UK’s premier Industry 4.0 show returns
Companies looking to make their operations smarter this year, should put a note in their diary to attend one of the stand-out events that really can help companies get a better understanding of digital. There is a lot of hype on industry 4.0 and one of the few places to see the actual reality, meet experts and learn from companies who have started their own industry 4.0 journey, is the Industry 4.0 Summit & Expo that takes place in Manchester at the end of March.
Since its launch in 2017 has managed to attract a stellar line-up of industry leaders from government, academia & industry, as well as 1000s of visitors across the UK manufacturing spectrum, keen to learn from differing industries.
The 4th edition takes place once more at the iconic Manchester Central Convention Complex. A high-level conference with a large trade show alongside, the event connects manufacturers with technology to look at the best practice and solutions to help improve manufacturing performance.
Since its launch the organisers have managed to consistently deliver a great speaker line-up that provides insights & strategies, technology developments and manufacturing case studies of industry 4.0 in practice.
This year’s line-up includes industry leaders & experts such as Cormac Whelan, CEO, Nokia UK; Wayne Jones OBE, Executive Board Director at MAN Energy Solutions; Dr. Reinhard Geissbauer, Partner & Leader EMEA Industry 4.0, PwC and Paul Turner, VP Industry 4.0 Applications & Analytics at Stanley, Black & Decker.
There are presentations from other manufacturers large & small each with their own industry 4.0 story including, Airbus, Bosch Rexroth, TSP Engineering, SAP, H&T Presspart & Cambridge Wireless. Topics presented include the results of the UKs first 5G testbed experience in manufacturing, lean manufacturing, automotive supply chains and skills & training.
Another addition to the summit programme is Mark Chapman, Chief Engineer & Engineering Director for the Bloodhound Land Speed Record project. He will be showing to delegates how the project has embraced many of the 4.0 technologies including digital twins, predictive maintenance, 3D printing, advanced sensors & big data.
The exhibition alongside is a one-stop shop for the latest smart technologies to give manufacturers that competitive edge. This includes robotics, 3D printing, automation, artificial intelligence, big data, VR/AR, predictive maintenance, sensors and other 4.0 technologies. Exhibitors returning include returning exhibitors like of Bosch Rexroth, Werma, Forcam, IFM, Omron, & Total Control Pro whilst new companies include Olmec, Goodfellow, Monolith AI, Lighthouse Systems, Hewlett Packard & Honeywell.
Event Director Gary Gilmour comments “The event consistently attracts a very senior level of visitor from manufacturing, who I know do not got to many other industry events. We think this is due to the conference content being current and insightful and provides them with ideas to implement into their own organisation.”
The organisers feedback shows that over 15% of attendees have purchasing authority of over £500k, and this has resulted in many major contracts arising from encounters at the show. Gilmour adds “The products on display tend to be big ticket purchases. We know from exhibitors that it is 6 months after the show that they start to see their ROI. We’ve had two robotics companies secure very sizeable contracts, and one large company has said they have received both a seven-figure order as a result of exhibiting and more solid sales leads than any other event”.
The event has consistently attracted broad mixture of the manufacturing community ranging from division heads of engineering, chief intelligence officers, project directors to robotics & automation engineers to system integrators. Companies confirmed to attend this year include BAE Systems, Airbus, AstraZeneca, Mettler Toldeo, Huawei, Arla Foods, TDK, Hyde Aero, Thyseenkrupp, Proctor + Gamble & Unilever as well as number of SMEs keen to get a better understanding what 4.0 means for them.
The free-to-attend Open Technology Forum in the exhibition will give visitors to the Expo a chance to hear about the latest technologies and solutions from a range of companies from start-ups, large enterprises to organisations providing help with R&D tax credits. Leading business services company PwC will be running a Consultancy Clinic as well as Round Tables which companies invited to join.
The EXPOs are free-to-attend. Interested parties can get more information at www.industry40summit.com or call the organisers at 01642 438225.
