The Smart Manufacturing Forum 2026

Flagship Event

Location

London, UK

(London Canary Wharf or equivalent flagship venue)

Why is this event being held?

Manufacturing leaders are under unprecedented pressure to modernise operations while managing cost, resilience, security, sustainability, and workforce change. Technologies such as AI, advanced analytics, automation, digital twins, and connected supply chains are no longer optional, but turning them into measurable business performance remains a challenge.

The Smart Manufacturing Forum is The CXO Circle’s flagship annual event, designed to bring senior manufacturing, technology, data, and security leaders together under one roof to move beyond theory and explore what smart manufacturing looks like in practice.

This is not a technology showcase. It is a leadership-led forum focused on how organisations are actually transforming manufacturing environments at scale.

What the Forum will cover

The day is structured around keynotes, panel discussions, and curated roundtables, enabling both strategic insight and peer-level exchange. Core themes include:

• Scaling smart manufacturing initiatives across plants and regions
• AI and advanced analytics in production, quality, and maintenance
• Data foundations required for automation and real-time decision making
• OT and IT convergence in modern manufacturing environments
• Cybersecurity and resilience in connected factories
• Supply chain visibility, agility, and digital integration
• The human side of transformation, skills, culture, and leadership

Sessions are designed to be practical, experience-driven, and relevant to senior decision-makers.

Format

• Full-day, in-person flagship forum
• Keynotes, panels, and roundtable discussions
• 50+ senior leaders in attendance
• Curated audience, no open registration
• Strong emphasis on dialogue, not selling

Who will be in the room

The Forum brings together senior decision-makers responsible for manufacturing strategy and execution, including:

• Chief Manufacturing Officers
• Chief Information Officers (CIOs)
• Chief Digital Officers (CDOs)
• Heads of Manufacturing and Operations
• Heads of Data, Analytics, and AI
• CISOs and OT Security Leaders
• Transformation and Engineering Leaders

Industries represented

• Manufacturing
• Industrial and Process Manufacturing
• Automotive and Aerospace
• Consumer Goods
• Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences
• Energy and Utilities
• Engineering and Infrastructure

What CXOs gain from attending?

The Smart Manufacturing Forum is designed to deliver value well beyond content:

• Validate transformation strategy against peers facing similar challenges
• Gain real-world insight into what is working and what is not
• Pressure-test investment priorities around AI, data, and automation
• Build trusted peer relationships across manufacturing and technology leadership
• Learn from failure as much as success, in a closed and senior setting
• Expand professional networks that often lead to partnerships, advisory roles, or future career opportunities
• Step out of day-to-day execution to focus on long-term manufacturing leadership

Many attendees see this as a rare opportunity to have open, senior-level conversations that are difficult to replicate inside their own organisations.

Why host or partner with the Forum

Partnering with the Smart Manufacturing Forum places organisations at the centre of one of the UK’s most focused gatherings of senior manufacturing and technology leaders.

It offers meaningful access to decision-makers shaping the future of manufacturing in a credible, high-trust environment that fosters long-term relationships and strategic conversations.