Technology has been present in our lives since the origin of humanity. From the discovery of fire and the first utensils carved in stone we have advanced, through the centuries, to the latest findings in robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Advanced Manufacturing, a prestigious biannual meeting that will be held for the first time at the Fira-Gran Via venue in Barcelona on September 13 and 14, will be a magnificent opportunity to confirm that, although today we have tremendously sophisticated tools, the creative spirit and The search for constant progress that motivated the first settlers on the planet remains intact.
During these two days, Barcelona will become the largest meeting place to discover the most innovative solutions in equipment for metal processing, industrial components, additive manufacturing (the set of technologies that allow building objects in 3D), connected industry (that that benefits from the advantages of digitalization), engineering, materials, surface treatment, quality controls, subcontracting or product testing. It will, therefore, be an excellent opportunity for companies and professionals in the sector to meet with the most prominent suppliers, experts and advisors, and also for them to find the ideal products and services to improve and grow their businesses.
“The celebration of Advanced Manufacturing Barcelona is a commitment to Catalonia, a key region in the development of the industry. After fifteen editions in Madrid, we are excited to inaugurate a new meeting point for companies, experts and leaders in the sector, so that they can learn about the latest trends, technologies and solutions in the industry. We are sure that the first edition will be a success to continue promoting innovation and development in the sector,” comments Oscar Barranco, general director of Easyfairs Iberia.
This major reference event in the industrial sector will have two large sections: MetalBarcelona, ??focused on manufacturing, machining and metal processing; and Robomática Barcelona, ??which will concentrate the main developments in automation, industrial robotics and their applications, bringing together all those companies interested in making the transition towards the Smart Factory. In total, more than 200 prestigious brands will be present in some 8,000 square meters dedicated to live demonstrations, networking activities and a technological conference in which several workshops will be held and success stories will be presented.
The Tech Congress 4.0 will offer specialized and free content, dedicated to the most disruptive topics that we can currently find in the sector. Among the programming, the round tables dedicated to addressing the challenges of young talent in the industry and professional training, or the management of innovation projects in the 21st century, stand out. José Luis Casal, expert in digital business models, entrepreneur and “learner” (as he likes to define himself), will offer a keynote session on the impact of technologies on our lives with a stimulating as well as provocative title: “We are all fired … or not?”.
The round table titled “Cybersecurity in industrial digitalization. Lessons learned” will feature experts from prestigious companies such as Abertis, Accenture, Rockwell Automation, Elecnor and CCI, who will present their experiences and the way in which they have prepared for the challenges that the digital world imposes. Laia Garriga, an industrial engineer who for years has been carrying out outstanding work at Eurecat Technological Center of Catalonia, for her part, will address the applications in the Artificial Intelligence industry, talking about practical cases, challenges and the vision of the future that is needed to benefit from the advantages that technology offers.
In “How challenges are being faced in the field of sustainability to meet the 2030 agenda”, Guillem Bargalló, head of Sustainability at IKEA Catalunya, and Violeta Costa, Global Sustainability Environment Manager at GBFoods, will talk with Romina Vallés, journalist at La Vanguardia, on what companies can do in the fight against current environmental challenges. And the round table dedicated to “Deep Tech applied to the field of automation and robotics” will feature top-level guests who will talk about the usefulness of tools such as Big Data, AI or Deep Learning to promote innovation in companies in the industrial sector.
The Surface conference, organized by AIAS (Association of Surface Finishing Industries), will be dedicated to the present and future of surface treatments, where the issue of sustainability will play a prominent role. And there will be talks on other topics of great interest to the sector, with titles such as “Hypercompetitive automotive ecosystems: towards the 100% technological and connected company” or “The fundamental pillars of industrial automation: from life-science to e-mobility ”.
Likewise, Innovation Tours will be held, in one-hour tours, which will allow companies to expressly present, in just 5 minutes, their latest innovations to visitors registered for the tour. Another tour with the same length, Lives! Demo Machinery will serve to learn first-hand about the latest contributions in the field of machine tools (the type of machines used to shape solid parts, mainly steel products and their derivatives), through brief demonstrations. , also 5 minutes. The objective is for the meeting to expand knowledge and also for companies to organize their agenda, consulting the list of exhibitors in advance, to establish relevant contacts.
To all of the above, we must add the Advanced Manufacturing Awards, awards intended to grant well-deserved recognition to those companies that are part of the industrial fabric, and that stand out for their desire to create products and solutions of an innovative nature, which can be useful to improve any phase of a company’s value chain, contributing to increasing its efficiency, connectivity or sustainability. During this event the finalists for the award will be announced and the jury evaluation process will begin. Finally, the delivery ceremony will take place at the November edition of Advanced Manufacturing Madrid.
This meeting, which takes place twice a year, in Barcelona and Madrid, has already become the most important event for professionals in the industrial sector, such as industrial, mechanical and electrical engineers; responsible for purchasing, production, operations, development and R&D; and general directors of companies who wish to be up to date with the latest developments in fields such as automation and robotics, connected manufacturing, composites (materials made up of two or more components), welding, surface treatment, measurements, inspection, quality and testing, components for machinery, PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) or machine tools, among others.