Interview with Ben Peace

Interview with

Ben Peace

The Knowledge Transfer Network

Ben Peace, Head of Manufacturing, The Knowledge Transfer Network

Ben heads up the manufacturing team at the Knowledge Transfer Network (the UK’s innovation network). He started his career with ten years of product development within industry – first in a university spinout, then in a multi-national heating manufacturer. He then spent a couple of years in innovation consultancy before joining the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) in 2011. KTN’s manufacturing team helps manufacturers to innovate, and innovators to manufacture. It does this by making targeted links to the right knowledge, partners, facilities and funding.

1

There’s a lot written about industry 4.0. What is you take on it and where are we heading?

I’ll start by saying we are not always served well by thinking of “Industry 4.0”, or the “fourth industrial revolution” as one thing. The implications; the roadmap to adoption, is quite different for each individual business.

With that as context, what is clear is that there is a variety of digital technologies that have been emerging in recent years which, when deployed successfully, can have a transformative effect on manufacturing – making it more efficient and productive; delivering better value to customers and high quality jobs. I’m referring to technologies such as additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, cyber security, sensors, and immersive technologies. Here in the UK we have great home-grown emerging innovation in these areas - both within academia and within innovative businesses big and small.

The businesses that will really benefit will be the ones that can successfully integrate a range of such technologies, taking a collaborative approach that adds up to more than the sum of its parts. Indeed it struck me powerfully whilst at the last Industry 4.0 Summit earlier in the year that the solution providers would do well to work together to develop more joined-up solutions; whilst manufacturers will benefit from sharing knowledge on deployment, eg. across sectors.

When such momentum starts to build, we will move from something that feels more like a genuine revolution. This is for certain: Even if we don’t adopt the latest technologies we can be sure that other nations will. Our industry will be left behind.

4

Image courtesy of The Knowledge Transfer Network

The 4Manufacturing initiative has developed a framework for engaging SMEs on a one-to-one basis which has been deployed in a pilot study to over 175 manufacturing SMEs.

This breaks down the broad topic of 4IR into a manageable set of 22 themes which structures the dialogue, enables assessment of capabilities, identification of opportunities, and tracks progress. In a two-way dialogue with an advisor, the companies select a number (typically one to three) of these themes that they wish to engage with. Within each of these themes we have defined a structure of five attainment levels, from (1) basic awareness to (5) exemplar, with descriptive text outlining what each attainment level looks like for a manufacturing business.

Thus, the framework establishes a starting point and an aspiration for the company’s 4IR journey. The advisor then helps develop a plan of action and enable this journey via advice, support with regard to finding suitable partners, solution providers and funding. As progress is made it is captured using the same attainment levels.

2

3

KTN has a strong focus on the SME market, what can you do for them and what can they do themselves to get started on their own 4.0 journey?

Industry 4.0 is all about connectivity and system level thinking. So it’s a good fit with the Knowledge Transfer Network’s remit which is focused on making connections across the full spectrum of sectors and disciplines. In short, as the UK’s innovation network, we connect businesses to the partners and funding that can drive innovation and its deployment. In the context of manufacturing and Industry 4.0, our remit can be described in two parts: i) linking manufacturers to those partners that can enable exploration and deployment of innovative technologies; and ii) helping commercialise the innovative solutions by linking the developers to early adopter manufacturers. Our support is not restricted to SMEs, but on both sides of the equation many of the proactive businesses we can help are SMEs, and they benefit greatly from the support we can offer - making the right connections based on their particular needs, and securing the right funding and finance. This saves time and accelerates deployment.

at the Industry 4.0 Summit you introduced the 4Manufacturing Initiative – can you tell us what this is about and any recent developments?

The 4Manufacturing ® initiative has now engaged with 230 SMEs and we’ve learnt a great deal about what works and what doesn’t. We have developed a web platform (www.4manufacturing.co.uk) which we hope will enable deployment of the framework at scale. By working with regionally based stakeholders such as LEPs and Growth Hubs, we hope to extend access beyond what KTN could achieve on its own. For a summary see the new report which will be published very shortly on the website.

To see how KTN can help businesses contact them on ktn-uk.co.uk/interests/manufacturing5

industry 4.0 Issue no 3 - AUGUST 2018

4

5

6

7

what’s your view of the UK governments ‘Made Smarter’ reviews? Are there things that they should have included?

Made Smarter is a very important initiative that KTN maintains a close link to. We’re supportive of the findings which echo many of our own. We’re in close dialogue with partners in the Innovate UK/UKRI “family” such as the Catapults and Innovate UK, working to fulfil our ongoing remit to join things up, which includes Made Smarter and the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

Is Britain ready to adopt industry 4.0. Are there are hurdles to mitigate?

It will not happen overnight. It is not a panacea and it feels sometimes like we are at risk of over-hyping it, which can have the effect of putting some businesses off. Many businesses indeed are not ready yet. Others don’t know where to start or who to talk to out of all the competing voices. But we are starting to see early adopters big and small go beyond adoption of digital technologies to genuine system level integration that is delivering benefits to the bottom line. Momentum is starting to build. In parallel, things are starting to join up better across the policy and support landscape, which will bring much needed clarity and enable that momentum to continue.

what are KTN’S short and long term goals?

Ultimately our mission is to deliver economic growth. Industry 4.0 is one of the major opportunities to achieve that. In that context:

In the short term we are exploring deployment of 4Manufacturing ® with a select group of regional partners as described above. As we do so we will be refining the model of operation with a view to achieving reach across the whole nation. In parallel we are further extending our work and reach with solution providers and developers of new technologies. We are also refreshing and extending our range of Special Interest Groups that serve some of these areas.

In the longer term we will be explore the use of a similar approach to 4Manufacturing ® in other thematic areas, and the increased deployment of digital technologies in our own operations, to extend further the impact that we deliver.

4.0 aims to make efficiencies for companies by making their processes more efficient. Will there be jobs in 30 years?

That’s a big question and one that I’m probably not in a position to answer any further than to say that there will be rather more jobs if we invest in and support collaborative innovation along with, importantly, with its deployment in industry.

Video:

Innovation for Growth - KTN panel discussion at The Industry 4.0 Summit

6