WELCOME

Lanna Deamer l.deamer@hennikgroup.com

Picture this: a symbolic baton is being passed from Joe Bush to Tom St John, and with a confident grasp, it's now in my hands. As the new bearer of this imaginary, yet symbolic torch, it's my turn to take the lead and kickoff this issue with some opening thoughts. The stage is set, the anticipation is high and I'm ready to deliver an engaging start that will hopefully leave you wanting more.

Firstly, a big thank you to those who joined us at our sixth Industrial Data Summit in Birmingham at the end of April. The day brought together a diverse group of experts from the sector for a day full of thought-provoking conversations. One of the highlights was a keynote delivered by Kat Dixon, Analytics Business Partner at Babcock International, on the importance of fostering a strong digital culture, where technology is harnessed to encourage collaboration, improve efficiency and enable data-driven decisions. As Kat reminded us, it’s ultimately people who will make the difference.

As so eloquently presented during Industrial Data Summit, by our Director, Henry Anson, we’ve a range of events coming up very soon; some of you may even be reading this at one of them. Manufacturing and Engineering Week 2023 is fast approaching and the week promises to be a festival of industrial innovation, with Design Engineering Expo, Drives & Controls, Maintec and of course, Smart Factory Expo all taking place under one roof. Not only will these be incorporated but The Manufacturer team will once again be delivering SME Growth Summit, Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit as well as celebrating ten years of The Manufacturer Top 100. Truly a week not to be missed!

In the ever-changing world of business, the adoption of digital technologies has become essential for manufacturers to succeed. By utilising these tools, manufacturers can improve their operational efficiency, increase customer satisfaction and foster innovation, thereby gaining a competitive edge. Ashley Oulton, Conference Programme Manager at The Manufacturer looks ahead to Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit taking place in Birmingham on June 7-8 as part of Manufacturing and Engineering Week 2023. See page 14.

As always, the editorial team has been out and about visiting the very best of UK manufacturers and we’ve got two more factory visits and a fun day out in South Wales to tell you about. In April, leading manufacturer of measuring and production systems, Renishaw, celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Manufacturer Editor, Joe Bush, paid a visit to the company’s Miskin site to find out more about the company’s evolution.

Long time supporters of The Manufacturer MX Awards, and winner of The Manufacturer of the Year 2021, we thought it was finally time to pay Lander Tubular Products a visit at their Birmingham site. With over 140 years of history and experience since William Lander started manufacturing household wire formed goods in his attic back in 1881, the company has grown and transformed beyond his wildest dreams. See page 32.

I look forward to seeing many of you at Manufacturing and Engineering Week, please do stop by The Manufacturer Studio and say hello!

D E C @TheManufacturer