As the food and beverage sector faces rapidly evolving supply chain, sustainability, and automation demands, staying ahead of industry trends is more critical than ever. Whether you are looking to optimise your production lines or explore the latest compliance standards, MachineBuilding.South provides an opportunity to discover actionable insights.

The industrial robot industry saw 5.1% growth in 2025, following a contraction of -2% in 2024, Interact Analysis reports. The market is now forecast to record steady growth out to 2030, at an average annual rate of 6.7%, rising from 549,555 units in 2025 to 761,303 units in 2030.

An increased focus on automation brings with it a need to deliver control signals and transfer data, so the role of cables and connectors, not to mention associated cable management systems is vital. And you'll find plenty to see and discuss at MachineBuilding.South on 8 July at Sandown Park.

Rubix has announced that LOCTITE, the trusted adhesives, sealants and functional coatings brand from Henkel, is joining Parker Hannifin and SKF as an official partner of the Uptime Index, supporting the initiative that tracks the health of European manufacturing.

Inovance has established a new UK business, with an office in Manchester and the appointment of Dominic Bowker as General Manager - UK & Ireland. The global industrial automation specialist's new office in the North-West of England provides technical sales and support services to industry across the UK and Ireland.

IMI's Industrial Automation sector has developed a customised PET (polyethylene terephthalate) blowing block solution for Tech-Long, delivering a 10% increase in production capacity while reducing compressed air consumption in PET bottle manufacturing.

Rockwell Automation has announced that Cranswick, one of Britain's leading manufacturers of premium gourmet foods, has commissioned a new robotic end-of-line pick-and-place system using autonox Robotics.

The Food & Beverage Masterclass, hosted by Universal Robots in June, 2026 at Riseholme Park in Lincoln, brought together industry professionals for a practical and engaging half-day event focused on end of line automation with collaborative robots (cobots).

Powder product packaging machine manufacturer Arodo has reduced waste, optimised processes and capitalised on time efficiencies by introducing lubricated Lubrinox fasteners supplied from Fabory, unlocking product quality and efficiency benefits.