Events

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics speaker lineup confirmed

Posted 2 February 2026

Taking place 3rd to 5th February at Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre, Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2026 is presenting a speaker programme alongside free-to-attend, CPD-accredited seminars, bringing together industry leaders, tech experts and manufacturers to address industry challenges and deliver practical insight, strategic perspective and real-world learning.

Image courtesy Easyfairs

The programme will kick off on Tuesday 3rd February, with a keynote speech from Stephen Phipson, CEO of Make UK. This will be a 60-minute overview of the current manufacturing landscape and upcoming opportunities for those in the industry.

Over the three days, visitors can hear from speakers representing leading organisations including Siemens, Rolls-Royce, Renishaw, Airbus and Sourceability, as well as other technical specialists and solution providers. Sessions will explore topics ranging from electronics design and manufacturing scalability to supply chain resilience, sustainability and advanced automation. Presentations such as 'The Journey Towards Sustainable Electronics', 'Mitigating Knowledge Loss and Component Unavailability' and 'Agentic AI – Automating the Mundane', are designed to offer actionable takeaways that attendees can apply directly within their organisations.

The seminar programme will be split across two separate conferences. The Manufacturing Conference will explore topics including process optimisation, operational excellence and digital transformation. Meanwhile, the Electronics and Semiconductors conference will focus on the latest innovations driving the industry, including the impact of automation and Industry 4.0 and cutting-edge technologies, such as additive manufacturing.

“This year, we’re looking forward to welcoming some of the biggest names in manufacturing and electronics, including Siemens, Rolls-Royce and other high-profile partners,” explained Simon Farnfield, portfolio director at Easyfairs, organiser of Southern Manufacturing & Electronics. “Today, our industry is facing some of its toughest challenges, whether it’s skills shortages, reduced productivity or digital transformations. We wanted a seminar programme that would address these issues head-on.

“We wanted this year’s event to bring together industry leaders and technical experts, giving our visitors practical insights they can take back to their businesses,” added Farnfield. “Now more than ever, the focus is on actionable learning that supports long-term resilience, innovation and growth.”

With expert speakers, in-depth sessions and a programme focused on industry needs, Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2026 offers visitors the opportunity to combine strategic learning with hands-on discovery across the show floor.