Wednesday 25th March 2026
The European robotics community will descend upon Birmingham’s International Convention Centre (ICC) in March 2027 for the annual European Robotics Forum (ERF).
The event brings together over 1,000 research and industry experts from across the continent to share ideas, create new connections and celebrate the best of robotics, one of the most important technologies that will shape the future of society for generations to come. Since it first began in 2010, ERF has been hosted in many great cities and industrial powerhouse regions across Europe. Hosting ERF in Birmingham for the first time offers an opportunity to anchor conversations about the future of robotics within a region where innovation is not abstract but applied daily: in factories, laboratories, and innovation centres deploying next generation artificial intelligence, automation and robotics at scale.
ERF in Birmingham will be organised and hosted by The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) a West Midlands-based research and technology organisation, and the University of Birmingham, in partnership with euRobotics, the European robotics association.
Birmingham is a fitting setting for an event of this kind. The city draws on its region’s industrial heritage with roots that reach back to the very birth of the industrial revolution, a proud history of manufacturing and precision engineering, a long-established and internationally acclaimed automotive sector, a fine tradition of research and innovation, with universities offering globally-recognised academic excellence, and a large, skilled, diverse population.
Karol Janik, ERF2027 General Chair and Robotics & Automation Technology Manager at MTC said:
“For more than two centuries, the West Midlands has stood as one of Europe’s most enduring centres of industrial ingenuity. From the steam engine to today’s breakthroughs in robotics, AI, advanced manufacturing, clean energy or healthcare, this region has repeatedly shaped the technological direction of the continent. Birmingham and the wider West Midlands remain one of its most innovative industrial heartlands: a dense ecosystem of global manufacturers, world leading research institutes, dynamic automation and robotics companies, and a new generation of ambitious entrepreneurs.
“Add to this a city with a rich and varied cultural offer spanning classic and contemporary, clubs to concert halls, gigs to galleries and from theatres to Think Tank, Birmingham’s famously interactive museum of science, and the considerable attractions of the UK’s ‘second city’ are obvious. “
As the organising team prepares for this landmark event, it invites organisations, innovators, and industry leaders to partner as sponsors and exhibitors. This is a unique opportunity to showcase technologies, products, and services to a diverse and influential audience at the forefront of robotics, AI and automation in Europe and beyond. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the organising team to learn more about sponsorship and exhibition packages and secure their place at ERF 2027.
About The MTC:
MTC transforms how products are designed, made and built so that they can be produced on a commercial scale – more sustainably, effectively and safely. Since 2010, our independent research and technology organisation has delivered pioneering solutions to help overhaul industries spanning Aerospace, Defence & Security, Power & Energy, Built Environments, Space, Agriculture, and Food & Drink. Always in collaboration. Always with purpose. We are proud to be part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, established by and working in partnership with Innovate UK. In addition, MTC Training is creating the next generation of engineering talent while upskilling and reskilling existing workforces to support the industry and accelerate technological adoption. (More info: https://www.the-mtc.org/)
About the University of Birmingham:
As well as being ranked among the world’s top 100 institutions, the University of Birmingham is the most targeted UK university by top graduate employers. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, educators and more than 40,000 students from over 150 countries.
About euRobotics:
euRobotics (euRobotics) is an international non-profit association for all stakeholders in European robotics, headquartered in Brussels. Established in September 2012 and serving its founding purpose: to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and to ensure industrial leadership of manufacturers, providers and end-users of robotics technology-based systems and services, euRobotics forms the largest network of roboticists and business in Europe with more than 200 institutional members, covering small and large companies, associations and institutions, universities, laboratories and RTOs. The objectives of euRobotics are to boost European robotics research, development and innovation, to foster a positive perception of robotics, to support the widest and most effective uptake of robotics technologies and services for professional and private use, and to ensure the excellence of the robotics science base in Europe is maintained.
For more information or to arrange an interview:
- about ERF 2027: contact Reinhard Lafrenz, Secretary General, euRobotics, +49 171 1222298,reinhard.lafrenz@eu-robotics.net
- about MTC: contact Joyce Yip, PR Manager, +44 (0)7989 436693, joyce.yip@the-mtc.org
- about the University of Birmingham: contact Press Office, +44 (0) 121 414 2772, pressoffice@contacts.bham.ac.uk
- about euRobotics: contact Reinhard Lafrenz, Secretary General, euRobotics, +49 171 1222298,reinhard.lafrenz@eu-robotics.net
- about sponsorship opportunities: contact Seren Events, +44 (0)1745 776505, erf-exhibition@serenevents.com
Interview by Steve Doswell with Karol Janik – ERF2027 General Chair, MTC and Professor David Butler – ERF2027 Sustainability and Public Engagement Chair, University of Birmingham