Machinery & Manufacturing | Issue 11 | Sept/Oct 2023

Front cover focus

automation innovations. Attendees will also learn from peers and colleagues about the difference that automation has made to their operation, such as increasing efficiency, cutting costs and alleviating staff shortages. Insight from industry influencers Leading names from the world of manufacturing, engineering and automation will take to the stage across the three days, sharing their knowledge, experience and insight with hundreds of attendees. Influential thought leaders including FANUC UK’s MD Tom Bouchier, Stuart Whitehead of the Jefferson Group, new President & CEO of FANUC EU Marco Ghirardello and Phil Hadfield from Rockwell Automation, as well as leading UK manufacturers, will take part in a series of panel discussions, live debates and presentations on the industry’s most pressing topics. Day 1 will focus on the future of UK manufacturing, looking at barriers to future growth, the role that robotics and automation can play in boosting productivity, and the latest

technology to ease production and labour headaches. Day 2 is devoted to sustainability, including ways to ease the transition to net zero and innovations to encourage energy efficiency across all facets of the manufacturing supply chain. Day 3 sees attention turn to education and ways to inspire the next generation of engineers. As well as the LIVE UK final of the WorldSkills Industrial Robotics competition, visitors can also hear first-hand testimonials from current apprentices about engineering as a career path. “At FANUC, we understand the disparate pressures affecting manufacturers today – from rising energy and material costs to ever-increasing sustainability targets and the difficulties in recruiting both skilled and unskilled labour,” says FANUC UK MD, Tom Bouchier. “By shining a spotlight on these issues and bringing together leading industry names to debate ways to address them, we hope to unite the manufacturing community and advance awareness of the numerous benefits that automation can bring.”

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