UK Metals Expo 2026: where materials, precision engineering and manufacturing meet

For businesses operating in precision engineering, tooling, metrology and product development, material decisions are rarely made in isolation. The availability, specification, processing route and sustainability credentials of a metal can affect everything from design and tool life to inspection, production capacity and lead times.

That is why UK Metals Expo, returning to the NEC Birmingham on 4–5 November 2026, is relevant well beyond the traditional metals sector.

The event brings together the entire metals supply chain: primary producers, stockholders, processors, fabricators, surface finishers, recyclers, technology providers and trade bodies.

For GTMA members, it offers a practical opportunity to meet current and potential supply-chain partners, compare materials and production capabilities, and understand the market forces affecting the components, tools and services they deliver.

Free registration is now open here: ukmetalsexpo.com

The 2026 edition arrives as manufacturers continue to manage pressure around material availability, trade policy, costs, decarbonisation, skills and investment. For precision engineering businesses, the challenge is not simply finding material; it is finding the right grade, capability, processing route and supplier at the right time, with the assurance needed for demanding applications.

UK Metals Expo’s free conference programme will address these issues across four theatres: The Big Issues; Supply Chain, Trade & Policy; Sustainability & Circular Economy; and Innovation & Technology. Topics will include CBAM, supply-chain resilience, circular metals, scrap and electric arc furnace developments, automation, process innovation and the workforce challenges facing UK industry.

For those involved in tooling, rapid product development, inspection and metrology, the Innovation & Technology theatre is expected to be particularly relevant as the emphasis here is on practical case studies and solutions that can be taken back into the workshop, production environment or design process.

This year also marks the first co-location of UK Metals Expo with Advanced Engineering and Lab Innovations. Together, the three events are expected to welcome more than 15,000 attendees and feature over 750 exhibitors. The combined format gives visitors access to metals supply-chain expertise alongside wider engineering, manufacturing, testing and laboratory technologies in one trip.

For GTMA members, that means a more complete view of the journey from material selection through to manufacture, measurement, testing and application.

Whether the priority is identifying new suppliers, benchmarking material and process options, keeping pace with regulation or finding solutions to a current production challenge, UK Metals Expo offers two focused days to make useful connections.

Register free for UK Metals Expo 2026 at ukmetalsexpo.com.

UK Metals Expo | 4–5 November 2026 | NEC Birmingham
Co-located with Advanced Engineering and Lab Innovations

UK Metals Expo’s 2026 programme will cover supply chain, trade and policy, sustainability, innovation and technology, aligned with the operational and commercial issues affecting metals businesses today.