Manufacturers + Engineers of the Future

Inspiring the next generation at Smart Manufacturing Week 2026.

The STEM Programme at Smart Manufacturing Week (4 June, 11-4PM) is dedicated to inspiring young people and reshaping perceptions of manufacturing and engineering as dynamic, innovative and essential career paths within the future UK economy.

As technology advances at pace and skills shortages continue to widen, engaging students early has never been more critical. The STEM Programme connects young minds directly with the realities of modern manufacturing, offering hands on experiences, meaningful industry interaction and clear pathways into future careers.

Through immersive learning and real world insight, the programme empowers students with the confidence, curiosity and practical understanding needed to thrive in manufacturing and engineering roles of tomorrow.

Programme objectives

  • Promote STEM careers – Spark curiosity and raise awareness of the breadth of opportunities across manufacturing and engineering, helping to address long term skills shortages.
  • Enhance practical learning – Deliver interactive workshops, live demonstrations and hands on activities that bring STEM subjects to life and complement classroom learning.
  • Build industry connections – Create meaningful links between students, educators and industry professionals, supporting mentorship, inspiration and career progression.
  • Champion diversity and inclusion – Encourage participation from all backgrounds, with a strong focus on increasing female representation within manufacturing and engineering.

Supporting national priorities

The STEM Programme aligns closely with key UK government strategies and education priorities, including:

  • STEM education and skills development – Supporting the future workforce needs of manufacturing, engineering and technology sectors.

  • Levelling up – Promoting equal access to career inspiration and opportunity across all regions of the UK.

  • Industrial strategy and innovation – Encouraging engagement with advanced manufacturing, automation, digitalisation and emerging technologies.

  • Net Zero and sustainability goals – Demonstrating how STEM careers play a vital role in delivering Net Zero by 2050.

  • National Careers Strategy – Providing practical, real world career insight to inform future education and employment choices.

SMW26 - STEM Programme Header for Website

An exciting opportunity to discover how STEM subjects translate into real world careers. Through hands on activities and live demonstrations, students can explore different pathways in manufacturing, engineering and technology while gaining inspiration for future study and career choices.

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The 2026 STEM Programme

Official Partner:

STEM Partner

STEMAZING will bring a strong focus on inspiration and inclusion to Smart Manufacturing Week 2026, highlighting the importance of diversity in shaping the future STEM workforce. Through engaging conversations, role model visibility and community-led initiatives, they will showcase how empowering individuals and challenging stereotypes can open up pathways into engineering and manufacturing for all.

Working closely with women in STEM, allies, educators and organisations, STEMAZING supports role models to share their stories and inspire the next generation, particularly at primary school level where aspirations are first formed. Their presence at the event will underline the importance of representation and collective action in building a more inclusive industry, while encouraging more young people to see themselves in STEM careers.

STEM SHOWCASE 

STEM On Track

STEM On Track will bring an interactive pit stop challenge to Smart Manufacturing Week 2026, giving visitors a high-energy, hands-on experience of STEM in action. Inspired by real motorsport environments, the challenge will see participants test their speed, precision and teamwork in a simulated pit stop scenario.

Built on the programme’s approach of learning through doing, the activity reflects how students can develop practical skills in engineering, problem solving and collaboration. Supported by leading organisations including Alpine F1 Team, STEM On Track’s presence will highlight how engaging, real-world experiences can inspire the next generation to pursue careers in manufacturing and engineering.

Seabery

Seabery will bring cutting-edge simulation technology to Smart Manufacturing Week 2026, offering visitors a hands-on introduction to key manufacturing trades. Using advanced augmented reality, their stand will feature immersive welding and spray painting simulators, allowing participants to test their technical skills in a safe, interactive and gamified environment.

Designed to bridge the gap between education and industry, these experiences provide a realistic insight into real-world careers while making technical training more accessible and engaging. Seabery’s presence will highlight how innovative tools can support skills development and help inspire the next generation of technicians to explore opportunities in modern manufacturing.

Stemettes

Stemettes will bring a vibrant and inclusive energy to Smart Manufacturing Week 2026, focused on inspiring the next generation of talent into STEAM careers. Through engaging activity and representation, they will showcase the wide range of opportunities available across science, technology, engineering, arts and maths, while highlighting the importance of diversity within the industry.

Working across the UK, Ireland and beyond, Stemettes connects girls, young women and non-binary young people with role models and real-world career pathways. Their presence at the event will help demonstrate how visibility, community and access to information can break down barriers, encouraging more young people to see a future for themselves in manufacturing and engineering.

Manufacturers and Engineers of the Future Theatre


 

Accu presents FightFest

Remember Robot Wars?  The sparks, the crashes, the moment a machine flipped its opponent across the arena. Now picture that action at the heart of the UK’s largest engineering and manufacturing event — live on the show floor.  

At Smart Manufacturing Week 2026, Accu will present FightFest: the world’s first major B2B fighting robot exhibition.  

With dedicated sessions, student can drop by the stand to watch the fighting robots at: 

  • 1:45pm – for the Final Robot Showdown starting at 2:00pm 

  • 2:45pm – for the Gladiator Robot Battle starting at 3:00pm 

IMechE Automation Challenge

Visitors will witness the winning team from the Apprentice Automation Challenge exhibit their innovative automation project live at the show.

This collaboration with The Manufacturer highlights the exceptional skills, creativity and ambition emerging from the next generation of automation professionals.

The Manufacturers and Engineers of the Future Trail 

NiftyLift

Stand D180

Visit NiftyLift’s STEM stand to see it’s winning AAC models live. Discover a precision ingredient dispenser and an automated stirrer that adapts speed and intervals—demonstrating how smart manufacturing transforms everyday processes. 

Barclays
Stand D144
T1FNY
Dassault Systemes

Stand D150

Get hands-on with our immersive DELMIA Augmented Experience, where the physical and virtual worlds merge to bring engineering and manufacturing to life in real time. We offer students exciting opportunities as interns, as well as a graduate programme with roles in Consulting and Pre-Sales/Sales.

Bureau Veritas
Stand A52
Make UK
Stand L154

Supported by our partners:

Extras to check out on your visit...

Best of British Showcase

Best of British Showcase

Join us in a celebration of domestic manufacturing, featuring world-beating new designs, innovative modes of manufacture, products that redefine categories, and export successes that plant the flag in overseas markets. 

Discover the products, processes and ideas that are redefining British manufacturing on the global stage.

The Best of British Showcase, hosted at Smart Manufacturing Week 2026, brings together ground-breaking designs, pioneering manufacturing methods and export successes that proudly champion UK innovation. From world-first technologies to iconic engineering excellence, this is where Britain’s manufacturing story is told — boldly, credibly and at scale.

 

Innovation Alley

Innovation Alley

Innovation Alley is where the industry come to explore the future of manufacturing + engineering.

Designed as a focused innovation hub, it gives you direct access to early-stage technologies and the people building them, helping you uncover new ideas, solutions and opportunities.

  • See emerging technology first
    Explore innovations before they reach the mainstream market
  • Meet the innovators behind the ideas
    Speak directly with founders and technical experts
  • Find practical applications
    Discover solutions that can drive efficiency, productivity and growth
  • Gain a competitive edge
    Stay ahead by understanding what’s coming next
  • A curated innovation space
    A central, easy-to-navigate area designed for discovery
Wellbeing Area

Wellbeing Area

Step into a space designed to support both performance and wellbeing at Smart Manufacturing Week.

The Wellbeing Area brings together restorative experiences that help you recharge, refocus and stay at your best throughout the event. From our Calm Nest Space, offering a quiet retreat from the show floor, to a dedicated massage zone providing ‘pay what you can’ treatments, this is where productivity meets balance.

Whether you are looking to reset between meetings, ease physical tension or simply take a moment to pause, the Wellbeing Area ensures you can make the most of your time at the UK’s largest manufacturing and engineering event.

 

REGISTER NOW FOR 2026 AND JOIN THE FUTURE OF SMART MANUFACTURING + ENGINEERING

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