GoSmarter AI Co-Founders to Speak at UK Metals Expo 2026

Birmingham, UK — 4 & 5 November 2026. Ruth Kearney and Steph Locke, co-founders of GoSmarter AI (Nightingale HQ), will both speak at UK Metals Expo 2026. The show takes place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). They’ll share the stage with leaders from Tata Steel, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Matta.

What is UK Metals Expo?

UK Metals Expo is the UK’s dedicated event for the metals industry. Over two days, the NEC brings together the people who make, stock, process and fabricate metals. The technology providers who support them come too. That covers steel, aluminium and the wider metals supply chain.

For the first time, it’s co-located with Advanced Engineering and Lab Innovations. Organisers expect 15,000+ visitors across the three events. So expect a mixed room of metals and engineering people, not just AI enthusiasts. As well as the exhibition floor, the show runs talks across several theatres. This year these include The Big Issues, a stage for the biggest challenges facing the industry. There’s also an Innovation & Technology track on the tools changing how metals businesses work.

Where to find us

Steel, aluminium and algorithms: the role of AI in modern manufacturing

3:00 PM – 3:50 PM · Theatre 1 · The Big Issues

A panel on where artificial intelligence (AI) really makes a difference, on the shop floor and in the back office. It also covers where it doesn’t yet.

• Moderator: Justin John, Commercial Reporting, Master Data & AI Manager at Tata Steel
• Panellists:
  • Douglas Brion, Founder & CEO at Matta
  • Ruth Kearney, Co-Founder & CEO at Nightingale HQ (GoSmarter AI)
  • Siddhartha Satish, Head – Strategy & Transformation | AI & Services Transformation at Tata Consultancy Services

Systems and Code Modernisation – the Good, the Bad and the Insane

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM · Theatre 3 · Innovation & Technology

An honest look at updating the old systems and software that metals businesses rely on. It covers what works and what goes wrong. It also covers the moments that make you question everything.

• Nicholas Reeks, Director IT at Tata Steel UK
• Steph Locke, Co-Founder & Head of Product at Nightingale HQ (GoSmarter AI)

Why this matters

Metals manufacturers are under pressure from every direction:

• tighter margins and volatile material prices
• carbon reporting and growing compliance paperwork
• fewer experienced people to go round

AI is often pitched as the answer. But most businesses in the sector are still working out what it can realistically do for them. That’s harder when so much of the industry still runs on spreadsheets and ageing systems.

These two sessions go straight at those questions:

• AI that earns its place. Ruth’s panel brings together a major steel producer, a global IT services firm and two AI companies that build for manufacturing. That mix means a practical conversation about where AI delivers value today, rather than hype. Ruth will share how teams across manufacturing are solving problems locally, and then it’s the role of centre IT to make the good ideas safe and spread them. IT’s job is changing from writing code to enabling, communicating and negotiating.
• Modernisation without the pain. Steph’s session with Tata Steel UK tackles the less glamorous side. AI can’t help much while your data is trapped in old systems. Steph and Nick will discuss how AI can support modernisation work before major technical work begins, saving both time and money.

Come and say hello

If you’re at UK Metals Expo, come to the sessions and find Ruth and Steph afterwards. They’re happy to talk about turning paper mill certificates into usable data. They’ll also talk cutting plans, reducing scrap, or how to take a first practical step with AI in your business. GoSmarter is specifically built for metals manufacturers.

Can’t make it to the NEC? Book a demo and we’ll show you what GoSmarter can do for your operation.

Want to know where else we’ll be this season? See our Autumn 2026 events calendar, or read what we took away from UK Metals Expo 2025.