The competition will conclude at this year’s exhibition, the theme of which is ‘be inspired by innovation’, where eight finalists will present their technological innovations to a panel of judges at the NEC, Birmingham.
Advanced Engineering is the largest annual engineering event, bringing together leading businesses, organisations and figures from the UK’s engineering and manufacturing industry, and will take place on 2nd and 3rd November 2022.
The finalists will be given a stand in the Enabling Innovation Zone, allowing them to interact with similar businesses and present their ideas to around 7,000 attendees.
As part of the competition, the finalists will showcase their technology to a panel of judges, made up of industry and sector leaders, in the Connected Manufacturing forum. This forum is a high-traffic area and will allow the start-ups to connect with a range of businesses in different sectors including automotive, aerospace, composites and Industry 4.0.
The winner of the Enabling Innovation competition be announced at the end of the show and will not only win a trophy but will also gain a free full-sized stand with a branded plinth and marketing at Advanced Engineering 2023.
“Winning the Enabling Innovation Award for our disruptive rocket thruster technology last year has been fantastic,” explained Matt Escott, CEO and co-founder of Protolaunch, winner of Enabling Innovation 2021. “Showcasing as part of the Enabling Innovation start-up zone at Advanced Engineering allowed us to make new relationships with potential customers and suppliers alike and the event has played a noticeable role in the growth of our business.”
“The Advanced Engineering show is the perfect venue for this kind of innovation pitching event,” explained Gerald Law, chief executive of Innovation DB and one of last year’s judges. “We’re surrounded by established, well-honed companies that have a great tradition in manufacturing and developing products, which shows the prospects of where these new start-ups could end up.”
Enabling Innovation is supported once again by leading innovation partners, including the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), Innovation DB, Innovate UK and Startups Magazine. These partners will help promote the zone to start-ups throughout the UK that are eager to accelerate and commercialise their innovation into the advanced manufacturing and technology industries.
Advanced Engineering attracts thousands of visitors every year across each of the show’s zones. The zones span aerospace, composites, automotive, metals, space and satellite, connected manufacturing and, new for this year, product testing and quality control. The size of the show provides start-ups with access to a range of OEMs and supply chain partners to meet and network with.
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