Another year of engineering progression

The UK is in the midst of a technology boom. The government’s Industrial Strategy recognises the increasing convergence of connected industrial technologies and areas where we can compete globally. The strategy pledges to support an increase in electric vehicles with a £400 million investment in charging infrastructure, alongside a £1 billion investment in digital infrastructure.

To facilitate this technological development, the UK needs to help place its businesses at the forefront of the industry.

Bringing together thousands of attendees, Advanced Engineering incorporates all aspects of engineering, from medical devices to quality inspection technologies and technical testing and analysis. At the show, representatives from across the entire supply chain of the UK’s advanced engineering industry will present their latest innovations and business developments in front of some of its most influential stakeholders.

Not only has the show enjoyed year on year growth in terms of its visitors, but its floor space is also undergoing continuous expansion. Once a single show with 80 exhibitors, the show now features multiple co-locating show zones under one roof, covering the industry’s most advanced and noteworthy sectors including aerospace, automotive, connected, composites and performance metals.

This year, a Medical Device Engineering Zone and the revamped Enabling Innovation Zone, will join the likes of aerospace engineering, performance materials engineering, automotive engineering, connected manufacturing and composites engineering sectors to host manufacturers showcasing their innovations and new technologies to a targeted and enviable audience.

With exhibitors presenting technologies such as cutting-edge 3D printing and robotic precision machining, Advanced Engineering’s multitude of zones will place both established and emerging companies into the spotlight. “The UK is the world’s second largest region for aerospace manufacturing, while the UK automotive industry generates an annual turnover of £80 billion,” explains Jeremy Whittingham, head of marketing at Advanced Engineering. “We believe that supporting and demonstrating the UK’s flourishing engineering markets is vital to helping it continue to prosper.”

He continues: “As a visitor, you have the chance to network and engage with OEMs and supply chain partners from sectors spanning design, test measurement, inspection and production, in industries that range from composite materials, nuclear and renewable energy, rail, marine, space and more.

“Last year, the show enjoyed a 10% rise in OEM and tier one manufacturer attendance compared to its previous year, leading exhibitors to book at a record rate for 2019’s show. With companies keener than ever to attend and exhibit at the show, Advanced Engineering is certainly positioned as one of the must-visit events of the year.”

In advance of this year’s show, Advanced Engineering has launched a new report gauging uncertainty in the engineering sector. The report, entitled Voice of Industry, brings together the experiences of leading manufacturers, on topics ranging from Brexit and the skills shortage to the rise of electric vehicles and product innovation.

The Voice of Industry report delves into the unique challenges that businesses have faced in the last two years and explores the positive results they’ve had in overcoming uncertainty. It features Q&A-style interviews with senior figures in a variety of engineering businesses including Renishaw, Atlas Copco, Kawasaki Robotics and others.

The report opens with a foreword from Mike Wilson, managing director of Kuka UK and Ireland as well as chairman of the British Automation and Robot Association (BARA). In it, Wilson challenges the conventional view that uncertainty should be a fact of life.

“The UK is well known as a source of excellence in engineering and innovation. We are the home for leading global businesses such as Rolls Royce and BAE Systems as well as many much smaller, highly creative engineering companies,” he explains. “The current economic climate is uncertain, but I have confidence the resilience of our engineering sector will weather the changing environment and may well become stronger as a result.”

The report also interviews one of these smaller companies, Xi Engineering, a digital twinning company that uses its multi-physics simulations to help businesses speed up innovation. “We offer services like simulation that help our customers create accurate models that represent the real world,” explains Mark-Paul Buckingham, managing director of Xi Engineering.

“These simulations offer a robust test-bed for companies to trial various scenarios that would take much longer if done manually. As a result, we’ve helped companies innovate in a wide variety of sectors, from high-end audio and automotive to renewable energy and transport.”

You can download the Voice of Industry report or find out more about what’s on offer at this year’s Advanced Engineering show by visiting the website and registering your attendance at the event.