Manufacturing Conference Brings Together International Experts

A high-powered conference at the Manufacturing Technology Centre later this month will bring together one of the most authoritative gatherings of international experts on digital factories ever assembled. Delegates will hear that international co-operation has never been more important if the UK is to stay competitive.

Experts on the digital revolution sweeping through manufacturing industry will join forces at the conference at the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre in Coventry entitled Digitalising Manufacturing 2018: Grasping the Opportunity.

Among the keynote speakers will be Prof Juergen Maier, chief executive of Siemens UK who heads the Made Smarter initiative. He will open the conference and chair panel discussions. Also speaking at the conference will be Marcus Burton, director at Yamazaki Mazak and a member of the Made Smarter leadership team, who will give delegates an industry perspective on the expected impact of the initiative

The two day conference – on October 29 and 30 – will bring together international authorities on digital manufacturing, sometimes referred to as the fourth industrial revolution, from Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico and the UK, as well as other countries. Manufacturing leaders will share their experiences with delegates, and underline that the digital revolution opens up huge potential for UK manufacturers prepared to invest in skills and technology to reap the benefits.

The conference will include representatives from a new partnership between the three largest manufacturing nations in Europe – Germany, France and Italy, who will talk about the importance of international outcome-driven collaboration.

They will be joined by Alejandro Nieto, vice-president of global sales at Mexico's Softtek, and a representative of Omron, one of the conference's sponsors, to talk about Japan's industrial value chain initiative. Omron is on the initiative's advisory board.

Head of digital technology strategy at the MTC, Dr Lina Huertas said it was important to learn lessons from around the world, and build international partnerships.

"The UK must keep its voice if we are to give leadership and maintain influence in driving the future of manufacturing. As the political landscape changes we must take care not to be left behind.

"Digital manufacturing is all about learning lessons from those who have begun the journey, and that means international collaboration. The UK must be proactive in leveraging the right relationships to support the delivery of the nation's objectives," she said.

Last year's conference saw the launch of the Made Smarter initiative which made recommendations on the actions which need to take place at a national level to realise the potential economic benefit of implementing digital technologies. Progress on the initiative will be assessed at the 2018 conference, with the addition of an international perspective.

Dr Huertas added, “This event is aimed specifically at end-users and those who will be most affected by this digital industrial revolution. Drawing on the experiences of those who have already begun the process of implementation, the conference will aim to give a clear overview of the progress of digital manufacturing from a manufacturer’s point of view, providing insights on its potential for UK industry. The conference will be a forum for international knowledge exchange and building worldwide relationships.”

To register for a ticket to the conference visit www.the-mtc.org/digital2018.

The MTC was founded by the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and TWI Ltd. The MTC’s industrial members include some of the UK’s major global manufacturers.

The MTC aims to provide a competitive environment to bridge the gap between university-based research and the development of innovative manufacturing solutions, in line with the Government’s manufacturing strategy. The MTC is part the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, supported by Innovate UK.

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