From 3–5 February 2026, Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2026 returned to Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre for its best-attended edition in its 29-year history. The show welcomed 10,722 visitors and 571 exhibitors, representing a 5.6 per cent year-on-year increase in visitor attendance.
To mark the opening of the exhibition, attendees on the first day viewed a pre-recorded address from Chris McDonald, Minister for Industry in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). McDonald discussed the importance of manufacturing and engineering to the UK economy, as well as the role of innovation in driving future growth.
This set the tone for the event, with visitors able to engage directly with exhibitors and assess options for future investment. Several exhibitors stood out on the show floor, including first-time exhibitor MPE Electronics, which showcased its high-reliability contract electronics manufacturing services across PCB assembly and full box build. Newbury Electronics also attracted strong interest by demonstrating its fully in-house, end-to-end electronics manufacturing capability, showing how integrated design, fabrication, assembly and testing supports requirements across multiple sectors.
Alongside this, major names including Sony, Panasonic, Matsuura and Mazak were also on the show floor. This added to the scale of the event and helped to position Southern Manufacturing as the go-to meeting place for the UK’s manufacturing and engineering community.
Visitor Andre Oliveira, from McLaren Automotive, said, “I’ve had some really good conversations, I managed to get what I needed by speaking directly with suppliers and seeing their capabilities. Trade shows are important, because there’s sometimes a gap in know-how when it comes to properly transferring knowledge and information.”
“We’re currently looking at a revamp of our tool room, so I attended the show to see what new machining platforms are available,” commented another visitor Jarrett Cowell, Manufacturing Services Manager at Rolls-Royce “Trade shows are a good opportunity to see all of these companies in one place, otherwise doing it throughout the year would be really heavy on us.”
What’s more, the seminar programme attracted a number of attendees, featuring a full schedule of free-to-attend, CPD-accredited sessions delivered across two theatres. Sessions explored topics including digital transformation, supply chain resilience, sustainability, process optimisation and advanced manufacturing, with an emphasis on practical insight and real-world implementation.
Among the speakers was Stephen Phipson, CEO of Make UK, who delivered an overview of the manufacturing landscape. His presentation examined the pressures facing UK manufacturers, alongside the opportunities available to SMEs through innovation and long-term investment.
Over the three days, visitors also heard from speakers representing leading organisations including Siemens, Rolls-Royce, Renishaw, Airbus and Sourceability, alongside a range of technical specialists and solution providers.
“This year’s event really showed the appetite across the industry for practical, solutions-focused discussion,” said Simon Farnfield, Portfolio Director at Easyfairs, the organiser of Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2026.
“Our aim has always been to create an event that delivers genuine value, whether that’s through hands-on access to suppliers, expert insight from the seminar programme or the opportunity to assess new solutions in one place. The feedback we received over the three days shows that Southern Manufacturing & Electronics supports informed decision-making across the sector.”
In addition, the show was supported by headline sponsors Syn-Star, The Electronics Group and CDT / TTiL / Siemens, all of whom were represented on the exhibition floor. Their presence put focus on applied technology and solutions designed to support manufacturers across the production lifecycle.
The Global Electronics Association also hosted two skills competitions. This included the IPC Hand Soldering Competition, judged to IPC-A-610 Class 3 standards, and the Cable & Wire Harness Competition, held for the first time in Europe and assessed to IPC/WHMA-A-620 requirements.
Justyna Mikolajczyk, Production Technician at Zettlex/Novanta, won the IPC Hand Soldering Competition with 882 out of 887 points, earning the UK Champion 2026 title and an invitation to the World Championships held at Electronica in Munich this November. Meanwhile, Adam Fidura, Electronics Expert & Systems Test at Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology, won the first ever Cable & Wire Harness Competition at the show, scoring 405/500 points.
“It feels fantastic to win again for the sixth consecutive year,” explained Justyna. “It’s incredibly rewarding and I’m really grateful for all the prizes and everything that goes into making the competition possible. The show is excellent, it gets better every year, and it’s been great to meet so many fantastic people from across the industry.”
Southern Manufacturing & Electronics is returning 2-4 February 2027, at Farnborough International Exhibition Centre. You can register your interest or book your stand today by visiting the exhibition’s website.
