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There is no shortage of discussion about the pressures facing UK engineering and manufacturing. Skills shortages remain stubborn. Supply chains are being rethought in response to geopolitical instability and changing trade relationships. AI is moving from possibility to application. New materials are creating fresh opportunities, while net zero continues to influence decisions across design, production and investment.
What is often less clear is where those issues come together in one place.
Returning to the NEC Birmingham on 4 and 5 November 2026, Advanced Engineering has opened visitor registration for its 17th edition. At a time when businesses are looking not only for new technologies, but for clearer direction and stronger connections, the event continues to provide a meeting point for the UK engineering community.
Where the industry connects
For many across the sector, Advanced Engineering is more than an event in the calendar. It is where engineers, manufacturers, technology developers and supply chain specialists come together to understand what is changing, what is emerging and what demands attention next.
That matters because engineering is no longer shaped within neat sector boundaries. Aerospace, automotive, defence, electronics, energy, advanced materials, composites and manufacturing technology are increasingly connected by shared challenges and overlapping opportunities. Questions around productivity, resilience, supply chain security and digital adoption now move across the wider industrial landscape.
Stephen Phipson CBE, Chief Executive Officer at Make UK, said: “I love coming to Advanced Engineering because it’s a great place to see some of the most advanced technologies being deployed in manufacturing right now. I’m especially interested in those related to AI, green technologies, and renewables – areas where we’re seeing high growth. This event is a fantastic showcase for cutting-edge innovation.”
Bringing the value chain together with UK Metals Expo
One of the most significant developments for 2026 is the event’s first-time co-location with UK Metals Expo. Together, the two events will create one connected experience across metals, composites, materials and advanced engineering, bringing more than 700 exhibitors and over 15,000 visitors to the NEC Birmingham.
That is more than a scale story. It reflects how engineering works in practice. Material choices influence performance, cost, sustainability and manufacturability. Supply chain decisions affect resilience, lead times and innovation capacity. Design, processing and production technologies all shape one another. By bringing Advanced Engineering and UK Metals Expo together, the 2026 edition creates a broader and more joined-up view of the industrial landscape.
For visitors, that means the ability to move more easily between upstream materials expertise and downstream applications, components, systems and manufacturing processes, creating a more complete picture of how industrial decisions connect across the value chain.
AI, electronics and the next phase of engineering
AI is now part of almost every serious conversation in engineering. From design optimisation and simulation to automation, predictive maintenance and data-led decision-making, it is increasingly shaping how organisations improve efficiency, reduce risk and strengthen competitiveness.
Electronics sits just as firmly within that shift. Across aerospace, automotive, defence, energy and manufacturing, the systems being designed and deployed today rely on increasingly sophisticated electronics, sensing, connectivity and control. Semiconductors are no longer a specialist issue at the margins. They are central to modern engineering performance.
Recognising that, Advanced Engineering 2026 will introduce a new Electronics and Semiconductors Forum focused on advanced electronics, systems and photonics. Its addition reflects the reality that engineering is becoming more integrated, more connected and more dependent on technologies that cross traditional boundaries.
More than a showcase
One of the reasons Advanced Engineering matters is that much of the UK’s innovation is still not visible enough. Across the country, companies are solving problems in materials, manufacturing, automation, systems integration and industrial technology. Yet many of those developments remain hidden within supply chains or specialist markets.
Advanced Engineering helps bring that work into view. Through its Enabling Innovation Zone, SME pavilions, forums, advisory input and wider industry voices, the event creates space for discussion around the issues businesses are actively trying to solve, from industrial resilience and advanced materials to skills, electronics and the practical application of innovation.
Simon Farnfield, Head of UK Manufacturing Cluster at Easyfairs, said: “Advanced Engineering has always had an important role in bringing together the communities shaping the future of UK industry. What is increasingly clear is that businesses do not need more noise; they need relevant conversations, trusted connections and practical insight. Whether the issue is AI, supply chain resilience, advanced materials, electronics or long-term capability, our focus is to create an event where the industry can come together to share knowledge, explore solutions and better understand what happens next.”
As the sector looks ahead, Advanced Engineering remains a place where the bigger picture can come into focus.
Further information on Advanced Engineering 2026, including visitor registration details, is available via the official event website.
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About Easyfairs
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For further information, please contact:
Sonia Diaz
Connecting people, technology and supply
Composites UK is proud to return as a headline industry partner of the Composites Engineering Show – a core part of Advanced Engineering.