EDS is the UK’s only event entirely dedicated to engineering, electronics and embedded design. The show provides the ideal environment for design engineers to benefit from direct access to the latest products, services and innovations.
EDS 2021 will deliver a unique and highly relevant conference and exhibition for the UK’s engineering design industry, bringing the best suppliers, the latest innovations and practical advice together to help build new partnerships and optimise business strategies.
The EDS 2021 conference agenda has been exclusively curated by The Engineer and its sister publications Eureka and New Electronics, each of which will have its own conference stream at the event.
This year’s show also sees the launch of The Springboard, a new awards initiative - supported by McLaren Automotive - aimed at encouraging engineering start-ups and entrepreneurs. The Springboard awards will give early-stage companies a platform to share their innovations with thousands of engineering professionals with the power to influence and guide them to future success and to enter an award to win a free stand at next year’s show, as well as PR and marketing support, together worth £10,000.
Conference
Day one of this fascinating conference will open with a review by Marion Plant OBE, chief executive, Midland Academies Trust of the future of vehicle electrification in the Eureka theatre. Also in the Eureka stream is a discussion by Dr Patrick Pradel, responsible for product design at Loughborough University on Connecting the UK Design for AM Community. He will cover activities and progress of the UK Design for AM Network that he and Prof Allan Rennie from Lancaster University are currently running.
Other Eureka sessions include:
- Advanced automotive technology and how it’s changing how we think about a resilient vehicle
- Graphene reinforced elastomeric isolators
- Why it is time to bring intelligence to edge and the benefits
- Factory +: Building the digital foundations of a modern connected factory
- Chameleon: Europe’s First 3D printed vehicle
- ‘Outside looking in’ under design philosophy
- DC motors on Mars
In The Engineer stream, on day one of the conference, delegates will hear from former ventilator Challenge CEO Dick Elsy who will tell the story behind UK industry’s remarkable effort to scale up production of life-saving COVID-19 ventilators. Also speaking is Airbus Defence and Space satellite chief Matt Perren who will discuss the UK’s fast growing space sector and the ways in which space technology is helping address terrestrial problems. McLaren Automotive Chief Engineer Geoff Grose will be announcing the winner of the EDS Show’s Springboard awards, a competition set up to celebrate innovative engineering startups.
Day two will open with Rolls-Royce CTO Paul Stein who will discuss the role that engineers will play in addressing the net zero challnge. Paul will be followed by Professor Rebecca Shipley, Director of the UCL Institute for Healthcare Engineering, who will explore the role that engineers are playing in addressing some of the world’s most urgent healthcare challenges. Delegates will also hear from Prof Rab Scott – Head of Digital at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield – will talk to delegates about some of the technologies that will revolutionise the world of manufacturing in the months and years ahead.
Commenting on this year’s line-up, Editor of The Engineer Jon Excell said, “Engineers are at the forefront of solving many of the biggest challenges we face, and The Engineer Keynote Conference along with those from Eureka and New Electronics will celebrate that. We’re really looking forward to hearing how some of the UK’s biggest engineering firms and most prestigious institutions are helping to drive the development of the technologies that will hopefully help shape a greener, healthier and safer world.”
The New Electronics stream opens with a talk by Saad Waqar, Business Development Manager - Digitalisation, Siemens Digital Industries on creating a true Digital Twin with closed-loop feedback.
Other New Electronics presentation topics include:
- FPGAs put AI at the core of design
- Cyber security of electric vehicle chargers and platforms
- Try new MCUs without cost or a learning curve
- Debug forensics: using the CSI approach to troubleshooting your product design
- Dealing with colour in your workflow
- Modular solutions for rapid roll-out of EV charging infrastructure and its renewal energy production
Engineering Design Show event director Gordon Kirk said: “We have a stellar line-up of speakers and exhibitors for EDS 2021. We are particularly excited to hear in our new Springboard event how startups and early-stage businesses will help forge the future of the industry. Over the course of two very interesting and information-packed days, speakers from across the industry will explore some of the key design engineering trends, technologies and projects that are transforming the wider world. We’re certain they will provide some inspiring examples of how engineers are driving the development of cleaner forms of energy generation, sustainable mobility solutions, innovative manufacturing systems and medical technologies that can help address the challenges posed by an ageing population.”
Workshops
A number of workshops from companies including Wurth Electronik and Solid State Supplies will provide delegates with insight into a variety of topical issues. They include sessions from James Twomey, Principal Embedded Solutions Engineer, Microchip/Solid State Supplies on whether a magician can fool a machine learning system. It will look at machine learning through the lens of magic, including moves and combination of moves used for almost 100 years. Considering ML algorithms and creation methodologies, this presentation will look at those technologies used in recent years in hundreds of applications. Other workshops cover, among other topics :
- Thermal management of electronic devices
- IoT device security and certification with the Arm Platform Security Architecture
- How energy battery storage can accelerate EV Charging infrastructure rollout
- Active motorised implants in the body
Exhibition
In addition to the conference and workshops, delegates will have the opportunity to discover new suppliers and solutions at the exhibition where around 150 organisations will showcase their cutting edge engineering innovations and best practice. These include Lascar Electronics, Easby Electronics, Xi Engineering, F2 Chemicals, NANUK, Powell Electronics, Phoenix Mecano, Maxon Motor, Simms International and Arrow Devices.
EDS runs from 19 – 20 October at the Coventry Building Society Arena (formerly the Ricoh) Register for free at https://www.engineeringdesignshows.co.uk/
Five ways to prepare for your first day
If I may add my own personal Tip No. 6 it goes something like this: From time to time a more senior member of staff will start explaining something...