EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Subcon: The Ideal Networking Opportunity

Attending the Subcon show (NEC, Birmingham, 4-5 June) offers numerous benefits, including the opportunity to discover new suppliers, see the latest innovations and attend insightful seminars. It is a key event for anyone involved in supply chain management and engineering. The exhibition offers several networking opportunities, including the ‘Subcon Party’, where visitors can meet and mingle with exhibitors, visitors and speakers in a relaxed and informal setting. Additionally, visitors can visit the networking lounge, a dedicated space for making connections and holding discussions with industry peers.

More information www.subconshow.co.uk

Subcon 2025 to open next week

Subcon 2025, the UK’s largest subcontract manufacturing supply chain show, will take place at the NEC in Birmingham on 4-5 June. The event is set to feature over 170 exhibitors and anticipates over 4000 visitors. This free-to-attend, two-day show is for manufacturing buyers from a broad spread of manufacturing sectors, including automotive, aerospace, defence, medical, energy, general engineering and more. 

Also at Subcon, more than 50 industry professionals will deliver free-to-attend panel discussions, presentations and practical workshops. Other highlights are set to include The Manufacturing Solutions Awards and the opportunity to race against a professional racing driver on a motorsport simulator.

More information www.subconshow.co.uk

Net-Zero Skills Boost

A new collective that is promising to accelerate the development of clean energy systems has welcomed a new member in a major skills boost for this emerging sector. The Clean Energy Systems Partner Alliance (CESPA), created to deliver a single-source solution for innovators and developers of green technology, has increased its ranks to seven specialists with the arrival of Verciti. Expert in the delivery of immersive net-zero training, the company believes it can help bridge the skills gap for industry by providing access to VR and AR courses covering hydrogen, power electronics, machines and drives, and hazardous voltage.

More information www.cespa.org.uk

Kuka names new CEO

Christoph Schell has been appointed as the CEO of robot specialist Kuka. On 1 July, the current technology manager and CCO of Intel will succeed Peter Mohnen, who is leaving the company at his own request. Schell has already been a member of the Kuka Supervisory Board and chairman of the Board’s Strategy and Technology Committee since the beginning of 2023. He is therefore already familiar with the company and its global business. He says: “Kuka’s growth prospects will change the world of work and daily life through the interplay of robotics, automation and AI. It’s an honour for me to drive this forward.”

More information www.kuka.com

Amazon delivers artistry in engineering 

Grace Peckett, a mechatronics apprentice at Amazon, has been announced as the winner of this year’s Enginuity Skills Awards Trophy Design Competition. Part of the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) Training Apprenticeship Programme, Peckett’s design will be manufactured by automation specialist FANUC and presented to winners at the Enginuity Skills Awards 2025 in July. The MTC and FANUC, both supporters of the Enginuity Skills Awards 2025, partnered with Enginuity to run this trophy design competition, which invites UK apprentices to create a trophy that reflects the spirit of modern engineering. 

More information https://enginuity.org/skills-awards-2025