Drives & Controls March 2022

46 n SHOW PREVIEW March 2022 www.drivesncontrols.com Make tracks for Mach R unning alongside the Drives & Controls Show and its co-located events will be the Manufacturing Technologies Association’s Mach 22 manufacturing technologies exhibition. The MTA reports that more than 90% of the show’s exhibition space had already been allocated two months before the doors open, adding that this is “clear evidence that the UK engineering community is eager to demonstrate its ambitions to emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever”. “Mach is the national manufacturing and engineering show, and as a content-led event it brings together the latest advanced engineering and manufacturing technologies in operation, and all under one roof,” says MTA CEO, James Selka. “It will be perfect place for manufacturers to come and view the best new machines on the market. “The impetus we have seen in the manufacturing sector of late is clear evidence of the intention amongst the engineering community to demonstrate its resilience and to show exactly why the confidence surrounding the sector is not misplaced,” he adds. “There is a clear appetite to do business, as well as a desire to restore the manufacturing industries to their rightful place within the UK economy. For 2022, there are extra incentives in place for manufacturers looking to invest in the latest technologies – in particular, the Super Deduction tax initiative that the Chancellor announced last year. Running until 31 March 2023, the scheme allows companies investing in qualifying new plant and machinery to claim a 130% capital allowance on their investment, plus a 50% first-year allowance for qualifying special-rate assets. The scheme cuts companies’ tax bills by up to 25p for every £1 they invest. It is aimed at jump-starting the manufacturing sector as it bounces back from the pandemic-induced doldrums. “With Mach 2022 falling right in the middle of the scheme’s two-year window, the timing of the show could not be better,” says Selka. “Bringing forward capital investment decisions to the present will enable the industry to bounce back from the effects of the pandemic far quicker.” The MTA is collaborating with other associations in the manufacturing sector, several of which are taking pavilions to promote their own messages. For example, the Metalforming Machinery Makers’ Association (MMMA) will have one of the largest pavilions to the NEC, representing the needs of the metal-working sector. In this way, says the MTA, Mach is not just a showcase for the manufacturing technologies sector, but a celebration of the whole manufacturing sector. It will cover themes such as the development of the digital factory, connected manufacturing processes, power by the hour and the cost-efficiency. Another important theme at Mach will be the drive towards net-zero. Decarbonisation is predicted to be one of the major growth opportunities for the manufacturing sector in the coming decades. The show will also focus on new opportunities for the manufacturing supply chain. The MTA believes a more sustainable approach to UK supply chains, with more intelligent sourcing of products from within the UK will benefit the economy. To tap into this, it is launching a new event called The Engineering Supply Chain Show, which will run alongside the main exhibition, and allow engineering and manufacturing buyers to meet suppliers that are focussing on the UK engineering and manufacturing supply chain. Visitors to Mach will be able to optimise their show experience using a new online tool called the Map Your Show Planner. It will allow them to filter product types, and to save favourite exhibitors, speakers and content to create a personal show planner. They can even contact exhibitors directly before the show. The MTA asserts that no other manufacturing event brings together so many key decision-makers across a five-day period, and no other event of its kind can attract more than 20,000 trade visitors with purchasing power looking for new suppliers and products, and seeking to network and form new business relationships. n The Mach manufacturing technologies exhibition, which runs next to the Drives & Controls Show, is expected to attract more than 20,000 visitors. It hopes to tap into the Government’s Super Deduction initiative that allows manufacturers to cut their tax bills by up to 25p for every £1 they invest. SHOW FACTS Where: NEC, Birmingham When: Monday 4 April – Friday 8 April 9.00–17.00 on first four days; 9.00-16.00 on last day Web site: www.machexhibition.com