The MTA expands support to the engineering-based manufacturing sector

The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) has expanded its support to the engineering-based manufacturing sector with the formation of a new cluster of trade associations and events. The move has seen the Engineering Industries Association (EIA) and Additive Manufacturing UK (AMUK) join the MTA portfolio to create a unique alliance dedicated to promoting excellence in the field of engineering-based manufacturing.

Combining with MACH, the UK’s national event for inspiring, innovating and connecting manufacturing, and the new Engineering Supply Chain Show, the cluster represents a united front, dedicated to furthering the interests of engineering-based manufacturing in the UK, in turn boosting business opportunities for UK manufacturers.

The MTA is the UK’s trade association for companies in the engineering based manufacturing technologies sector. MTA members provide the advanced machinery, equipment and software that enable the creation of all the products we rely on from day to day, helping to drive the UK economy.

As a not-for-profit organisation, the MTA exists to promote the interests and be the voice of the engineering-based manufacturing technologies sector in the UK.

The EIA, which now falls under the MTA umbrella, is focused on helping the UK’s engineering supply chain promote their capability, capacity and expertise to manufacturers seeking to source high quality precision sub-contracting products and services from UK-based suppliers, at home and overseas.

AMUK is the UK’s only trade association for Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing businesses. It now sits within the MTA portfolio with the specific aim of promoting Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing technology, helping to accelerate the adoption of this technology in the UK.

The MACH exhibition is the UK’s only live, national event showcasing sustainable, innovative technologies used across the manufacturing spectrum. Attracting an audience of more than 26,000 people to meet and network with around 500 exhibitors, business attributed to the event in 2022 amounted to more than £180m.

The creation of the Engineering Supply Chain Show in 2022 provided a dedicated event for EIA members. This new show, co-located alongside MACH in 2024, is where engineering and manufacturing buyers go to find world-class suppliers, exclusively in the UK engineering and manufacturing supply chain.

Commenting on the development of the new cluster, James Selka DL, Chief Executive Officer at the Manufacturing Technologies Association said: “The MTA has been at the core of the UK’s engineering-based manufacturing economy for over a century. The development of this new cluster of associations and events, under the umbrella brand of the MTA, is designed to improve business and trade in the UK. Being owned by the industry, for the benefit of the industry, our primary aim is to help and support the sector we represent to do business, boosting the UK’s manufacturing performance and enabling UK PLC to compete at a global level.”

The UK’s aspiration to be a global leader in advanced and digital manufacturing is creating plenty of opportunities for growth in the engineering-based manufacturing sector. As James Selka explains, the new cluster, led by the MTA, is perfectly placed to help members take advantage; “By forming this cluster, the MTA now represents manufacturing technology suppliers and the engineering-based manufacturers who use the technology. Our unique offering promotes advanced and digital manufacturing principles that ensure more versatility, precision and productivity while using less raw materials and less energy in the process.”

James Selka continues; “The circle is complete with MACH, the UK’s national event for showcasing manufacturing technology and the Engineering Supply Chain Show where engineering and manufacturing buyers can find subcontract and supply chain companies with capacity. The new cluster will work together to deliver for UK PLC in an ever changing world that demands increasingly complex solutions.”

MACH 2024 takes place at the NEC in Birmingham between 15-19th April 2024, with the ESC Show taking place alongside it between 16-18th April.