The latest ISCF challenge launches on 6th July, and will explore the opportunities for using digital solutions to improve manufacturing supply chains.
The aim of the Manufacturing Made Smarter Challenge, as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge, is to help the UK manufacturing industry to become more productive and competitive through innovation and adoption of digital technology.
UK businesses can apply for a share of funding for feasibility studies and/or proof of concept projects to research and develop innovative digital solutions to enable integration and optimisation of manufacturing supply chains to achieve these goals.
The use of digital technologies can enable companies to rethink and restructure the way they design and operate their supply chains and improve how they operate within end to end supply chains. Rapidly changing customer requirements and supply availability is driving the need for supply chains to adapt, become more effective, flexible, resilient and sustainable.
The competition is planned to be published on 15th June and launched on the 6th July. Further details will be supplied in the briefing webinar on 14th July. Register here.
KTN and Innovate UK are also hosting a series of online webinar workshops with industry experts to help explore the opportunities for using digital solutions to improve and re-engineer existing manufacturing supply chains, design new supply chain solutions and to help collaborators develop their applications for the Manufacturing Made Smarter supply chain competition. This will be delivered in three industry specific workshops and one general one.
The aim of these workshops is to help potential applicants to:
- Identify manufacturing supply chain issues and potential ways to address them
- Find resources to identify appropriate digital technologies, methods and frameworks
- Develop strategies for dealing with issues associated with integrating and optimising supply chains
- Identify appropriate mechanisms to establish trust between collaborating parties, including developing strategies for data and benefits sharing
- Hear the experiences of an expert panel of experts with the opportunity to ask questions
- Make connections in both digital technology provision and manufacturing communities.
All workshops will address common manufacturing supply chain issues, whilst the sector focused ones will include topics specific to that sector, and so are expected to attract an audience attuned to that industrial sector.
Workshops
10th July : Pharma 10:00 – 12:30
This workshop will look at supply chain challenges and opportunities for supply chain design, integration and optimisation within the pharmaceutical sector.
16th July : General. 10:00 – 12:30
Organisations operating in any manufacturing sectors could join this workshop to get a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing supply chain design, integration and optimisation within manufacturing.
20th July : Aerospace & Automotive : 10:00 – 12:30
This workshop will look at supply chain challenges and opportunities for supply chain design, integration and optimisation within the aerospace and automotive sector.
21st July : Food & Drink : 10:00 – 12:30
This workshop will look at supply chain challenges and opportunities for supply chain design, integration and optimisation within the food and drink sector.
This is an exciting opportunity to create new digital approaches to integrate and optimise supply chains across manufacturing in a range of industries. The workshops are designed to encourage collaboration with partners who could help collectively deliver projects within the scope of the competition.