A growing emphasis on additive manufacturing, sustainable materials and cross-sector innovation are set to be some of the main discussion points when the Manufacturing & Engineering North East show takes place in November.

That is the prediction of Dr Aphrodite Tomou, who heads up the technical department at Goodfellow, a global supplier of more than 170,000 advanced metals and materials and a specialist in certified reference materials (CRM) and expanded analytical services.

Over the last twelve months, her six-strong team have noticed a definite increase in the use of 3D printing moving beyond prototyping into full scale-production, especially in aerospace, automotive and the medical sectors.

They have also seen a rise in demand from designers for green materials like biopolymers, high-entropy alloys, shape memory alloys, reference materials and functional coatings, with buyers now prioritising traceability, sustainability and performance at scale.

“The Manufacturing & Engineering North East show is always alive with innovation so there really is no better place to get under the skin of new applications and, importantly, the materials that will be at the heart of the next innovations,” explained Dr Aphrodite Tomou, who was named as an Exemplar in The Manufacturer’s Top 100 competition last year.

“Sectors - including fusion, aerospace, medical and battery tech - are all adopting new materials and, importantly for the domestic marketplace, there appears to be a genuine shift towards reshoring and just-in-time delivery. This is being driven by significant supply chain concerns.” She went on to add: “Many of the technologies that will define the next 20 years, like quantum computing, hypersonic travel, and clean energy breakthroughs, will depend on materials that didn’t even exist a decade ago…that’s really exciting.

“What was once science fiction - materials that self-heal, adapt to environmental conditions, or conduct electricity better than copper - are now entering real-world applications. And these materials are no longer hidden enablers; they are strategic assets shaping global competitiveness and I’m sure we’ll be talking about them during the two-day show.”

2025 has been an exciting year for Goodfellow, with the acquisition of Suisse TP and Bureau of Analysed Samples increasing its certified reference materials and analysing capabilities.

These deals build on the Huntingdon firm’s 170,000-strong product range, which includes metals, alloys, ceramics, polymers, compounds and composites.

Backed by Battery Ventures, the company has built a strong reputation as a trusted supplier to firms involved in R&D, advanced engineering, space and the scientific sector, with subsidiaries across Europe, North America and China helping it extend its global reach.

The material specialist also provides a range of post processing facilities, including rolling, electroplating, sputtering, heat treatment, disk punching/turning and guillotining/sawing.

Goodfellow will be exhibiting at Booth 32 during the Manufacturing & Engineering North East show.

For further information, please visit www.goodfellow.com or follow the company across its social media channels.