Manchester was the epicentre of the 1st industrial revolution and can lead the 4th revolution

Manchester was the epicentre of the 1st industrial revolution and can lead the 4th revolution

Manufacturing is often a measure of the prosperity of nations and an essential source of development and innovation. This sector contributes 10% of the UK’s GDP, 45% of its exports, and employs approximately 2.7 million people. However, between 2005 and 2016 the UK has dropped from the 5th largest manufacturing nation in the world to 7th, being overtaken by South Korea and Italy. We continue to lag behind Germany and the USA in productivity.

Despite a myriad of research and innovation funding schemes aimed at keeping UK universities at the forefront of industrially applicable scientific advancements, UK manufacturers are finding it difficult to recruit people with relevant advanced technical and engineering skills. This difficulty is being further exacerbated by the rate at which new technologies such as digital manufacturing are evolving, and the adoption by manufacturers of new advanced materials to support better productivity.

Professor Paulo Bartolo, Chair in Advanced Manufacturing, The University of Manchester

Dr Shaden Jaradat, Research Strategy Coordinator, The University of Manchester

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industry 4.0 Issue no 9 - February 2019Manchester’s industrial revolution

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Academic Experts From The University of Manchester Talk About Industry 4.0

Nowhere is this mismatch more vivid than the technologies underpinning the fourth industrial revolution. The growing need for integrating automated advanced manufacturing, and the big data it produces with cloud platforms to enhance performance will impact business, construction, agriculture and healthcare with farreaching economic and societal implications.

The need for more investment in industrial digital technologies and the skills gap in its workforce have been recognised by the UK Government. The Made Smarter Review – led by Juergen Maier, CEO of Siemens UK and an honorary professor at The University of Manchester – concluded that the benefit to the UK economy of adopting Industrial Digital Technologies over the next decade could reach £455 billion, linked with growth in manufacturing of up to 3% PA, the creation of 175,000 jobs and a 4.5% reduction in CO2 emissions. Crucially, the Review highlighted the need for digital hubs including one in the North West.

With its world-class academic excellence, and geographic and cultural pull of its home city, The University of Manchester is uniquely positioned to be an exemplar of the leadership required from the UK’s higher education sector.

Taking the example of advanced materials – a core technology propelling Industry 4.0 - we are home to c.£420 million worth of internationally-renowned research and business innovation centres such as:

• The Henry Royce Institute – the UK’s national institute for advanced materials research and innovation

• BP’s International Centre for Advanced Materials

• National Graphene Centre, and the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre

These are the ingredients of an ecosystem built around a talent supply chain.

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Manchester’s industrial revolutionIssue no 9 - February 2019 industry 4.0

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Digital Catapult Hack & Pitch Industry 4.0 Summit Manchester

In other words, we have a track record in delivering on areas that are vital for Industry 4.0. This was made possible because of our success at grassroots level, with a critical mass of researchers at the forefront of Industry 4.0’s technologies and societal and economic impact. Indeed, our Digital Futures network has identified c.800 University of Manchester researchers in the space of digital research spanning technology, health and social science.

We are taking steps to cement our place as a world-leading hub for Industry 4.0 solutions in engineering, health and social sciences. The University of Manchester Industry 4.0 Strategy Paper, to be launched at the Industry 4.0 Summit in April 2019, will set out a comprehensive framework spanning national and regional industrial research priorities as well as the teaching and learning approach required to produce future-ready industrialists.

We invite industry leaders to join our vision, by partnering with us in defining these priorities, and collaborating with us in projects large and small, from CPD’s to PhDs. Our capability for such partnerships is vividly illustrated by several multimillion ventures such as the Centre in Advanced Fluid Engineering for Digital Manufacturing (CAFE4DM) with Unilever, the BAE Systems Strategic Partnership in the areas of advanced manufacturing and novel materials, and the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence in Nuclear (RAIN) hub.

We also call on the Government to invest in our model as a pilot for the integration of resources that would transform Higher Education Institutions into regional centres of academic and industrial excellence. We will capitalise on our expertise in positively contributing to policy, exemplified by Manchester Energy, the Northern Powerhouse, as well as our Policy@Manchester platform which connects researchers to policy makers.

Let us seize the opportunity to bridge the gap between academia and industry.

The University of Manchester is the Strategic Academic Partner for the Industry 4.0 Summit. Professor Bartolo and Dr Jaradat are the Chairman and Manager of the Industry 4.0 Academia Summit, respectively.

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