Smart Manufacturing Week attracts more than 13,000 to the NEC
16 June 2025 
Smart Manufacturing Week 2025, the UK’s largest event for advanced manufacturing and engineering, attracted 13,319 visitors to the NEC across its two days in early June – similar to the 2024 figure of 13,428. With 456 exhibitors on the show floor (down slightly from 470 in 2024), attendees were able to explore hundreds of cutting-edge products and technologies driving the future of industry.
Adding flair to the proceedings were celebrity look-a-likes, movie robots, and live music, creating a buzzing atmosphere that celebrated innovation and industry.
“I’ve been to more than 30 trade shows over the last 10 years – across Europe, Asia, and the US – and Smart Manufacturing Week in Birmingham was the best I’ve attended,” said Joonas Püvi, CEO and co-founder of the industrial vending specialist, Invendor.
In addition to the exhibition, there were more than 170 free-to-attend educational sessions led by experts in areas such as industrial data and AI, IIoT and connectivity, digital transformation, and leadership and strategy. The Institute for Manufacturing hosted a series of practical workshops.
New for 2025 was the Smart Tank competition in which exhibitors from the Innovation Alley zone pitched their business ideas to a panel of industry leaders. Winners of the two sessions were Uie, which presented its battery-less heat sensor for electrical condition-monitoring, and Logidot, which has moved the idea of GPS vehicle tracking inside the factory. Both winners received complimentary space at next year’s event, as well as access to a mentor and introductions to potential investors.
Alongside the exhibition, the Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit brought together senior leaders to explore how AI and digital technologies are shaping the future of industry. The Manufacturer Top 100 returned for its 12th year, celebrating the individuals driving positive change across UK manufacturing.
“It’s been incredible to feel the buzz throughout Smart Manufacturing Week 2025,” says event director, Grace Gilling. “We knew this year would be special, but the response has truly exceeded expectations. From the moment doors opened to the final moments, the floor was alive with innovation, collaboration and a real sense of excitement for the future of manufacturing.”
In 2026, Smart Manufacturing Week will take place on 3 and 4 June.
