At Smart Factory Expo (4-5 June 2025, NEC Birmingham), industrial automation specialist FANUC UK hailed the importance of nurturing a robust supply chain to secure the future of UK manufacturing. In a presentation at the event’s Automation and Robotics Theatre, FANUC UK’s Head of Sales, Oliver Selby, said that a successful manufacturing sector needs to have ‘automation at its heart’, and that co-operation, joined up thinking and partnerships between all stakeholders is key to achieving this.
Developing an automation ecosystem
“It’s imperative that manufacturers get the right automation solution for their needs, at the right price, and with the right payback,” stated Oliver. “Key to derisking automation investment is building strong partnerships between everyone in the manufacturing ecosystem. At FANUC, we work with a variety of both horizontal and vertical partners – from end-users, tier suppliers and automation solution providers in the vertical, to academic institutions, trade organisations and even venture capital firms in the horizontal. This ultimately enhances the offering we can give to our customers in the form of niche products and systems that exactly meet their needs; favourable pricing and servicing agreements; and wider support such as R&D and training. By developing our resource capacity and capability in this way, the process of investing in automation is considerably derisked for manufacturers who can leverage the experience of not just FANUC, but the wider automation community.”
LIVE WorldSkills UK qualifiers
FANUC’s commitment to nurturing a strong automation pipeline is further in evidence through their partnership with WorldSkills. The Industrial Robotics live qualifying competition for the UK is taking place across the two days of the show, and sees 12 teams of two young robotics programmers contest for a place in the national final in November. Following training and support from FANUC’s technical team, the contestants are tasked with programming a robot to perform a pick and place application, similar to what industry might deploy. The teams are judged not just on their programming skills, accuracy and speed, but also on softer skills such as organisation, teamwork and documentation.
“Every year, the talent on display at WorldSkills UK gets stronger and stronger,” says Oliver. “It is an honour to partner with this initiative and to know we are helping to develop the next generation of robotics engineers.”
Automation in action
The theme of partnerships also extends to FANUC’s stand (5/F40), where the company is showcasing the expertise of five of its key partners:
- A robot palletising system from Reeco, ideal for factories where space is limited, using a FANUC CRX 20ia/L robot;
- A flexible, modular automation solution from Expert Technologies Group, perfect for taping and glueing applications;
- The Soldmatic welding training solution from Cyber-Weld, seen as vital in upskilling the future workforce required to deliver the government’s defence plans;
- An industrial laser system from Cyan-Tec;
- And expert guidance on how to safely employ industrial robots for collaborative applications from Cobots & Machinery Safety.
“FANUC is delighted to have so many of our key partners here with us at Smart Factory Expo, which once again is proving itself to be a real highlight of the manufacturing calendar,” states Oliver. “By working together, we hope to demonstrate to UK manufacturers the many benefits that automation can bring, including increased efficiency, a solution to the ongoing labour crisis, and reduced energy costs.”
Manufacturing & Engineering Magazine | The Home of Manufacturing Industry News
