, more live demonstrations and more practical insight across design, plastics, additive manufacturing, medical manufacturing, subcontracting, automation, drives and controls, and smart factory solutions.
Engineering under pressure
A dynamic new feature for 2026 is FightFest, a competitive element located within the Drives & Controls section. Taking place on the Accu Bots stand, this high-energy robot-fighting competition is aligned with automation and robotics, a core event theme.
Designed to encourage engagement and hands-on experience in engineering, the event will see students from across the UK competing with custom-made robots, alongside professional teams live over the two days.
While undoubtedly a fun feature of the show floor, FightFest showcases the need to engage and develop the next generation of engineers who must be proficient in mechanical design, programming and prototyping to meet the demands of the smart factories of the future.
Found on the show floor in the Drives & Controls area, the dedicated feature will demonstrate how precision motors, sophisticated speed controllers and robust power transmission components must perform with unerring reliability under the most extreme physical stresses imaginable.
Cutting through the hype
One of the core themes of the 2026 show is AI and Industrial Data. With a dedicated solution theatre, experts are taking to the stage to move beyond the buzz of generative AI and tackle the world of industrial AI.
This marks a shift from amassing data to the goal of generating actionable insights, returning to the human-centric application of machine intelligence. It’s not about replacing the worker but empowering them with the correct tools to foster a smarter, more efficient and more innovative workforce.
In the theatre, experts will prioritise what is most critical to the UK industrial climate, including operational resilience, using Aito’s predictive system failure before they occur, supply chain visibility allowing manufacturers to navigate global volatility with real-time transparency and solving the labour shortage and system integration.
Sustainability and net zero
Sustainability and net zero are no longer just about waste reduction and resource optimisation; they go beyond that. It has evolved into a fundamental architectural shift, where digital transparency and real-time data allow manufacturers to weave circularity into the very fabric of their supply chains and product lifecycles.
Smart Manufacturing Week 2026 presents a prime opportunity to explore advancements in sustainable supply chains, enhance ESG data and reporting frameworks, and discover new pathways for decarbonisation and efficiency across your operations.
In the Leadership & Strategy theatre, keynotes by manufacturing leaders will explore how to upskill workforces to implement net-zero tech and manage change for efficiency.
Over at the Maintenance stage, you can hear how to integrate sustainability into day-to-day operations, ensuring machines stay working for longer, reducing energy-intensive downtime and maximising asset lifecycles through data-driven strategies.
Making the most of the week
Smart Manufacturing Week 2026 is about connecting with like-minded individuals within the industry to help solve the big challenges, from solution providers in software and robotics to industry leaders at manufacturing giants. Attendees walk away with insight they didn’t have before.
Chris Allen, Marketing Manager of Smart Manufacturing Week, noted the event’s unique value in the market: “Smart Manufacturing Week is the one moment each year where our whole industry comes together – not just to showcase technology, but to share ideas, solve problems and genuinely connect. It’s a place where conversations spark innovations.”
Ensure you are making the most of your time, plan online using the AI tool on the website. By just inserting your company and job title, it will plan your must-see keynotes and panels, which exhibitors you need to visit and how you will benefit from attending.
The competitive advantage for 2026 and beyond lies in the technologies showcased in Birmingham this June.
