Event categories: Events

Join us for the latest in the series of “Made Smarter East Midlands – Technology Transfer Workshops,” a dynamic series of events dedicated to empowering manufacturing Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the East Midlands. Presented by Made Smarter East Midlands, these workshops are specifically designed to show how the adoption of digital technology can help manufacturers solve everyday challenges and capitalise on new opportunities.

As part of Leicester’s Innovation Festival, Made Smarter East Midlands has partnered with the InterAct Network to host the next Technology Transfer Workshop titled, “Increasing Productivity through the Adoption of Digital Technology” at Loughborough University.

We hear a lot about the constant struggle for greater productivity, and what business wouldn’t want to increase their efficiency and output? But how can we achieve this in practical terms? Join this workshop to find out more about the ways adopting new technology can help manufacturers to increase their productivity.

Every organisation creates tailored ways of interpreting engineering information  to suit their unique structures. In increasingly interconnected and global supply chains, this can mean a lack of quick action and limited coordination, with suppliers often forced to react to the last levels of demand rather than the next.

Hosted by the Digital Supply Chain Hub’s Connected MBEE flagship, this full-day event explores the way that digital minimum standards, underpinned by a model-based definition of engineering information, can boost coordination across more resilient supply chains, cutting waste in materials, time, and money.

Experts from the Digital Supply Chain Hub and partners will showcase practical examples from across relevant sectors, including:

• Digital minimum standards and how they can help 
• How a model-based definition of engineering information can allow software agnostic data communication 
• Transparency in the supply chain and the associated collaboration culture

Content on the day will be tailored to attendees. There will be multiple opportunities to ask questions of the experts and join group discussions around your specific supply chain challenges.

InterAct will be bringing together researchers to present the findings of their work on 'Perceptions of manufacturing' and 'Industrial metaverse' this December at the Institute for Manufacturing, Cambridge.

Opening remarks - Professor Tim Minshall, the Head of IfM, will open the event at 10am.

InterAct Co-director, Professor Jillian MacBryde, will then introduce the agenda, plans, and themes of InterAct network and the role of funding in shaping social research in manufacturing.

This will be followed by talks from both InterAct funded commissioned research teams:

Perceptions of manufacturing literature review - Dr. Guendalina Anzolin, Dr. Jennifer Castañeda and Dr. Dalila Ribaudo:

• What does manufacturing mean?
• What do people think of it?
• How are mega-trends changing and re-shaping the perception of manufacturing?

Manufacturing and the Metaverse literature review - Dr. Nikolai Kazantsev, Professor Chander Velu, Bethan Moncur, Dr. Bang Ming Yong

• Going beyond the hype: What is the value of immersive reality in manufacturing ?
• How can we define industrial metaverse ?
• What are the key drivers, benefits and barriers for UK manufacturers, employees and the economy?

This project aims to provide insights into international attitudes towards manufacturing and industrial strategies. It entails a systematic review and expert validation, with a specific focus on how manufacturing is discussed in contexts where digital technologies have been adopted, and widely addressed at the policy level. The analysis encompasses the following countries: Canada, Germany, Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.

The primary objective of the workshop is to provide insights into the perceptions of manufacturing across different contexts and to inform stakeholders about strategies and policy instruments aimed at revitalising the image of the manufacturing industry.

Emphasis will be on

1. The discussion on how industrial policy can aid in shaping the future image of the manufacturing industry and the future of work.
2. Trends related to the digital and sustainability transformations and on whether (and how) such trends have been changing the attitudes towards manufacturing.

Through our research and collaborative discussions, our event seeks to provide actionable recommendations and innovative approaches that can positively impact policies, perceptions, and strategies related to the manufacturing sector. Ultimately, we aim to contribute to the transformation and modernisation of the manufacturing industry, fostering its growth and competitiveness in a dynamic global landscape.

Do you play a part in managing digital change or implementing business models in your organisation? Are you involved in digital change through your role in engineering, production, technology, operations management, or human resources? 

If you answered yes to either of these, this workshop is for you and it’s open to professionals from any sector.

Digital Change is usually associated with solutions for improving customer experience, fostering employee innovation and spurring company growth and sustainability. However, implementing Digital Change can be challenging if organisations neglect the people, cultural and organisational impacts. 

Join researchers from the Institute of Work Psychology, Sheffield University Management School for an online workshop to find out more about the important human factors to consider when implementing an inclusive and responsible Digital Change. 

Overview

• Engaging presentations: Explore a Toolkit that helps organisations to manage the design, implementation and evaluation of an inclusive and responsible Digital Change
• Interactive session: Exchange best practices and experiences among participants
• Contribute your insights to help advance research and shape the future of this transformative concept in materials-intensive industries

Although women represent almost half of the labour force in the United Kingdom, they account for only 26% of all workers in the manufacturing sector. We want to do something about this.

The Women in Manufacturing initiative are bringing together a fantastic group of people who are passionate about promoting women's representation and progress in the field. Join us for an inspiring day filled with discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities.

This is an inclusive event for everyone with an interest in shifting the balance of women in manufacturing.

Themes and topics include:

• Creating a fair and inclusive work environment

• Fostering connections and mentorship opportunities

• Building presence and supporting peers on social media

• Digital technologies for improving diversity in UK manufacturing

• Overcoming imposter syndrome in the workplace

Our partners Make UK are spearheading the effort to broaden the appeal of manufacturing careers and build excitement around the industry with National Manufacturing Day, taking place on Thursday 28th September. It is a day for companies to open their doors and create a national celebration of manufacturing.

InterAct, as a Made Smarter Innovation funded network, will be joining this effort again this year with our second Discovery Day event, focused on the Future of Digtial Manufacturing Ecosystems. We'll be discussing the importance of this research, showcasing the visions and scenarios the team have developed, workshopping new ideas and putting it all into context with a tour of the Vitsoe Ltd. production facility to showcase their longevity focused, sustainable approach to supply chains and manufacturing.

Vitsoe is a furniture manufacturing business, with production based in Leamington Spa. For more than 60 years it has been Vitsœ’s goal to make long-living furniture. Vitsœ’s products are designed as true systems with high-quality specification and finishes to ensure flexibility, adaptability, durability and therefore, longevity.

As we embark on the next stage of our industrial evolution, digitalisation will shape the future of our economy, manufacturing ecosystem, and workplace. Digital technologies can enable us to create the future we want and move beyond consumption driven economic growth.

Our challenge is to create a digital manufacturing future that meets our net-zero ambitions, whilst being resilient and productive. Thus, ensuring that everyone has the things that they need, at a price that they can afford, without damaging the environment or society.

To create the digital manufacturing future we want, we first need to know how that can be achieved, we need to explore the possible and work together to realise these goals. In order to combine our expertise from the broadest range of perspectives around this common goal, we need to InterAct.

Join us at the IET Savoy Place, The Strand, London on Tuesday 3rd October 2023 to take part in our conference and become part of the movement for change.

Industrial digital technologies (IDT) such as the industrial internet of things (IoTs), big data analytics, AI (Artificial Intelligence), virtual reality, and digital twins are radically transforming the manufacturing landscape.

This event aims to bring together business people, practitioners, policymakers, and academics to discuss the research findings of IDT adopting practices of many UK manufacturing SMEs to work out the best practices and implications for business strategies and government policy.

The key findings of the project and successful SME manufacturing digitalisation journey case studies will be presented at the workshop.

This workshop is hosted by the School of Management, University of Bath, funded by InterAct via the ESRC, as a part of the Made Smarter Initiative. We bring together CWS manager, users, and regional policymakers and other stakeholders and will present findings of our fieldwork, which explored the potential of CWS to contribute to regional ‘levelling up’ in the UK and whether they hold potential not just for service firms, but also for manufacturing, designand engineering firms.

The session will be interactive and there will also be Q&A. The event will conclude with a short talk from our guest speaker, Pauline Roussel (Co-founder & CEO of Coworkies and author of ‘Around the world in 250 coworking spaces’)

The aim of the workshop is to codevelop ideas, about how CWSs enables and provides an opportunity for firms to employ flexible working practices, stimulate innovation, and regional growth. The workshop outcomes will be used to inform an industry brief and a policy brief, which will be made available to all participants.