Smart Manufacturing Week at the NEC Birmingham is one of the UK's largest gatherings of manufacturers, engineers and technology vendors - and this year we decided to see it for ourselves. Spread across multiple co-located expos (Smart Factory Expo, Design + Engineering, Drives + Controls, MAINTEC and more), the event draws thousands of attendees and hundreds of exhibitors across two days. As a company that helps manufacturers automate operations and secure their infrastructure, it felt like the right room to be in.
Here's what we found on the show floor.
Arriving at Hall 5 - the scale of the event is immediately apparent.
A Festival of Manufacturing, Not Just a Trade Show
The organisers describe SMW as a "festival of advanced manufacturing and engineering" and, having walked the halls, that framing is accurate. This was not a quiet conference-centre affair. The show floor was loud, lit up, and packed with exhibitors competing hard for attention. Alongside the serious technology stands - robotics, ERP, remote monitoring, digital twin platforms - there were mariachi bands weaving through the aisles, LED disco-ball performers, a driveable VW Beetle branded up as a demo vehicle, and a full robot combat arena courtesy of Accu FightFest.
It created an odd but effective energy. You could be mid-conversation about OT network segmentation and then turn around to find Sir Killalot from Robot Wars bearing down on you. More on that shortly.
The Digital Transformation Theatre
One of the more useful parts of the event for us was the Digital Transformation Theatre within the Smart Factory Expo, sponsored by Epicor and produced by The Manufacturer. The session we caught covered practical digital transformation for manufacturers - specifically how resilience shows up in outcomes rather than tools, and how platforms increasingly need to be designed around operational rather than financial data. The content was pitched at decision-makers rather than technical implementers, which made it accessible without being thin.
The themes echoed what we hear from manufacturing clients directly: too many tools, not enough joined-up process. Agentic AI has a genuine role to play here - not replacing systems, but providing a coordination layer that surfaces the right information to the right person without manual chasing. We came away with a clearer sense of where those conversations are landing with plant managers and operations leads.
Accu FightFest - Robot Combat on the Show Floor
One of SMW's newer additions is the Accu FightFest arena, tucked into a dedicated section of the hall. Purpose-built combat robots - designed and built by engineers, students and hobbyists - competed in an enclosed arena while teams made live adjustments in the pit area alongside. It sat in an interesting space between entertainment, engineering showcase and STEM demonstration.
The highlight on the day was a replica of Sir Killalot from Robot Wars: 520kg, tracked drive, two 1kW electric motors, and a claw-and-lance weapon configuration that takes up considerably more floor space than you expect. The placard confirmed construction began in earnest in March 2025 and was visually complete just hours before its first outing in November 2025. That turnaround is a story in itself.
The pit area (SMW12 below) gave a useful view of the operational side - Beckhoff automation controlling arena functions, teams debugging between bouts, and a genuinely engaged crowd watching over the barriers. It also served as a subtle demonstration of industrial control systems in an accessible context, which is no accident.
The pit area - robot teams working alongside Beckhoff-controlled arena systems.
Robotics on the Show Floor
Beyond the combat arena, the wider show floor had a strong robotics presence. The T1NY robot - a tracked mobile platform with a full articulated arm - was one of the more eye-catching exhibits, combining industrial-grade mobility with an aesthetic that would not look out of place in a film prop department.
The T1NY robot - tracked mobility with a full articulated arm.
The VW Beetle on the Drives + Controls floor (labelled "Partners in Motion") made a different kind of point - that industrial motion control is the same engineering discipline whether you are driving a conveyor, a robot or a road vehicle. It drew a crowd and communicated a product message without a single slide deck.
A VW Beetle making the case for motion control on the Drives + Controls floor.
What We Took Away
Smart Manufacturing Week confirmed a few things we already suspected and surfaced a couple we didn't. The appetite for automation in manufacturing is real and growing, but many businesses are still at the scoping stage - aware of the opportunity, unsure where to start. The conversations happening at events like this are an early signal of where procurement decisions will follow.
The cyber security angle is underrepresented at shows like this. Connected machinery, remote access platforms and OT networks were everywhere on the show floor, but security was rarely the headline. That gap is exactly where SME Cyber Solutions operates - helping manufacturers think about protection before an incident forces the conversation.
If you are involved in manufacturing operations and are weighing up agentic AI, automation or cyber security for your business, we'd welcome the conversation.
Footage from the Day
We captured some short video from the show floor. See below for a quick look at the atmosphere.
Photo Gallery
A few more shots from across the two halls.
Thinking about AI or cyber security for your manufacturing business?
SME Cyber Solutions works with manufacturers on agentic AI automation, penetration testing and Cyber Essentials. Get in touch to start a conversation, or explore our services.