Smart Manufacturing Week forms a Wise partnership
25 February 2025 
The organisers of the Smart Manufacturing Week (SMW) exhibition have announced a strategic partnership with Wise (Women in Science and Engineering) as part of its goal of ensuring that the 2025 event in June addresses the technical innovations and pain points that the sector is experiencing.
SMW says it is committed to supporting Wise in its mission to break down barriers and create more opportunities for women to thrive in Stem (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) careers.
For more than 40 years, Wise has worked to increase the number of women in Stem careers, helping businesses foster more inclusive environments to facilitate this. A key focus of its efforts is ensuring that school-age girls are aware of the opportunities available to them in these fields. Recognising the importance of early engagement, this year’s Stem programme at SMW has been expanded to include school-age students.
“We work with organisations across Stem to improve gender equity, and Smart Manufacturing Week gives us a fantastic platform to reach both industry leaders and young people,” says Katherine Watson from Wise. “The earlier we can get in front of students and open their eyes to Stem careers, the better.”
SMW’s approach to manufacturing complements Wise’s mission. “There’s still a perception that engineering is all about physical strength, grease and overalls but SMW showcases the true digital reality of the industry in the modern world,” Watson adds. “By actively working to disrupt this outdated image, SMW helps highlight the dynamic and creative side of manufacturing and engineering.”
Wise will be making a presentation at SMW’s Leadership & Strategy Theatre at 2pm on the second day of the show (5 June). It also has a stand where it says it is keen to engage with HR and EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) professionals, senior leaders and anyone passionate about driving change in the industry. “Allyship is crucial. This isn’t just about women,” says Watson. “Everyone has a role to play in making Stem more inclusive.”
