Manufacturing a Better World: IfM at Smart Manufacturing Week 2025

IP&E: Tell us about the IfM’s association with Smart Manufacturing Week?

DL: The IfM has been the Knowledge Partner for Smart Manufacturing Week for several years, providing research-driven content and insights. This year, we will have an exhibition stand and theatre space at the event, giving talks and masterclasses that explore IfM approaches and demonstrate their impact across topics such as innovation, sustainability, digital transformation and much more. My colleagues and I will be available if anyone wants to come and talk, whether it's about our research, how to collaborate with the Institute on a research basis, student projects, or other opportunities for engagement.  

IP&E: Are you doing anything different at Smart Manufacturing Week 2025?

DL: We are introducing several new strands of content this year. Firstly, Professor Tim Minshall, Head of IfM, has published a book titled Your Life is Manufactured, which he will discuss in a talk at the stand. Tim will share key insights and real-world case studies from the book. His talk aims to inspire manufacturers to tackle challenges and seize opportunities in innovation and sustainability. The book has received excellent reviews, with The Times describing it as ‘fascinating. ' Tim is a fantastic speaker, so we expect the talk to be busy!

We're also holding a session that will engage the STEM Programme called Digital Shoestring. It is the outcome of a project aimed at enhancing accessibility and lowering the cost of digital solutions for smaller manufacturers. Digital Shoestring enables manufacturers to build solutions using off-the-shelf components like Raspberry Pi and GoPro. They can use these products to support them with critical monitoring in factories, including air-time monitoring, job location tracking and scrap monitoring, all at a low cost. 

We are also working with further education institutions to support the rollout of these digital solutions, creating programmes for apprentices to work with companies in building solutions that provide useful insights and data. We recently had a fantastic example of this impact, where an apprentice from West Suffolk College saved £3.5k for Trox Engineering. At the SMW, we will provide FE colleges and students with an opportunity to explore how to get involved.

The third new thing we are doing at Smart Manufacturing Week is gathering support for the Global Industry Safety Manifesto. The manifesto defines a collective set of industry principles that use technology to address emerging and long-standing safety risks affecting workers across the globe. It promotes the safe adoption of technology in new industrial processes and highlights the need to support developing countries disproportionally affected by workplace accidents.

We’ll engage with people about how they can support the manifesto and share the vision for technology-enabled industrial safety, whether it's cobots, AI, or virtual headsets, to address both emerging and long-standing safety risks affecting workers around the world.

IP&E: ​IfM has been involved with the topic of women in manufacturing previously, are you addressing the subject again at this year’s event?

DL: With Innovate UK and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult we host the Women in Manufacturing: Changing Perceptions conference which is part of a wider initiative to drive positive change and improve gender representation in the manufacturing sector.  At Smart Manufacturing Week, we will be hosting a session to provide insights from activities associated with this initiative, including a report that highlights the scales of the challenge and provides concrete practical steps for manufacturers, industry associations and policymakers to effect positive change.

As part of the session, we will be providing a networking session over drinks, providing space for delegates to reflect on the insights, share experiences and make connections to build momentum and inspiration in this really important area. 

IP&E: ​What is IfM hoping to achieve with its tie up with Smart Manufacturing Week again this year? 

DL: Our focus is on engaging with the industry to make sure the research and solutions developed at the IfM have as wide an impact as possible. We aim to add as much value as possible to the sector, which is why we focus on events like these that help organisations and individuals build skills and capabilities. By participating in Smart Manufacturing Week, IfM reinforces its mission to ‘Manufacture a Better World,’ fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing to shape the future of the industry.

For more information: 

www.smartmanufacturingweek.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 8947 9177