NEWS 10 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS June 2025 www.hpmag.co.uk entrepreneurial edge to the event. Smart Manufacturing Week also placed significant emphasis on the workforce of tomorrow. The Manufacturers and Engineers of the Future programme provided school and college students with hands-on workshops, practical demonstrations and the opportunity to engage directly with professionals in the field. The aim was to move beyond raising awareness and create tangible experiences that could inspire long-term interest in the sector. The speaker programme spanned seven dedicated theatres and brought together senior figures from leading companies including BMW, Airbus and Mars. Discussions ranged from the scalable application of artificial intelligence and the adoption of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies, to emerging strategies for strengthening supply chain resilience. Adding a lighter touch, the popular Guitar Legends contest returned, inviting visitors to display their musical talents. Winners each day were awarded custom 3D-printed guitars, combining creativity with engineering flair in a way that underscored the event’s spirit of innovation and playfulness. Flowtech and SMC join forces to help supply UK industry A new joint venture has been announced to make it easier for UK industry to source tried and trusted fluid control solutions. Flowtech Fluidpower plc – the largest supplier of fluid power products, systems and solutions in the UK, Ireland and Benelux – has become the first UK wholesale distributor for SMC Corporation (UK) Limited, the UK and global market leader in fluid control and automation technologies. The agreement means a wide selection of parts from SMC’s standard selection will become available to order and shipped from Flowtech’s headquarters and Global Fulfilment Centre in Skelmersdale. The partnership was announced as Mike England, Group CEO of Flowtech, visited SMC’s UK manufacturing, logistics and administration facility in Milton Keynes to meet the new General Manager of SMC in the UK, Nick Pittwood. Flowtech customers benefit from access to over 600 staff, experienced in design and engineering across a wide variety of industry sectors who can provide technical advice, as well as aftermarket service and support with next day delivery of SMC stocked products. SMC is the UK market leader, providing its customers with a constantly evolving range of fluid control and automation solutions to serve OEMs as well as end users. The organisation offers a standard product range of more than 12,000 items with 700,000 variants, many of which will be available from Flowtech. Nick Pittwood, General Manager of SMC in the UK, commented: “Customers of both organisations will benefit from Flowtech’s country-wide coverage with next day delivery, backed up with the vast amount of experience and sector specialisms that both SMC and Flowtech provide. This partnership between two market leaders makes perfect sense, to add a powerful channel for those customers to be able to secure the right solution for their needs, with the minimum lead time, and I’m delighted that Flowtech is joining our sales partner family.” Mike England, CEO of Flowtech, added: “We are delighted to announce this partnership today. By joining forces with SMC, we’re combining our best-inclass distribution expertise with world class product and engineering innovation, ensuring easier access to high performance solutions, exactly when and where they’re needed. Together, we’re setting a new standard in service and supply for UK industry.”
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