What Automate UK does

Automate UK (legal name PPMA Limited) is a UK private not-for-profit trade association founded in 1987 and headquartered in Wallington, Surrey, with 47 employees serving over 550 member companies across the automation, robotics, processing and packaging machinery, and machine vision sectors. The association operates through three specialty divisions — PPMA (Processing & Packaging Machinery Association), BARA (British Automation & Robot Association), and UKIVA (UK Industrial Vision Association) — and runs a charitable arm, Automate BEST (Charity number 1156041), focused on apprenticeships, STEM education, and skills training.

The core offering is a membership-based service platform combining industry representation, technical guidance on machinery directives, BSI standards distribution (Official BSI Distributor with 25% member discount), the Robot Integrator Standard and Vision Integrator Standard certification programmes, and the UK's largest automation trade events including the PPMA Show (350+ exhibitors, 1,500+ brands at NEC Birmingham), UK Automation Show, and the newly announced Automate UK Week 2027. Supporting products include the Machinery Update and Vision in Action publications, the Product Finder directory, and a text-based AI assistant on the website. The organisation co-founded EUROPAMA at Interpack 2026, giving it a post-Brexit European regulatory foothold.

Revenue is generated through recurring membership subscriptions, transactional exhibition stand and visitor income, BSI standards resale, training services, and apprenticeship grants channelled via Automate BEST. Customers are primarily UK-based automation suppliers (across the PPMA, BARA, and UKIVA verticals) and, increasingly, manufacturing end users via a new End-User Membership programme. Distribution is direct sales-led, augmented by major exhibitions and international pavilions at SaudiFood Manufacturing 2026, Gulfood Manufacturing 2026, and APPEX 2027. The organisation is not publicly traded, has no external institutional investors, and reinvests surpluses into member services and charitable activities.

Name

Automate UK

Legal name

PPMA Limited

Website

https://automate-uk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Automate UK is a UK not-for-profit trade association serving 550+ member companies across automation, robotics, packaging, and machine vision, offering membership services, industry exhibitions, BSI standards distribution, certification programmes, and apprenticeship support through its Automate BEST charity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Trade Association Services

NAICS

Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993), Apprenticeship Training (611513)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian) (IMAHAHAJ)

Keywords

• Industrial automation trade association
• Processing packaging machinery
• Robotics machine vision
• Industry exhibitions events
• Apprenticeship STEM training

Headquarters

HQ city

Wallington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Automate UK generates revenue through membership subscriptions. With over 550 member companies, the association provides exclusive benefits including access to events, training, networking, technical support, and lobbying representation. Members receive discounts on BSI standards (25% off) and exhibition stands.
2. Exhibition and Event Revenue: The organization organizes major exhibitions including the PPMA Show (350+ exhibitors, 1,500+ brands) and Automate UK Week 2027 at the NEC Birmingham. Revenue is generated through exhibition stand bookings, visitor registrations, and associated event activities.
3. Automate BEST Charitable Activities: Automate BEST, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Charity number 1156041), administers apprenticeship grants and bursaries. While primarily funded through charitable activities, it supports the broader Automate UK ecosystem by promoting careers in engineering.
4. BSI Standards Distribution: As Official BSI Distributors, Automate UK earns revenue through the sale of British Standards including BS, BS EN, BS EN ISO, BS ISO and PAS standards. Members receive 25% discount on standards purchases.
5. Training Services: The organization offers training courses and recruitment services for member companies, providing professional development opportunities in the automation and manufacturing sectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Automate UK is a UK trade association that provides membership-based services to 550+ companies across the processing, packaging, robotics, and machine vision sectors. It delivers its offering through three divisions—PPMA, BARA, and UKIVA—and runs flagship exhibitions (PPMA Show, UK Automation Show, Automate UK Week 2027), certification programmes, training, BSI standards distribution, industry publications, and government lobbying representation. The Automate BEST charitable arm administers apprenticeship grants, bursaries, and STEM education initiatives.

Product overview

Automate UK is a trade association with a platform-plus-divisions architecture. Its core offering is membership services supporting the automation, robotics, and machine vision industry. The organisation operates through three primary divisions: PPMA (Processing & Packaging Machinery Association), BARA (British Automation & Robot Association), and UKIVA (UK Industrial Vision Association). Supporting the commercial mission is Automate BEST, a charitable arm focused on apprenticeships, STEM education, and workforce development. The association also organises major exhibitions including the PPMA Show, UK Automation Show, and the new Automate UK Week (co-locating its flagship events). Additional offerings include industry publications (Machinery Update, Vision in Action), the Product Finder directory, Automate UK Awards, and an AI-powered customer assistant.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PPMA (Processing & Packaging Machinery Association): One of three core divisions of Automate UK, focused on processing and packaging machinery.
• BARA (British Automation & Robot Association)
• UKIVA (UK Industrial Vision Association)
• Automate BEST

Products and services

• Automate UK Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Automate UK Awards carry real weight, with past recipients having used their recognition to attract investment, secure new partnerships, and cement their reputation as industry leaders.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• EUROPAMA (Processing & Packaging EU Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026EUROPAMA was founded at Interpack 2026 in Düsseldorf as the European umbrella organization for processing and packaging machinery. Founding members include Automate UK, VDMA (Germany), UCIMA (Italy), Evolis (France), AMEC (Spain), and Swissmem (Switzerland). The federation aims to address sustainability regulations, PPWR, industrial competitiveness, automation and robotics policy, and trade policy. Post-Brexit, EUROPAMA enables UK members to maintain influence over regulations affecting European supply chains.
• BSI (British Standards Institution)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAutomate UK is an Official BSI Distributor, offering members 25% discount on standards including BS, BS EN, BS EN ISO, BS ISO and PAS standards. BSI is the UK's National Standards Body and founding member of ISO with over 80,000 clients in 172 countries.
• The STEM HubsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomate BEST partners with The STEM Hub for the Factory of the Future programme, a 45-minute science show allowing students to make interactive choices and build an eco-friendly factory.
• Startpoint (Production Company)secondaryOthersAutomate BEST worked with production company Startpoint to create a series of films featuring BEST Club members, including apprentices and employers discussing apprenticeship experiences.
• VEX RoboticssecondaryOthersVEX Robotics conducts robotics workshops for ages 6-18 at Automate UK and Automate BEST Family Fun Day events.
• UK UniversitiessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomate BEST has partnered with UK Universities to support students pursuing manufacturing and engineering careers. Partner universities include Harper Adams University, Leeds Beckett University, University of Nottingham, and Solent University.
• Engineering EmployerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutomate BEST works with non-levy paying companies (sponsors) who employ apprentices. Employers must pay at least national minimum wage and commit to £1,000 annual grant for HNC/HND students. These partnerships enable the apprenticeship bursary programme.
• UK Automation ForumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomate UK launched the UK Automation Forum, hosting events including FANUC Open Days and panel discussions on attracting young people into UK manufacturing.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• UCIMA (Italian Packaging Machinery Manufacturers' Association): Italian packaging machinery manufacturers' trade association and EUROPAMA co-founder. Directly comparable to the PPMA division in product category, member profile and trade-show-driven model (hosts Ipack-Ima).
• Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA): UK trade association for the manufacturing technologies sector including machine tools and industrial automation. Direct UK peer serving overlapping member companies in industrial machinery and automation.
• Association for Advancing Automation (A3): North American automation trade association that operates the Automate Show and represents robotics, vision, motion control and AI. Direct functional peer covering overlapping member categories (robotics, vision, motion) and a comparable exhibitions-plus-membership business model.
• EVOLIS (Syndicat des Equipements et Services pour l'Emballage, le Conditionnement et la Logistique): French packaging equipment and services trade association and EUROPAMA co-founder. Directly comparable as a national packaging/automation federation with membership and exhibition revenue models.
• AMEC (Asociación Española de Fabricantes de Maquinaria de Envasado, Embalaje y Condicionamiento): Spanish packaging machinery manufacturers' association and EUROPAMA co-founder. Direct peer in product category, association structure and EUROPAMA participation.
• VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau): Germany's mechanical and plant engineering industry association and co-founder of EUROPAMA. Directly comparable as the largest European national federation for industrial machinery, automation and packaging — Automate UK's closest continental counterpart and partner.
• International Federation of Robotics (IFR): Global robotics industry federation covering industrial and service robotics with member companies, statistics and policy representation. Directly comparable to the BARA division of Automate UK in scope and mission.
• Swissmem (Swiss Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Industries): Swiss MEM industry association representing mechanical, electrical and metalworking industries including automation. EUROPAMA co-founder and direct functional peer with similar membership, lobbying and standards services.

Broad incumbents

• Make UK (formerly EEF): The UK's largest manufacturing trade association, broader in scope than Automate UK (covering all manufacturing, not just automation). Comparable business model of membership, events, training, lobbying and standards — competes for the same end-user manufacturer wallet share.

Regional players

• British Plastics Federation (BPF): UK trade association for the plastics industry, adjacent to Automate UK's packaging machinery membership base. Comparable trade association model serving UK industrial members with shared government lobbying, training and events capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@automate.best
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theautomate-uk

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Automate UK