Drives & Controls gets the green light to go ahead

In addition the subcontract manufacturing show Subcon, The Engineer Expo and the Manufacturing Management Show, will also join the co-location of events, which together will be the largest manufacturing event of 2021 and potentially in a generation.

The events will take over eight halls of the NEC and are expected to attract many thousands of visitors, who will be able to access all of the events. The previous DFA Media co-location of events in 2018 attracted more than 13,500 visitors, while more than 23,100 attended the MACH event.

UK manufacturing is now entering a period of recovery from the lockdown period, and January will be a unique opportunity to present technologies, innovations and solutions in a recovering market that will be eager to take advantage of the lessons learnt over the last few months but also the opportunities that lie ahead.

Ian Atkinson, Managing Director of DFA Media, organiser of the co-location of events, commented: “January 2021 will be a pivotal period for UK manufacturing, therefore Drives & Controls and the co-location of events will be a unique opportunity to help manufacturers source the technologies an strategies they need to help them both recover and take advantage of all the opportunities available to them as well as to celebrate UK manufacturing and engineering’s ingenuity and hard work in the battle against COVID-19.”

Ultimately UK businesses are pivoting and seeking growth opportunities in new markets as they seek ways of overcoming the COVID-19 crisis, and it is clear that automation and digitalisation, both of production and of business processes, can no longer be regarded as ‘nice to have’ innovations, they will be central to many firms’ survival.

Digitalisation is at the heart of all these strategies as it will make the impossible affordable. In addition plant, asset and maintenance management; compressed air technologies; and fluid power and systems, are critical to the smooth running of the production process, and the on-going manufacturing recovery will rely on these essential technologies and services.

All the latest technological innovations to help ensure UK manufacturing takes advantage of all the opportunities available to help them succeed in a post COVID-19 world will be on display throughout Drives & Controls, Smart Industry Expo, Fluid Power & Systems, Plant & Asset Management, and Air-Tech Exhibitions.

Image credit: Drives & Controls - The photograph was taken at the DFA Media co-location of events in 2018.