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Many UK manufacturing firms are well on their way to digitalisation. At the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), we work with organisations at various stages of digital adoption. Many established industries, such as aerospace and automotive, are well into their second, third or even fourth generations of digital systems. Meanwhile, others are only at the beginning of exploring what digital can mean for them.

Digital transformation and AI – two of the same?

Digital transformation, and AI have become key priorities across UK industries over recent years due to their substantial benefits. In the manufacturing sector, these technologies are driving significant advancements, unlocking new levels of productivity and efficiency, as well as boosting innovation and growth.

Digitisation, or digital transformation, involves adopting and integrating digital technologies across a business to optimise processes and outputs. This includes everything from automating back office tasks and migrating systems to the cloud, to introducing disruptive technologies like additive manufacturing. Within this framework, AI plays a crucial role. Once a company has established a robust foundation in digitising its operations, it can then leverage AI to further enhance efficiency and innovation.

Benefits of digital manufacturing and AI

Digitisation and AI are already revolutionising manufacturing, offering unprecedented design freedom, new processes and novel materials. AI empowers organisations to experiment with parameters, crucial for developing innovative workflows. What’s more, generative design optimises geometries and minimises weights, and when combined with additive manufacturing, it pushes the boundaries of what is achievable.

AI is also key for meeting industry-wide sustainability goals, optimising resource use, recommending better materials, and reducing waste, overall leading to greener practices. Looking ahead, the integration of digital technologies will, and in some cases already is, create more agile, connected environments through smart factories, boosting efficiency, product quality and flexibility, while reducing costs.

What does this look like in practice?

One example which highlights the potential of what digitisation can achieve is Project Convergence. This £14m R&D collaborative led by Moog Aircraft Segment in partnership with MTC, aims to strengthen Moog’s global aviation market position through two main strategies: constructing a new, consolidated factory in Tewkesbury, significantly expanding its regional presence, and secondly through Project Convergence.

Running alongside the new factory development, Project Convergence will introduce innovations in digitised manufacturing, developing new processes, enhancing productivity and implementing advanced production testing technologies.

By integrating cutting-edge digital technologies and practices throughout the new factory, Moog can establish a more efficient, connected and intelligent manufacturing process, ensuring they remain competitive in the global marketplace.

What stands between manufacturers and unlocking digitisation?

Some challenges are universal across industries, such as the digital skills shortage, and securing buy-in from company leadership for digital transformation. Other challenges, as we know, are more specific to the requirements of the manufacturing sector, such as navigating heavily regulated industries and working towards integration of digital technologies across the supply chain.

Navigating the challenges together

The recent government green paper and Industrial Strategy framework shows great promise. Although still in the consultation phase, the outlined initiatives provide the manufacturing industry with confidence that there is a plan to foster long-term, sustainable growth. Key proposals include increased investment in R&D, sector-specific plans to support growth and innovation, initiatives promoting sustainable manufacturing processes, and investment in digital skills development.

From an industry perspective, various initiatives are in place to help overcome some of the challenges. For example, at MTC, we are engaged with Innovate UK’s Workforce Foresighting Hub, a programme designed to develop the future UK workforce and equip industries with the necessary sector-specific skills needed for growth. Other industry-wide initiatives, such as the Made Smarter programme – a collaboration between the UK government and industry aimed at boosting manufacturing through the adoption of digital technologies and innovation – can also play a key role.

Collaborative, innovative and competitive

To secure a competitive future, it is crucial to demonstrate that digitisation is both applicable and accessible across the entire supply chain, regardless of an organisation’s size. Ensuring that small and medium-sized enterprises have the same opportunities to adopt digital technologies as larger companies will be key to creating a more cohesive, agile, and efficient industry.

One way to showcase this potential is through digitally driven ‘pop-up’ production cells. These automated cells can be quickly deployed and remotely controlled to produce high-value, superior products anytime and anywhere. This concept is being further refined for more complex tasks, such as recovering critical materials from batteries for reuse or enabling cost-effective, low-volume production to enhance supply chains, as exemplified by our ‘Factory in a Box’.

To effectively unlock the benefits of digitisation and AI, consider these key takeaways:

1. Strategic digitisation roadmap: It’s essential to have a clear strategic view of your current position on the digitisation journey. Develop a robust digital adoption roadmap that establishes strong digital foundations. This will enable you to optimise with advanced digital tools such as AI further down the line.
2. Understanding AI’s impact: Be mindful of how AI is making decisions for your organisation. It’s crucial to understand the risks, issues, and limitations of AI. While AI is a powerful tool, it’s important to unlock its potential safely and effectively.
3. Future skills development: Building an understanding of the future skills your organisation will need is critical to fully benefit from digital technologies. Preparing your workforce for these changes ensures you can leverage the advantages of digitisation and AI.

By fostering collaboration and innovation, and ensuring that digitisation is inclusive, the UK manufacturing sector can maintain and enhance its global competitiveness, driving long-term, sustainable growth.

Joe Darlington

Director of Technology, MTC