How Will A £50M Innovation Hub Support Digital Technology Development?
Thanks to a new data innovation hub and testbed led by Ulster University, UK manufacturers are having their productivity boosted. Housing Industry Leaders look at the new hub and how it will benefit manufacturers to become more efficient and sustainable.
Supporting small and medium-sized manufacturers, the £50 million Smart Manufacturing Data Hub (SMDH) will help them capture and better utilise their data, therefore, helping them to increase their productivity, growth, and sustainability.
Businesses in various sectors from food and drink to aerospace and many more will be supported to develop, test, and adopt the latest data-driven technologies.
Nearly 10,000 manufacturers are expected to benefit from the hub and will be supported by a £20 million boost from the UK government-backed Made Smarter Innovation Programme, along with £30 million of business co-investment. Helping to boost economic growth and level-up regions across the UK, 13,000 jobs will also be supported.
Funding Will Help Products To Be Improved
UK Industry Minister, Lee Rowley, said: “As we embrace the digital manufacturing revolution, it is vital manufacturers across the UK can capitalise on the productivity and growth gains that come with adopting the latest data-led digital technologies.
The Smart Manufacturing Data Hub, backed by £20 million of government funds, will support companies to implement cutting edge production and process techniques themselves, helping bring the next generation of products to our shelves in a more efficient and sustainable way.
Through hosting an online Manufacturing Data Exchange Platform, the hub will enable companies to submit their manufacturing data and receive recommendations in return, helping to improve their products and processes.
A dedicated £5 million fund will then provide companies with grants to make further improvements in areas of critical importance to their business.
It Will Provide The Opportunity For Collaboration
Virtual manufacturing testbeds will allow companies to create a “digital twin” to stimulate the implementation of digital technology in their own processes, harnessing data from other manufacturers that have already adopted the technologies to encourage investment.
In addition to this, the SMDH will provide manufacturers with expert analysis of their emissions and energy data from support staff specialising in data analytics and engineering, which will help them to improve sustainability, and reduce waste and energy use.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research at Ulster University Professor, Liam Maguire, said: “Made Smarter provides the opportunity for innovative collaboration that will be transformative in driving industry competitiveness.
“At Ulster University, we have a strong track record of collaboration, using our research and technology to act as a catalyst for change, innovation, and positive economic, social and environmental impact.
Made Smarter is another important project in the broader realisation of the Derry and Strabane City Deal agenda, further enhancing the attractiveness of investment and driving economic growth.
Northern Ireland’s small and medium-sized manufacturers will be able to access the SMDH in the coming months before it goes live for companies across the rest of the UK.
Across the rest of the UK, the programme will be supported by 12 delivery partners, including the University of Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing, Industry Wales, and Scottish Engineering.
An Environmentally Sustainable UK Manufacturing Sector Is Essential
The funding comes as part of the £300 million Made Smarter Innovation Challenge, which is a collaboration between the UK Government and industry designed to support the development and increased use of new and existing industrial digital technologies, including artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
Aiming to deliver a resilient, flexible, more productive, and environmentally sustainable UK manufacturing sector, the challenge will also develop new technologies that can be exploited commercially across the manufacturing industry worldwide.
Building on the government’s Help to Grow schemes, this innovation hub and testbed will help smaller businesses to boost their productivity with training and software that is proven to get results.
