NEWS GOVERNMENT INVESTS £147M IN MANUFACTURING MADE SMARTER TO TRANSFORM UK MANUFACTURING T
he Government will be investing £147m in the Manufacturing Made Smarter challenge to transform UK manufacturing capabilities through the development and adoption of Industrial Digital Technologies (IDTs). This investment will raise productivity by 30 per cent, accelerate the drive to Net Zero emissions, create thousands of highly skilled jobs and allow the UK to shape the future of manufacturing.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through Innovate UK, the government’s innovation agency, has already awarded the challenge its first investment package of £20 million to 14 innovative projects in Round 1, comprising over 70 consortia partners in a competition to transform the productivity and agility of UK manufacturing.
The £20m funding is enhanced by industrial investments worth £30m giving a total value of £50m invested in sectors such as aerospace, automotive, chemicals, digital equipment, FMCG and food and beverage. The projects include IDT concepts such as digital twin, additive manufacturing, and Industrial Internet of Things with technologies spanning four key themes: smart connected factories, connected supply chains, flexible manufacturing operations, and design make and test.
The Manufacturing Made Smarter challenge programme, the Innovation led for the national Made Smarter movement, will create a connected ecosystem harnessing the power of the UK’s leading companies large and small, large technology developers and new start-ups and spinouts, and our world- leading research institutions, increasing the number of collaborations up the value chain.
Chris Courtney, challenge director, ISCF Manufacturing Made Smarter at UKRI, said: “Digital technologies have the power to radically transform how we manufacture and deliver the products and services of today and the future and I am delighted that we have managed to secure the funding for
Brexit border disruption will have an impact on UK warehousing warns Midland Pallet Trucks
M
idland Pallet Trucks is backing the concerns of industry leaders who warn that Brexit border disruption will have a detrimental impact on the already overstretched warehousing industry and supply chain. A letter penned by eight industry leaders, including the heads of the Road Haulage Association, Logistics UK and the United Kingdom Warehousing Association to minister Michael Gove, voiced concerns that preparations for a no-deal Brexit need to be stepped up to reduce the impact of border disruption have been voiced. A no-deal Brexit will result in additional administration at key transport ports and borders, as well as greater strain being placed on border infrastructure, IT systems and intermediary staff to help process large amounts of paperwork.
With UK businesses already stockpiling consumer goods from the EU in readiness for the final exit, many warehousing providers are already struggling to cope with the demands for space and the increase in labour required to keep operational wheels turning.
The UK warehousing sector has reported record take-up levels in Q2 with 13.3 million square feet of space largely driven by eCommerce and food retailers, and this is predicted to rise further with a pipeline of over £1.5 billion lying in wait for the next quarter.
Phil Chesworth, managing director of Midland Pallet Trucks said: “Protecting our supply chains is critical in this period of uncertainty, but stockpiling goods from the EU shouldn’t come at a cost to the health and safety of our warehouse workers. From regular training and comprehensive inductions for new staff to hand pallet trucks, lift tables and other pieces of vital materials handling equipment, it is critical that staff safety and productivity is maintained during these uncertain times, so I urge any warehouse manager to reassess their materials handling needs and anticipate greater stock and pallet volumes as we prepare to leave the EU.”
www.midlandpallettrucks.com/
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this vital programme. Our ambition is to support the UK to become a leader in the manufacturing industry and the development of the next generation of technology solutions that will shape how the world works. “The current COVID challenges all sectors are facing only underline the vital importance of manufacturing in the UK across all sectors. There are enormous opportunities to innovate in this area, we have world leading industries, a powerful scientific and research community, a vibrant technology sector and I’m excited to see how this powerful coalition transforms the future of manufacturing.”
Hamid Mughal, Manufacturing Made Smarter Industrial Advisory Group chair said: “We have tremendous Manufacturing capability in the UK and recent events have reinforced the importance of strengthening this sector for national resilience and economic growth. Rapid advances in Digital and disruptive Manufacturing technologies provide us with the perfect opportunity to shape this outcome. By harnessing the potential of this technology, we will be able to make a transformational improvement in productivity, sustainability and global competitiveness and create new products and services that forge modern digital enterprises. This programme is a key step forward as it will help UK Manufacturing companies to jointly address this challenge and develop cost-effective digital solutions for deployment in our Manufacturing Sector.”
Round 2 of challenge competitions are now open - Manufacturing Made Smarter: Digital Supply Chain. Funding of £20m will support innovative feasibility studies and industrial research projects. SME’s can apply for up to 70 per cent funding towards project costs. Applications close 07 October.
For more information visit
https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.
gov.uk/competition/658/overview
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