InterAct research projects

A total of £1.35m of funds have been allocated by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and Made Smarter Innovation (MSI) through the InterAct Network commissioned research programme. These projects span a wide variety of subjects within the wider intersection of UK manufacturing and industrial digital technology. The outputs from these research teams offer valuable social science insights to inform and assist businesses and policy shapers with their decision making regarding technology and digital transformation.

You can view all of our projects below, or access the outputs from all of our completed work so far on our resources section.

Projects:

We have a wide range of commissioned research projects that offer extensive human insights into many pressing issues for manufacturers and digital technologists. Although our projects often relate to multiple themes, below you can find them organised by which of the Made Smarter Innovation themes they align with most closely: Productivity, Sustainability, Resilience, People.

Simply click the project title to navigate to further details about the research, and access all related outputs for those projects that have been completed.

Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry

Enabling digital transformation for SMEs: an Industry 4.0 open innovation platform

Industrial digital technologies for UK SME exporting Manufacturers

Standardization and new technology adoption in the housing supply chain: Lessons from the 1930s

The management and governance of open innovation projects for industrial digital technology providers

The potential of coworking spaces to contribute to geographically distributed manufacturing activity and regional levelling up in the UK

Verification, validation and testing (VVT) for new products and technology

Aligning economic policy for automotive sector resilience in the face of critical material dependency challenges

FASHTRAX: Digitalising textile supply chain transparency – research and knowledge exchange

The role of pairing industrial digital technologies and resource efficiency in achieving Net Zero

The valorisation of the PrOH Modelling Methodology for the human-centred digitization of remanufacturing in aerospace

AI with Impact: A guide for CEOs

Community co-created distributed manufacturing platform (COCODISMAN)

Informing empathy-led change management: Measurable readiness planning for the adoption of digital technologies in manufacturing

Making things work: public opinion of UK manufacturing 2023

Manufacturing for All – inclusive digital manufacturing

Perceptions of Manufacturing: How to make manufacturing charming again?

Responsible and inclusive digital transformation

Rebranding the manufacturing sector

The role of consumers in manufacturing as a service

Using the Reflective Goal Setting (RGS) Model to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies by enhancing digital readiness in UK manufacturing

Women in manufacturing: the case for a gender-transformative digitalisation

Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Enabling digital transformation for SMEs: an Industry 4.0 open innovation platform


Industrial digital technologies for UK SME exporting Manufacturers


Standardization and new technology adoption in the housing supply chain: Lessons from the 1930s


The management and governance of open innovation projects for industrial digital technology providers


The potential of coworking spaces to contribute to geographically distributed manufacturing activity and regional levelling up in the UK


Verification, validation and testing (VVT) for new products and technology


Aligning economic policy for automotive sector resilience in the face of critical material dependency challenges


FASHTRAX: Digitalising textile supply chain transparency – research and knowledge exchange


The role of pairing industrial digital technologies and resource efficiency in achieving Net Zero


The valorisation of the PrOH Modelling Methodology for the human-centred digitization of remanufacturing in aerospace


Business model innovation and digital servitization in UK manufacturing small and medium sized enterprises


EU battery regulations 2023: UK readiness for battery passports and smart labelling


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry


Advancing the business case for digital technology adoption in the UK manufacturing industry