Future of Manufacturing Ireland Q4 2019

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Biopharma contributes over €73 billion to Irish exports

MATT MORAN Director, BioPharmaChem Ireland

As global competition for foreign direct investment intensifies, it is vital that the Irish biopharma sector stays at the cutting edge of manufacturing technologies.

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he biopharma sector now contributes over €73 billion to the exports of Ireland.

It also employs over 30,000 people directly and at least the same amount indirectly.

All of the top ten biopharma compa n ies i n t he world have operations in this country.

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The i ndu s t r y i nve s t s ab out €1.8 billion annually in process development R&D. Leading way for manufacturing The need for Ireland to sustain its leadersh ip posit ion in manufacturing was prioritised May 2019, by BioPharmaChem Ireland (BPCI) in their fifth strategy s t atement . BP C I i s t he association within Ibec that represents biopharma and chemical manufacturing in Ireland.

Companies can prioritise a range of tech n iques and practices that ensure that Irish sites continue to foc us on best practice and retain @BusinessNewsIE

competitive advantage in their manufacturing operations.

BPCI is committed to operational excellence and runs a very active specialist group in this field.

Biopharma can benefit from AI and VR The industry needs to harness the potential of data – gathering and managing it for outcomebased measurement and personalised healthcare.

The sector needs to deal effectively with the amount of data that it generates. Machine learning and artificial intelligence can be deployed to improve the reliabilit y and efficiency of manufacturing.

Compan ies are consider ing virtual reality (VR) to support training activities. Such te ch nolog ies wou ld enable companies to train colleagues without risking potential damage to @MediaplanetIE

valuable equipment or jeopardising important product.

VR could also be used to simulate and test new manufact ur ing scenarios. In time, one could even look at apply i ng V R to process validation, presenting the opportunity to get products to market more quickly.

Robotics in manufacturing Robotics are increasingly deployed in biopharma manufacturing applications. Robots are useful for packing and filling lines in classified or clean areas, or if the product is potentially harmful to hu m a n s . A rob ot c ap able of sanitising clean rooms has been trialled.

A robotics skillnet has been established in Ireland, with the primary aim of applying robotic and automation technology within m a nu f ac t u r i n g gener a l ly i n this country. @MediaplanetUK

Cross-industry collaboration to boost innovation Novartis recently announced a collaboration with Microsoft in the area of artificial intelligence.

The Novartis AI Innovation L ab w il l str ive to reimag ine medicine, bolstering its capabi l it ies f rom resea rch through commercialisation.

BPCI w ill partner w ith Innopharma in r unning best practice workshop in Biopharma 4.0 in Dublin in early December.

This meeting will be addressed by one of the founders of Factory 4.0 – Henrik von Scheel.

“The collaboration with the Ibec Medtech and Engineering Networks on the Masters in Digitalisation of Manufacturing will enable their employees to identify and grasp new opportunities in the evolving manufacturing sector.”

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ADVERTORIAL

Build your company talent pipeline with the Manufacturing Engineering Apprenticeship Combine excellent educational qualifications with workplace learning to ensure work-ready graduates via the new Manufacturing Engineering Apprenticeship.

TRISH BREEN Medtech and Polymer Apprenticeships Project Manager, Ibec

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pprenticeships can be a g r e at r e c r u it m e nt tool for your company, but many are finding that the programmes offer much more besides. The apprentices are placed straight into practical working environments, so they add business value very quickly and t hey integ rate into t he companies really well.

Nationally, the majority of apprentices are achieving, on average, 10%-20% higher results than the corresponding full-time students, and the engagement of students with laboratory and class work is exceptional in comparison to other undergraduates.

What a manufacturing engineering apprenticeship offers Manufact ur ing eng ineer ing apprenticeships are suitable for a hugely diverse manufacturing and engineering environment.

Developed by the Irish Medtech Association (an Ibec sector) – along with a strong industry consortium and Galway Mayo Institute of Technology as the lead provider – these apprenticeships open doors to medical technology, engineering, polymer, pharma, food, machinery, construction, and ICT sectors.

Apprentices have the chance to build aerospace components with the likes of Eire Composites, or contact len ses w it h J& J Vision. Oppor t un it ies ex ist across medtech, agri tech and other sectors. The scheme is a l ready suppor te d by la rge companies such as BD Medical,

DePuy Synthes and Str yker, a nd 41 sma l l-to -med iu m companies (e.g. Cambus Medical, Caragh Precision, Key Plastics), supporting 186 apprentices.

How long are the courses?

The two-year Technician (Level 6) or three-year Engineer (Level 7) apprenticeships involve 15 weeks a year in Galway Mayo Institute of Technology, Cork Institute of Technology, Limerick Institute of Technology or IT Sligo. The remaining 37 weeks of the year are spent with the employer.

Manufacturing and engineering sector Ireland Our ambition is for Ireland to have a n i nter nat iona l reputation for manufacturing and engineering across all key sectors. We believe this can be achieved through sharing best pract ice, developing deeper cross-sectora l col laborat ion a nd cho o si n g p ol ic ie s t h at strengthen our workforce. These apprenticeships are an excellent example of programmes that are helping to support these goals.

Next intakes 2020 The nex t Manufacturing Engineering intakes will start in July 2020 with the 15-week academic block starting in all locations in September 2020.

How innovations in technology is shaping the manufacturing industry HEATHER HUMPHREYS TD Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation

Advancements to ICT technologies is spurring a radical transformation across the manufacturing sector. Such is the scale of this transformation, that it is often referred to as the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0.

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anufacturing is a cent ra l pi l la r of ou r e conomy, employ i ng over 227,000 people, with 85% of that employment outside of Dublin.

Exciting times are ahead as this sector is transforming due to a new wave in technology.

Technolog y is advancing across many industry sectors.

These include cloud computing; t he Inter net of Th ings; h igh performance computing; advanced aut om ate d a nd aut onomo u s systems and collaborative robotics; artificial intelligence; big data capture and analysis; and digital fabrication (including 3D printing).

The adoption of Industry 4.0 in the manufacturing sector and its supply chain will give rise to a wealth of opportunities for both MNCs and SMEs in Ireland.

It can play a key role in sustaining competitiveness and employment in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals and chemicals, food and drink, medical devices, computers and electronics, and engineering.

However, adopting Industry 4.0 strategies will be a challenge – no matter how big or small your firm. Future Jobs Ireland, our new economic pathway for Ireland, acknowledges these challenges but signals Ireland’s ambition to embrace the opportunities offered. €500m in government funding for digitalization The digital transformation will depend on achieving excellence and critical mass in RD&I that

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underpins Industry 4.0. Here, Ireland is well-placed, having already invested significantly i n a nu mber of cent res of scale including: 1. CONFIR M: an SFI funded Re s e a rch C ent re w it h a focus on the convergence of IT systems and industrial automation systems.

2. I - F o r m : a n S F I f u n d e d Research Centre with a focus on additive manufacturing, c om b i ne d w it h t he u s e of digital technologies in manufacturing.

3. Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR): this Enterprise Ireland (E I)/ I DA I rel a nd f u nde d centre is dedicated to close to market RD&I Industry 4.0 activities, including additive manufacturing/3D printing and with plans to extend ac t iv it y i n col laborat ive robotics and aug mented/ virtual reality.

The proposed Advanced Manufacturing Centre (A MC), which IDA Ireland is planning to establish, will complement these centres and respond to the needs of Ireland’s discrete manufacturing industry base.

The Government also supports investment in digitalisation through t he D i sr upt ive Te ch nolog ies Innovation Fund with funding of €500m under Project Ireland 2040 and a suite of supports through Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.

Overcoming fears that ‘going digital’ will spell unemployment A key concern is the effect that d i g it a l i s at i o n w i l l h ave o n employment. It is expected to reshape the skills that will be required from the workers of the future.

The Government will ensure that the education and training system responds to changing skills needs.

For example, the Regional Skills Fora facilitate engagement between enterprise and the education a nd t r a i n i n g p rov ide r s a nd Springboard+ and Skillnet Ireland offer a series of education and training programmes with a focus on the future of work in areas like blockchain, artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, the Internet of Things, virtual reality and smart factory technologies.

These initiatives build on our industrial capabilities built over decades, our thriving community of indigenous supply chain SMEs and the presence of world-leading software and ICT industries.

Following extensive engagement with the manufacturing sector, I will shortly launch a new strategy for Industry 4.0 that will ensure that manufacturing in Ireland is at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution.

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Is Ireland ready for the next wave of biopharmaceutical manufacturing?

COLIN CLARKE Science Foundation Ireland Principal Investigator, Systems Biology and Data Analytics Laboratory, NIBRT, Associate Professor, School of Chemical and Biopress Engineering, University College Dublin

Ireland is uniquely positioned to play a significant role in the next generation of biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and continuing to deliver life changing medicines.

A revolution in healthcare Biopharmaceuticals (drugs derived from biological sources) have transformed the treatment of chronic diseases such as cancer and inflammatory disorders with more than 350 million patients worldwide benefiting from these me d ic i ne s. The d i s c over y of potential new biopharmaceuticals continues at a staggering pace, encompassing more than 50% of all new medicines in drug discovery pipelines. There are tremendous opportunities to improve human health in the years to come.

Making biological medicines T r a d it io n a l c h e m ic a l d r u g s are made t hrough organic or chemical synthesis, combining well defined chemical components to produce a reasonably pure active pharmaceutical ingredient w ith a relatively simple chemical structure.

In contrast, biopharmaceuticals utilise living cells to produce a drug substance, which is not only significantly larger, but also several orders of magnitude more structurally complex. Producing safe, uniform products efficiently in a biological system presents a significant challenge for the biopharmaceutical industry.

Increasing pressure on the industry Biopharmaceutical companies must invest considerable resources to develop high ly control led, efficient and robust manufacturing processes, that adhere to strict regulatory guidelines. For example, vaccine production can involve in excess of 500 processing steps, 400 raw materials and require MEDIAPLANET

more than 650 individual tests to ensure safety of the final product.

The sheer number and diversity as well as increasing sophistication of emerging biopharmaceuticals is putting the industry under considerable pressure.

Can we be at the forefront of biopharmaceutical manufacturing?

Ireland is uniquely positioned to play a significant role in the next generation of biopharmaceutical manufacturing and continuing to deliver life changing medicines to patients. In Ireland, Biopharma capita l assets now exceed n i ne bi l l ion E u ro s, w it h 4 0 manufacturing plants approved

by US FDA which are employing more t han 30,0 0 0 people.

Allied to the presence of these companies are Universities and National Institutes, with unique infrastructure training highly skilled employees and perform cutting-edge research through support from Enterprise Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland.

Leading the way in Biopharma 4.0 In recent years, biopharmaceutical companies have recognised the impact of data analytics in other manufacturing sectors and are now beg inning to utilise the technology in their manufacturing processes. An additional factor in our ecosystem is the presence of tech and ICT companies that, t h r o u g h c ol l a b o r at io n w it h biotech companies and academics, can support the digitalisation of the industry.

For i n s t a nce, t he Nat iona l I n s t it u t e fo r B i o p r o c e s s i n g R e s e a r c h T r a i n i n g (N I B R T )

and Siemens, with support by the IDA, have been working to develop a state-of-the-art data analytics infrastructure to gain new k nowle dge a nd ha r nes s artificial intelligence. The awardwinning initiative, called BioMac, is now supporting biotechnology c omp a n ie s b a s e d i n I rel a nd and abroad to accelerate their digital transformation.

Adapting to change T went y ye a rs ago, t he I r i sh government recognised that when patent protection for traditional c he m ic a l me d ic i ne s l ap s e d, t here wou ld be a sig n i fica nt impact on the products being manufactured here. The resulting strateg y to attract biopharma companies to Ireland has been tremendously successful.

We are in an enviable position, hav i ng at t rac ted t he biggest wave of new biotech investment anywhere in the world. However – the industry is rapidly changing and we now find ourselves at a critical point in the evolution of drug production – we must not stand still.

The la st f ive yea rs have seen the approval of exciting cel l and gene t herapies w it h t ra n sfor mat ive outcomes for patients. Manufacturing these new me d ic i ne s i s ex t remely complex, a nd i n ma ny cases they are radically different from t ho s e c u r r e nt l y m ade he r e .

A new co ord i nate d s t rateg ic response, including investment in education and research in new drug manufacture and related technologies, is urgently needed to ensure this next wave of potential i nve s t m e n t i n t o I r e l a n d i s not missed.

INVENTING FOR LIFE At MSD we have and always will be...

Inventing for Life. These three powerful words reflect our commitment to inventing new medicines and vaccines that save lives by preventing and fighting disease.

MSD Ireland is one of the country’s leading healthcare companies, having first established here over 50 years ago. We currently employ approximately 2,300 employees across five sites in Ballydine, Co Tipperary, Brinny, Co Cork, Carlow and Dublin.

We have substantial Human Health and Animal Health businesses, have invested $2.5 billion in our Irish operations and are consistently ranked as one of Ireland’s top 20 companies.

A member of Guaranteed Irish, we are proud to be one of Ireland’s leading exporters and our Irish sites manufacture approximately half of MSD’s top twenty products, saving and enhancing lives in over sixty countries around the world.

Learn more about the opportunities available in MSD Ireland at www.msdirelandjobs.com

Copyright © 2019 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Future-fit manufacturing

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MICHEÁL CASSIDY CTO and CO-Founder, Irish Manufacturing Research

The jump to Industry 4.0 can seem intimidating to some. We must make this a smooth, accessible transition for businesses to adopt, and help highlight the benefits of digitisation.

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s we move beyond t he initial hype of Industry 4.0, the manufacturing com munit y is star ting to g rapple w it h t he tang ible business opportunities offered by emerging digitalisation and automation technologies.

However, the issue is frequently presented in terms of a binary t ra n sfor m at ion f rom to day ’s world to a future digital utopia.

The question could instead be articulated as: ‘What is the next step in my journey and is it taking me along the right path?’ It’s not always possible to answer that with 100% certainty, but standing still is not an option. The only constant is change and the pace of that change is accelerating.

Taking a leadership position in sustainability for a low-carbon economy

What does the workforce of the future look like?

New business models are bringing customer-centric solutions to market in a matter of weeks where, previously, this had taken years. Advanced analytics feeding simulation and rapid production technologies mean that Formula One racing teams can build and race a new car every two weeks.

Digital supply-chains and 3D printing are enabling customers to order individual-fit sports-shoes at the price point of mass-production.

The key for most manufacturers is understanding the benefits of technology investments and defining a business model that makes sense in this environment.

Future generations are looking at employers with a different set of lenses than before. They expect employers to be leaders in diversity, environmental awareness and t o p r ov id e s t i mu l at i n g a n d rewarding work.

R e c e nt s u r ve y s o f G e n -Z s entering the workforce highlight a n ex p e c t at ion of c ont i nu a l career development, evolv ing roles and opportunities. Lifelong learning and skills development must be a key part of the future manufacturing environment with intuitive and personalised delivery to generations of digital natives.

The manufacturing industry is ideally placed to steer the global r e s p o n s e fo r s u s t a i n a b i l it y t h rough proac t ive measu res, t h at a re s t ron g ly s upp or te d by new d ig it a l tech nolog ies.

These i n novat ion s i nclude IoT-enabled efficient production, on-site renewable generat ion for zero net carbon production, a nd en g a gement i n c i rc u l a r economy ecosystem s t hat minimise the resource intensity of manufacturing supply chains.

Technology is changing at an unprecedented rate

Technology needs to support business evolution or, ideally, revolution – it cannot become simply a digital version of business as usual Real-world examples of customer success range from detecting a basic physical quantity and turning this into useful intelligence. For example, detecting unoccupied spaces and turning off lights and AC; through to scheduling complex production environments via AI. Knowledge, awareness and training are significant steps to take in order to demystif y t he tech nolog ies a nd de -r isk future investment.

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Preparing for the challenges of global climate change SIMON MCKEEVER Chief Executive, Irish Exporters Association

Climate change, on a micro and macro level, is our generation’s defining challenge. As an island nation, Ireland is, and will increasingly be, particularly affected by the multifaceted effects of a changing climate over the coming years.

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rish businesses, especially those in the food and drink sectors, but also in the logistics a nd t ra n s p or t se c tors, mu s t consider and adapt to measures to manage and mitigate the different effects on their businesses.

We welc ome t he m a ny steps already taken by the IEA membersh ip a nd t he Ir ish government at local, regional and national level to reduce their environmental impacts through i nvest ment s i n i n novat ive a nd s u st a i nable solut ion s to ag r ic u lt ura l development, manufactur ing and log istics.

However, more can and must be done at all levels to reduce Ireland’s rel i a nc e on fo s s i l f uel s a nd accelerate the transition to a zeroemissions economy.

Businesses must be supported through sustainability changes The time for detailed action on tackling climate change is now; albeit, it must be accompanied by a sustainable action plan and supports for businesses.

Tightened rules and regulations, designed to limit environmental impacts, are already significantly i n f lu e nc i n g m a nu f ac t u r e r s ’ design and production processes.

The European Union’s Circular Economy package for example, which entered into force in July 2018, sets ambitious recycling targets on packaging and packaging waste. With this new legislation,

More can and must be done at all levels to reduce Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to a zero-emissions economy. the European Commission aims to ‘close the loop’ in product lifecycles through mandating their improved recycling and re-use.

Target: Recycling 70% of all EU packaging waste by 2030 With ambitious recycling targets of 70% of all EU packaging waste by 2030, including 80% of ferrous metals, 60% of aluminium, 55% of plastics and 30% of wood, these regulatory changes are already influencing future product design for manufacturing businesses.

In addition, ‘Extended Producer Responsibility’ schemes place further governance obligations and compliance costs on goods manufacturers to ensure their environmental sustainability.

Manufacturers may move to electric or hybrid HGVs It is not just regulatory compliance costs that we are facing. As a consequence of our geography, and par t ic u lar rel iance on short-sea shipping to the European mainland, Irish exporting and importing businesses will equally be bound to address and prepare for a number of potential transportation challenges. For many exporting and transport

companies, these range from the potential transition to the use of alternative transport fuels such as electric vehicles for last-mile deliver y or hydrogen powered HGVs to the development of fully integrated multimodal transport networks combining air, rail, sea and road cargo movements and digital technologies such as blockchain to streamline the transportation process.

Our global climate is changing, both environmentally and in the nature of how and where Irish businesses trade. Besides the political remit to trade, climate change is our generation’s defining challenge and the moment for detailed action is now.

While many difficult decisions lie ahead of us in addressing the different challenges arising from effectively preparing and mitigating the impacts of climate change on the Irish exporting community, the Irish Exporters Association will continue to stand ready at a political, technical and business level to assist our members in maximising their businesses opportunities in the face of the climate change.

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Global hub supporting growing pharmaceutical industry in and out of Ireland

MAURICE MEADE Managing Director, DHL Global Forwarding, Ireland

As a committed EU member, Ireland is at the heart of Europe and plays a vital role manufacturing and supplying life-saving medicines both globally and in to Europe.

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hroughout the past year, there have been a number of Life Sciences start-ups and major expansions in the Irish market. We are home to all 10 of the world’s top 10 pharmaceutical companies, 24 out of 25 of the world’s top biopharma companies and 18 of the world’s top MedTech companies.

IDA Ireland has reported that over the past decade, €10bn has been invested into new biopharma and biotech production facilities in the country, representing “close to the biggest wave of investment in new biotech facilities anywhere in the world.”1

Storing and distributing critical drugs safely I rel a nd c a n b o a s t a v ibr a nt industry, manufacturing critical drugs and exporting them globally for decades. But this requires storage, handling and distribution u nder s t r ic t re g u l ator y a nd security conditions and across the full range of temperatures required to protect the drugs.

Such critical drugs require high levels of sec ur it y, protect ion from fire and strict temperature-

controlled zones ranging from ‘ambient’ (room temperature), ‘chill’, right through to ‘frozen’ and ‘deep frozen’.

An integrated global network “Many companies are beginning to recognise the benefits of a more i nteg rated approach to supply chain management,” says Maurice Meade, MD of DHL Global Fowarding, Ireland. “Traditionally, companies have managed their inbound supply chain at a plant level. But, by enabling a more holistic view of the inbound supply chains, international deliver y networks have reduced complexity, providing visibility from pick up to point of delivery, making them more agile and responsive to ma rket dema nd. Th i s ha s allowed logistics teams to reduce the amount of inventory sitting in warehouses and release working capital for other needs.”

Such integration can help the logistics company – and those with whom they collaborate – through the uncertainties that Brexit might give rise to. In one instance, the logistics team in Dublin ensured a successful deliver y of a life

transforming service into the EU ahead of the Brexit deadline. The delivery was a ‘Brexit contingency’ plan, focused on critical patient s upply – a lw ays put t i ng t he patient first.

Patients come first in logistics future planning I nve s t m e nt i n d e e p f r o z e n capability is underway to support the complex supply chain needs of the next generation of ground-breaking medicines bei ng resea rched i n Irela nd, personalised medicines and cell and gene therapies that promise to revolutionise disease treatment.

Gill McCann, Head of Life Sciences and Healthcare says: “We continue to invest in the solutions needed

GILL MCCANN Head of Life Sciences, DHL Supply Chain, Ireland by our Global Pharmaceutical Customers in Ireland, which are critical to enable patients to access these revolutionary medicines.

These treatments are complex in their manufacture, personal to a patient and require a safe pair of hands to safeguard them in transit.”

Ireland remains ideally placed to manage global and European ph a r m ac eut ic a l a nd cl i n ic a l supply chains. Supply chain and transportation services help the industry operate compliantly, safely and efficiently, while ensuring the continued provision of lifesustaining and life-transforming medicines to patients worldwide out of the centre of excellence that is the island of Ireland.

About DHL DHL supports the life sciences sector across R&D, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and hospitals, and has developed customised Worldwide Medical Express and Thermonet networks which enable end-to-end proactive monitoring of temperaturesensitive shipments.

DHL has its own airline with over 250 dedicated aircraft connecting over 500 airports and 22 major hubs globally. The team has also developed further services for its pharmaceutical customer base - amongst which controlled drugs, deep frozen and GMP services. www.logistics.dhl

Sponsored by

Source: 1. https://www.idaireland.com/doing-business-here/industry-sectors/bio-pharmaceuticals

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Manufacturing employees need to be tech-savvy and analytical

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PAUL HEALY Chief Executive, Skillnet Ireland

Ireland is a global leader in the advanced manufacturing space. However, if we are to continue to realise this ambition, Irish businesses must continually adapt to new technologies and develop their workforce at pace.

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riven by technological innovation and disruption, the manufacturing industry is now in a constant state of transformation. Businesses in this sector find themselves not just in need of employees, but employees with a skill set that did not exist 10 or 20 years ago.

Stakeholder collaboration is key for employee development Once considered a traditional sector, working in the manufacturing industry involved labour-intensive and repetitive tasks. However, manufacturers now need employees with a high-tech and analytical skill set. This shift requires businesses to place the development of their talent and the upskilling of their people centre stage.

Businesses must identify their training and skills needs and work in collaboration with government, educational institutes and industry to provide workforce development solutions. Skillnet learning networks in the manufacturing, medtech, connected health, biopharma and technology sectors have seen a greater demand for upskilling solutions in the field of automation, collaborative robotics (or cobotics) and innovation.

supply chain with our equipment and technology partners provides us with unique opportunities for both technology and knowledge convergence. Such integration enables the creation of business and value-added processes, and the linking of manufacturing and high-quality knowledge centric ser v ices lead i ng to so - ca l led hybrid processes. This Master of Engineering (Digitalisation of Manufacturing) will provide me with the in-depth understanding of t he c or e te c h nolo g ie s t o maximise these opportunities.”

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SINEAD KEOGH Medtech and Engineering Director, Ibec

Solutions for businesses and employees As evidenced through the Master’s in Digitalisation of Manufacturing from Ir ish Medtech Sk i l lnet, highly innovative and responsive programmes are achievable when businesses help design solutions that best meet their needs.

I n a h i g h l y d y n a m ic a nd uncertain world, one thing that’s certain is the need for innovative workforce development solutions that meet both business needs and those of our workforce.

Sponsored by

Education for Industry 4.0 A recent example is the new Master’s in Digitalisation of Manufacturing, a first of-its-kind master’s level programme to help businesses in Ireland embrace Industry 4.0. The Master’s developed by the Irish Medtech Skillnet with Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) was funded through Skillnet Ireland’s Innovation and Future Skills Programme. This new Master’s will provide businesses with the insight to get ahead of international trends, adopt new technologies, and ensure that people working within the sector here are equipped for the jobs of the future.

Speaking about the programme, course participant Patrick Ruane, Special Project Director with Joh n son a nd Joh n son Vision Limerick says: “The extensive integration of Johnson & Johnson

Helping Irish businesses embrace Industry 4.0

Skillnet Ireland is the business support agency responsible for enterprise-led workforce development. We are constantly horizon-scanning for new, essential skills that will advance the competitiveness, productivity and innovation of Irish businesses. Skillnet Ireland is actively working with the manufacturing sector to develop solutions that support businesses to thrive, with many new initiatives on the way.

To find your Skillnet Ireland Network, visit: www.skillnetireland.ie/ manufacturing

Business in Ireland must get ahead of international trends, adopt new technologies, and ensure that people working here are equipped for the jobs of the future. But how?

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new a toolkit to support Irish businesses develop digital skillsets has been launched by Ibec Medtech and E ng i ne er i ng, t he Ibe c g roup which represents the sectors. It is titled Master’s of Engineering in Digitalisation of Manufacturing, and is the first of-its-kind.

Ibec Medtech and Engineering Di rec tor, Si nead Keogh says: “Manufacturing is a vital part of the Irish economy, with more than 4,000 businesses employing in excess of 250,000 people. “ W h i le I r e l a n d i s a l r e ad y recognised as a global leader in manufacturing, as we look to the future, we need to embrace new te ch nolog ie s to rem a i n compet it ive. Th is st r uc t u red ma ster ’s i n Dig it a l i sat ion of Ma nu fac t u r i ng w i l l combi ne specialist modules, on line lectures with Limerick Institute o f T e c h n o l o g y, w o r k s h o p s a nd on- s ite v i s it s to c re ate ‘Digital Champions’.”

Hands-on Master’s supports better business outcomes “As a practice-based master’s it will help upskill professionals in manufacturing by equipping them with knowledge on a range

of cutting edge technologies such as data analytics and machine learning, 3D and virtual reality, robotics, the Internet of Things, and more.

“This is another great example of how Skillnet Ireland is helping core industries achieve their potential by suppor ting t he ongoing development of world-class talent.

We know it will be very popular with both leading manufacturing business as well as engineering professionals.”

Skillnet Ireland Chief Executive, P a u l H e a l y, s a y s : “ We a r e living in an unparalleled age of technolog ical innovation and disruption especially in high tech sectors such as manufacturing.

“We need to continue to support businesses not only in attracting top talent, but also in achieving b e t te r b u s i ne s s e s o utc ome s through boosting the creativity a nd c a re er mobi l it y of t hei r existing workers.

“The Masters in Digitalisation of Manufacturing is a powerful ex a mple of what i s p o s sible through collaborations between Skillnet Ireland, Higher Education, Ibec Medtech and Engineering and their member companies.”

A skilled workforce will attract skilled future talent

Te ch n ic a l Di re c tor for t he AC O R N R e s e a r c h C e nt r e i n Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT), Dr John Cosgrove says: “LIT has a strong track record for profes siona l ly acc re d ite d eng ineering deg rees t hat contribute to highly sought after graduates. We aim to deliver a hands on experience that enhances theoretical understanding and identifies added-value through industry-based research projects. “ The collaboration with the Ibec Medtech and Engineering Net work s on t he M a s ters i n Digitalisation of Manufacturing w i l l en able t hei r employe e s to ident i f y a nd g rasp new opportunities in the evolving manufacturing sector.”

This unique programme was developed by Ibec Medtech and Engineering, the Limerick Institute of Technology, and is funded by the Irish Medtech Skillnet.

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Addressing the future skills needs of industry Industry in Ireland needs to embrace the up-skilling of their workforce to address the threats and opportunities arising from the digitalisation of manufacturing.

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he digital transformation of industry poses a very sig n ificant t h reat to employment in the manufacturing sector in Ireland. Based on most indicators and sur veys, Irish companies are well behind the curve in relation to all aspects of Industry 4.0.

There is a lack of knowledge, skills and competences in the sector regarding how to deal w it h t hese rapid ly cha ng i ng technologies, and companies are poorly resourced in the key areas – automation, engineering, ICT and data analytics.

On the other hand, the digitalisation of manufacturing also offers great opportunities for manufacturing companies to compete for new business, at home and abroad, through agile design cycles, reduced costs, individual piece-part tracking, automated zero-defect inspection and closer links to customer requirements.

Industry 4.0: Smart processes, intelligent products and upskilled people Embracing Industry 4.0 requires innovation in products, processes and people. Products need to be smarter - with embedded chipsets, integrated sensors, data gathering facilities and communications.

Sma r t produc t s may even transition to being services, as is evident in new business models.

Processes need to be smarter, t o o . I n c r e a s e d au t o m at i o n , agile operations, product and component t rack i ng, v ideo inspection and robotics, allow manufacturing companies to find efficiencies and respond faster to customer needs.

People also need to be smarter.

Manufacturing is transitioning t o e l e c t r o n i c s y s t e m s w it h in herent communication and networking capabilities. Staff

DR JOHN COSGROVE Technical Director, ACORN Research Centre, Limerick Institute of Technology

There is a lack of knowledge, skills and competences in the sector regarding how to deal with these rapidly changing technologies, and companies are poorly resourced in the key areas. ne e d ex ten sive en gagement, awareness and re-skilling in these new approaches. Only companies who correctly address all three aspects will see the added value of digitalisation projects.

Smarter education The digitalisation of learning is also opening up approaches in how education and training is delivered, particularly for the certification of industry-based skills development.

New apprent icesh ips a nd c er t i f ie d c ou rse s add re s si n g Industry 4.0 provide significant credits for work-based learning, supported by online classes and

short-track training workshops.

These programmes provide a range of pathways for companies to upskill their workforce into dig ital teams, led by ‘Dig ital Champions’ who can focus on the development of new digital systems, the integration of data and – the key requirement – the demonstration of added value for their business.

Sponsored by

As an EU Hub for Digital Innovation in Manufacturing under the I4MS Programme (Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs), the ACORN Research Centre promotes awareness of Industry 4.0 and the Digitalisation of Manufacturing through workshops, skills training and conferences. On the 17th June 2020, LIT will host the Manufacturing Solutions Conference, where leading manufacturing services providers will exhibit.

ADVERTORIAL

Ireland’s ‘polymer people’ lead smart manufacturing revolution Ireland is on the precipice of a fourth industrial revolution driven by advances in smart manufacturing – a convergence of the digital and physical world, which enables machines to ‘talk’ to one another through the internet.

A

t t he epicent re of t h is seism ic tech nolog ica l shift is Athlone Institute of Technology’s brand new, smart manufacturing cell, which aims to take ‘people out of the process’, instead using robots, intelligent sensors and complex algorithms to improve the accuracy, reliability and speed of production lines.

The smart manufacturing cell, is currently Ireland’s only polymerbased test bed open to industry. It is funded by CONFIRM, a €47 million SFI-funded smart manufacturing research centre aimed at improving Irish manufacturing competitiveness through technological advancement.

The cell is being used to educate and familiarise industry with new, smart manufacturing technologies and the benefits of their subsequent adoption. The initiative is backed by MEDIAPLANET

CONFIRM’s six funded investigators – Dr Declan Devine, Dr Niall Murray, Dr Brian Lee, Dr Sean Lyons, Dr Enda Fallon and Dr Yuansong Qiao - all of Athlone Institute of Technology.

Smart manufacturing still seems very abstract – we need to educate industry “While there’s a lot of talk about smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0, from a practical industr y perspective, people’s perceptions of it are still very vague. It feels intangible,” says Dr Declan Devine, Director of Materials Research Institute.

“For Ireland to move forward as a centre of smart manufacturing, it’s crucial that industry gets behind it. We’re trying to facilitate this by upskilling people in emerging technologies and giving industry a

testing-ground to try out these new smart manufacturing capabilities.”

Robotics and AI mean that we can compete with low-cost labour In the Western world, where the cost of labour is high, the only way for companies to compete with countries with low-cost labour is through highly sophisticated, automated processes.

“We have to act now before we get squeezed by low-cost and high tech economies already embracing smart manufacturing. It’s not a question of ‘if we act’, we have to act or else we’ll haemorrhage jobs,” Dr Devine explained. “People might fear automation, but the reality is smart manufacturing will have an incredibly positive impact on the economy.”

DR DECLAN DEVINE Director of the Materials Research Institute, Athlone Institute of Technology

“Current research indicates that, for ever y robot brought into a company, three highly-skilled jobs are created. None of these jobs are going to be minimum wage – they’ll be highly skilled, well-paid polymer, automation and software engineering jobs.

“We’re known as the ‘polymer people’ across Ireland and Europe fo r g o o d r e a s o n . O u r s m a r t manufacturing cell is a national resource for industry to utilise. We want companies, big and small, to know that we are open for business.

We have the funding, we have the people and we have the expertise,” Dr Devine added.

Advertorial by

Info box Athlone Institute of Technology is a member of five SFI Research Centres CONFIRM, AMBER, CÚRAM, ADAPT and SSPC – and is currently in the midst of achieving technological university status in partnership with Limerick Institute of Technology. www.ait.ie

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AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET © LEO PHARMA IRELAND

How are manufacturers responding to the latest pharma trends?

JAMES BREEN Process Engineer LEO Pharma Q: What are the key trends in pharmaceutical technology?

• Augmented reality: Instructions and guides as interactive holograms • 3D printing: Creation of physical components in hard composite plastic or stainless steel • Industry 4.0 and Big Data: ‘Paperwork on glass’ and data analytics • IoT in automation: Every (micro)component in the factory ‘online’ • Continuous manufacturing: Supply product without interruption J a m e s : Au g mente d re a l it y assists our operators in changing over our production lines from one product to t he nex t in a structured manner. It presents hologram icons that are located in various sections of the machine, and displays arrows to guide the user through the changeover.

In the near future we will use the technology for troubleshooting brea kdow n s. The te ch nolog y can also g uide personnel through quality assurance and GMP activities.

MEDIAPLANET

It’s crucial that pharmaceutical manufacturers keep on top of latest technological innovations – It’s a highly competitive and fast changing industry, slow progress is not an option.

Cormac: We have designed and built our own production lines, which give us full control of the equipment. 3D printing gives us the ability to prototype and test newly designed parts for these machines. Spare parts can be printed overnight in either composite hard plastic or stainless steel, thus allowing us to reduce our spare parts inventory.

We ca n a l so ut i l ise t he 3D pr i nters to en ha nce ex ist i ng c omp onent s; for ex a mple by adding Kevlar or carbon fibre as reinforcements.

Q: How is LEO Pharma working toward continuous manufacturing?

Cormac: The vast majority of pharmaceutical manufacturers use a batch production method.

A nd we ’r e no d i f fe r e nt . We manufacture multiple products, all w ith various finished packaging configurations for our customers all over the globe.

We have launched a number of improvement projects throughout the company. These projects range from packaging rationalisation, wh ich reduces t he burden of b atch-to - b atch c h a n ge over s, to re-designing our production

CORMAC MALONE Process Engineer LEO Pharma

What I really like about my job is that every day is different and I am constantly learning. Different opportunities arise on a regular basis - each presenting their own challenge; and seeing the improvements realised is the key driver for me. pl a n n i n g s t rateg y to en s u re maximum uptime is achieved in the factory.

What does a process engineer’s average day look like and what do you like about your job?

J a m e s : We u s e a c l o u d based data platfor m t hat gathers production equipment performance metrics. We start the morning by analysing the previous 24 hours’ production for dow nt i me i n s t a nc e s a nd production y ields. This helps identify risks and allows us to

eliminate them using Six Sigma and Lean methodologies.

The cloud holds more t ha n four years of equipment data, which we use to identify trends in the line performance over an extended period of time. These trends point us to bottlenecks and poorer performing processes.

We use this to identify required improvements, where we should s p end t he bu l k of ou r t i me, and what equipment needs to be upgraded.

What I really like about my job is that every day is different and I am constantly learning. Different opportunities arise on a regular basis - each presenting t heir own challenge; and seeing the improvements realised is the key driver for me.

involving the introduction of new equipment and en hancement of existing sub processes on our production lines.

One of the projects was centred around the anti-tamper feat ures on t he packag ing of products. We introduced antitamper equipment a number of years ago and this has recently been upg raded as par t of the improvement programme. The project focused on repeatability of equipment performance and upskilling our production staff to ensure the improvement is sustained into the future.

I enjoy the hands-on work and the opportunity to work on a wide range of equipment types, from mechanical to electrical to robotics.

C o r m a c : As process eng i ne ers we are responsible for the design, implementation, cont rol, a nd opt i m isat ion of production processes.

We a re c u r rent ly r u n n i n g a cont i nuou s i mprovement programme, which is made up of 18 projec ts. The processes chosen for improvement were highlighted by the cloud-based data trending. I am currently leading two improvement projects

Sponsored and produced

by LEO Pharma

IE/MAT-30098 Read more at www.leo-pharma.com BUSINESSNEWS.IE

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