The Manufacturing Data Summit 2026 revealed the practical realities of industrial digital transformation

Cybersecurity Why understanding cyber risk in the context of business-critical processes is essential

Issue 253- 2026

Skills The need to accelerate skills development and build human infrastructure for manufacturing

Disruption Essential maintenance knowledge must become digitized, adopted and understood

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Welcome

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Hello and welcome to the latest issue of Manufacturing Today. Earlier this month I attended our second Manufacturing Data Summit, which MT organizes with sister company A-Team. It was a fascinating insight into today’ s digital transformation environment, with speakers participating in keynotes, panel discussions, fireside

chats and roundtables. My thanks to the manufacturing leaders who shared their time and knowledge, and delegates who got involved with the Q & A and polls. To read more about the picture that emerged from the day, head to page 34.

Diving deeper into this month’ s magazine, we look at cybersecurity, policy, skills, and disruption. This latter feature highlights a theme I increasingly see – the need to capture knowledge that currently resides in the head of a veteran member of staff. If you think about your own operation – can you name those people? And what are you doing to ensure that knowledge isn’ t lost?

Libbie Hammond, Editor LH @ finelightmediagroup. com

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The next phase

Our front cover story takes you to The Manufacturing Data Summit 2026, which brought together perspectives from organizations including DS Smith, BAT and Medik8. Read more about the reality of data and change in manufacturing on page 34.

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Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, and correct at time of writing, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Finelight Media Group, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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Manufacturing Today Issue - 253 October 2026 | Page 3