Advanced Engineering, the UK’s largest engineering and manufacturing exhibition, is expanding its Enabling Innovation competition following high demand in recent years. The annual contest is open to all SMEs and start-ups looking for a chance to showcase their innovations for free at the country’s largest meeting of engineering and manufacturing professionals. The competition will culminate with presentations on the main stage at this year’s show, which takes place on 30-31 October at the NEC, Birmingham.
Each finalist will have its own exhibition space in the Enabling Innovation Zone, open to over 9,000 visitors for the duration of the show. This popular exhibition area connects start-ups with valuable networking opportunities across booming sectors, including automotive, aerospace, composites and Industry 4.0. On the second day of the show, contestants will present their innovations on the main stage, with the winner chosen by a panel of industry experts.
The winner will be awarded a free full-size stand for
Advanced Engineering 2025, plus marketing opportunities. The marketing for the finalists will extend throughout the year, encompassing email campaigns, video interviews, social media exposure, press releases and a dedicated page on the
Advanced Engineering website under the Enabling Innovation section.
Chris Horton, managing director of last year’s winner, OxDrive, a provider of e-hubs for electric off-highway vehicles operating in demanding environments, said: “It is incredible to win. We are looking forward to investing the prize in research and development to develop our products further. The show has been fantastic for us — it is the first time we have exhibited and we had lots of interest and great feedback.”
Another previous winner,
iCOMAT, has returned to
Advanced Engineering as an exhibitor each year since it won the competition in 2019. The Enabling Innovation initiative receives support from leading innovation partners,
Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN),
Innovation DB and
Innovate UK. These organisations work with start-ups throughout the UK, offering them the means to accelerate and commercialise their innovations in the advanced manufacturing and technology sectors.
Drawing in thousands of visitors each year,
Advanced Engineering attracts visitors and exhibitors from various sectors, including aerospace, composites, automotive, metals, space and satellite and connected manufacturing.
Further details and the application form for Enabling Innovation can be found
here. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to present at
Advanced Engineering 2024. For more information about
Advanced Engineering 2024 and to register for attendance, visit the website
here.