Digital Manufacturing Week Agenda

Leaders’ Summit is a premium ticketed event. All other stages and arenas are free to attend for manufacturers.
For a headline overview of what is happening and when, and what a free pass vs paid ticket gets you, download the Agenda at a Glance.
Cobra founder Lord Karan Bilimoria reflects on getting his business off the ground and how it continues to expand its range after ten years in partnership with Molson Coors.

Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL is the founder of Cobra Beer, Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership Limited, a Joint Venture with Molson Coors, and Chairman of Molson Coors Cobra India. In the Monde Selection, one of the most prestigious quality awards in the world for beer, the Cobra range have collectively been awarded a total of 110 Gold medals since 2001, making it one of the most awarded beers in the world. Lord Bilimoria is the Founding Chairman of the UK India Business Council, a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London, a former Chancellor of Thames Valley University (now the University of West London); he was the youngest University Chancellor in the UK when appointed. Karan was a former Senior Non-Executive Director of the Booker Group now TESCO PLC (2007-2016); he is one of the first two visiting entrepreneurs at the University of Cambridge; he is a founding member of the Prime Minister of India’s Global Advisory Council. In 2006, Karan Bilimoria was appointed the Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea, making him the first ever Zoroastrian Parsi to sit in the House of Lords. In 2008 he was awarded the Pravasi Bharti Samman by the President of India. He is an honorary fellow of Sidney Sussex College Cambridge and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Judge Business School, Cambridge University. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young and graduated in law from the University of Cambridge. He is also an alumnus through executive education of the Cranfield School of Management, the London Business School and the Harvard Business School. In July 2014, he was installed as the seventh Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, making him the first Indian-born Chancellor of a Russell Group University in Great Britain, and he is the President of the UK Council for International Students Affairs (UKCISA). Since 2017 Lord Bilimoria has been a Bynum Tudor Fellow at Kellogg College, University of Oxford. Lord Bilimoria is an Honorary Group Captain in 601 Squadron Royal Air Force. In June 2020, he was appointed President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

How the manufacturing sector can respond to an unprecedented year to build resilience and thrive in the new economy |

Mark Hughes joined Epicor Software in 2018 as regional vice president UK and Ireland. He brings with him more than 20 years’ experience within the technology sector—using his extensive expertise within the supply chain and manufacturing space to help over 1000 manufacturing businesses take advantage of the latest advances in technology |

The UK’s 2050 Net Zero pledge presents a great opportunity for UK manufacturers. With the right accounting metrics in place the UK can become a global leader in sustainable manufacturing and compete for business where net zero emissions become an increasing priority in sourcing work. Digital manufacturing technologies will play a key role in enabling resource efficiency and tracking and evidencing of reduced emissions.

Professor Sam Turner is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult. Sam works across the HVM Catapult centres and stakeholders, including government, to develop manufacturing strategy for the UK. He is part of the Made Smarter strategy implementation group led by Juergen Maier and was part of the review team. In this role Sam has chaired the D4I digital industry group, the Through Life Engineering Services (TES) Council and the IMechE Manufacturing Industries Division.
He joined the HVM Catapult team in 2017 from his role as CTO of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, where he worked on a range of projects and capabilities including the flagship digital facility Factory 2050, machining, casting and composites technology. As a founding member of the AMRC, Sam led the growth of the AMRC’s Machining Group, with successes in delivering impact to UK industry, before moving into the CTO role. Sam has over 20 years experience in manufacturing working across the aerospace, steel, defence, automotive sectors.

To unlock the full potential of your smart operations you need to think beyond the four walls of the factory. True supply chain optimisation, where planning meets operations, needs advanced modelling and simulation. At Deloitte, we have developed a tool that allows us to tackle this challenge and the results have been impressive – up to 20% reduction in changeover times, 12% reduction in inventories all while achieving higher levels of service. |

Andrew is a Partner in Deloitte’s supply chain practice with over 25 years of consulting experience in the consumer business industry. He is an expert across the whole Planning spectrum and has deep experience in the design, validation and implementation of supply chain target operating models including organisation design, integrated network design, and implementation of supporting technology. |

Duncan is a Senior Manager in Deloitte’s supply chain practice with over 17 years of broad experience across consumer products supply chains. He is an expert in the development of supply chain operating models with a focus on planning, manufacturing, and logistics.
He is responsible for successful client delivery of our SupplyCycle production optimisation tool with a focus on helping our clients move from pilot to scaling across their manufacturing footprint.

British manufacturing companies have taken quick and significant steps towards digitalisation this year.
Our latest research with Make UK & Sage shows that 94% of companies had staff working successfully from home in industries often associated with manual tasks and an extremely high proportion of production-based work within two weeks of lockdown.
Digital acceleration must continue at pace if UK manufacturing is to power ahead and rebuild. We need to ensure we retain skills and ensure our current and future workforce has the digital skills vital for the new economy.


I track our journey, negotiating Covid, looking for opportunities with a focus on sustainability and scability. Software solutions are notoriously difficult to implement – ours was no exception. What would we have done differently?

I’m incredibly passionate about the world of manufacturing and raising the profile of, British Manufacturing, especially for the next generation – who are the future of manufacturing here in the UK. It’s an incredibly exciting time for British Manufacturing, a time of change, evolution and rejuvenation of the sector.
I was appointed Managing Director in August 2016 (after the sudden death of my husband who had been the Managing Director since 1992) and set out to build a strategy for growth.
In July 2017 I graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10KSBUK programme which has been pivotal in helping us on our growth trajectory.
Daletech was established in 1987 as an electronic manufacturing company focussing on high quality, diverse, niche products. My journey has opened the doors to the marvellous world of manufacturing! And my love of manufacturing has driven my passion to open the doors of manufacturing to the next generation.
I am Chair of the Leeds Manufacturing Alliance, and have been involved in the organisation of the Leeds Manufacturing Festival – an incredibly successful event that brought Manufacturing front and centre for students and influencers in the Region. This year will be a different format but nevertheless we will still reach out to bring manufacturing alive to young people.
I also work as an Enterprise Advisor for the LEP, have been supporting the #futuregoals campaign. I am a member of the Regional Advisory Board for Make UK.
At Daletech I strive to make sure our customers profit from our expertise and engagement with the sector as a whole and we aim to add value to our customers products.

Most companies grow by using methods that involve increasing the amount of resource used; methods that are not sustainable in the future. Moving towards circular thinking in industry provides a sustainable way of creating growth. In this masterclass we will look at how value is captured and lost throughout a full product lifecycle. We will apply the lens of sustainability to understand who the key stakeholders are in a product’s lifecycle and where there are opportunities to introduce circular actions to improve the overall impact of manufacturing your products. You’ll get to try out one of the Cambridge Value Generation tools, share your experience and hear from your peers as we all move to implement sustainability measures and understand how your organisation can play a role in this critical issue.
Application only

Prior to joining Cambridge, Ian had 35 years of industry experience, working at senior levels in multinational companies such as Dell, Philips and Groupe Bull, as well as setting up and running small and mid-sized technology and consulting businesses in the USA and the UK.
He has a strong interest in Innovation and Change and works with Business Modelling and Innovation researchers at the IfM and the Centre helping and advising in the development of new models and tools. He has considerable experience in delivering business model, innovation and value analysis workshops to industry and other sectors.
Other responsibilities include the management of marketing and administrative activities, the recruitment and relationship management of new industry and academic partners and the development of international collaborations. He also has particular interest in the development of guides and tools for industry.
HP Multi Jet Fusion technology enables production of functional parts, up to 10 times faster, at the lowest cost, and with no trade-offs in the process. That’s because HP’s technology can transform part properties voxel by voxel – enabling a future of limitless applications, materials, and colours. During this session we will deep dive into the technology behind the innovations so you can see for yourself why this really is rocket science at work getting ready for a future era of Digital Manufacturing |

Maryam Qureshi is a 3D Application Engineer. Maryam works specifically with HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology. Working directly with customers to assess their current manufacturing limitations, HP help find bespoke and cost-effective solutions to their problems. Maryam helps to implement the MJF solution into customers’ businesses by encouraging them to use the technology to innovate and design, specifically by designing for additive manufacturing.
Presentation concentrates on importance of employee engagement in success of any business. It puts emphasis on leaders to create self-managing and self-motivated teams and provide them with tools and understanding how they contribute in overall achievements of their business. Highlights important of creating routines, setting boundaries and helping employees remove barriers which stop them from achieving improvements. |

Agata has recently joined a very ambitious business with a great market product and the team of remarkable people and currently holds the position of Head of Operations.
Since coming to the United Kingdom in 2005, Agata worked in manufacturing and held various positions mainly in the automotive industry. Throughout the career she often acted as a link between supply chain and operations, using her personal and professional experience to build strong relationships between management and all employees through empowerment and engagement strategies. She has lead and taken part in major business transformations.
Her goal has always been to be inspirational to those who work with her and leave a legacy for use going forward. According to Agata: ‘Find a solution’ attitude is a must in any leadership position and she strongly believes that the utilization of other people’s skills and knowledge is vital in this aspect.
She has a passion for adding value in the eyes of the customer by implementing Lean methodologies, which had developed when she was a part of a core team who lead her organisation to achieve Lean Model Site status.

The top three questions manufacturers ask themselves on a daily basis:
- What do we need to buy?
- How much do we need to buy?
- When do we need it by?
Whilst most top-level ERP systems incorporate the functionality to enable lean operating, Exel’s own EFACS E/8 ERP system included, it has been Exel’s experience that very few manufacturing companies use it to its fullest, some even at all.
It is due to this realisation that Exel developed the EFACS MRP Workbench. This new capability is a catch-all for all of the required functionality; a single, centralised workspace where you can view and interact with all the required MRP data.
In this presentation, we will show what efficiencies can be achieved through reducing time and complexity by allowing an operator access to all the tools and information needed, in a single module.

With a wealth of industry experience within the software technology sector, Tony Pottle has spent the last 25 years with Exel Computer Systems. Tony has worked with customers of all sizes and at every level in the manufacturing and distribution sectors.
Bringing an in depth understanding of customer needs both for ERP and Field Service solutions, Tony plays a key role in delivering consistent successful software implementations. Tony is an accomplished speaker and presenter of technical software solutions and regularly presents Exel’s products to large and small corporate audiences.
Connect with manufacturing leaders across different time zones and share business insights, best practice and challenges in this video networking session focused on aerospace and facilitated by The Manufacturer team.
Running alongside this live face to face meet up, will be the text chat discussions throughout the day that enables delegates to dip in and out of conversations 24/7.
Make the most of virtual networking in the new normal and make connections that count!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, grab a coffee!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, grab a coffee!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, grab a coffee!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, grab a coffee!
Presentation by Stephen Clarke, Terracycle.

With a background in PR (20 years altogether), marketing and management and with a strong interest in sustainability and a passion to increase consumer awareness of the importance of recycling I feel that TerraCycle is a great place to use my skills and experience. TerraCycle is a social enterprise, the world’s foremost leader in the recycling industry for hard-to-recycle waste and one of the fastest growing eco-friendly companies in the world.
TerraCycle works with over one hundred major brands in 21 countries across the globe to collect used packaging and products (everything from biscuit wrappers, to pens, to air fresheners and even the likes of cigarette waste etc.) that would otherwise be destined for landfills. It repurposes that waste into new eco-friendly materials and products. The waste is collected through TerraCycle’s free sponsored waste recycling programmes, which are free fundraisers that pay charities and non-profit organisations for every piece of waste they collect and return.
I currently head up TerraCycle’s Communications function across Europe (where we operate in 12 markets) – my role encompasses strategy development and implementation for customer service, social media and public relations campaigns both client and customer facing.
Prior to this role I have also held the following positions within TerraCycle – Director of Client Service & Communications (Northern Europe), General Manager (UK & ROI), Country & Communications Manager (UK & ROI), PR Manager (UK & ROI
We live in a world of disruption whether technology, competition, globalization, and geopolitical that is occurring at an accelerated pace from just a few years ago. It will not be the company facing disruption or causing disruption that will prevail, but rather the company that is in the better state of readiness that will prevail. In this session, we will explore the importance of building an organization that is nimble, understands its capabilities and limitations, and is proficient in accelerating the decision-making process as a strategic advantage.

Joseph F. Paris Jr. is a recognized thought leader on operational excellence; an international entrepreneur; a prolific writer; and a sought-after strategist, consultant, and speaker with engagements around the world. His book, “State of Readiness” (May 2017) has been well received and endorsed by business leaders from highly respected companies – with operations around the world and across industries – and promises to be a definitive work on the field of Operational Excellence.

From the factory to the home and every space in between, digital technologies have revolutionised the world we live in. And today, where connected devices dominate our everyday lives, digital industries are set to become even more important, as we enter a fourth industrial revolution. Join the HVM Catapult’s CPI and National Manufacturing Institute Scotland as they take you through innovations in electronics, blockchain and digital twins, and how they can help improve your performance.

The HVM Catapult is your partner in manufacturing innovation, harnessing the best research to transform the products you sell, the way you make them and the skills of your workforce. Whether you’re looking for a better production line or support with a new product, our world-class expertise and equipment can help you to deliver a more productive and competitive operation.
Our services are available to firms of all shapes and sizes from FTSE-listed companies to small firms deep in the supply chain. Our offer is built on:
It’s our business to support your growth and guide you in breaking into new markets.
At the HVM Catapult, we will help you to transform great ideas into commercial realities. |
78% of B2B buyers start their journey with a Google search. If buyers are finding your competitors before you, you’re missing out on sales!
Having a clear understanding of how your competitors are using digital marketing to win market share is vital to your own growth strategy. We can help you: Our clients achieve increases in online visibility, enhanced marketing ROI and better lead quality and we can help you achieve the same. |

Paul heads up the business development team at Intergage and is responsible for driving new business and building relationships with engineers and manufacturers.
Paul has more than 30 years’ experience helping companies to grow. He is also a member of the UK5G Connected Places Working Group, advising on how best the authorities can encourage the take-up of 5G to boost business growth. Most of Paul’s career has been spent working with major brands including Amstrad, Barclaycard, Virgin Mobile, Orange, EE, Telefonica and BT. |
From a list of 400 businesses in 2015, to a open data base and digital product warehouse with 1450 factory owners, all in one place: madeinbritain.org
Uniting the most transparent and exemplary British manufacturing businesses to help them all sell more with one mark is the adventure of a lifetime. 60 different product sectors, half of them industrial, the others making household goods, Made in Britain is proud to bring together the most extraordinary diversity of manufacturing content so they all achieve more together. |

Affectionately described as a ‘factory-visit junkie’ by chairman of Made in Britain, Chris Harrop OBE, since joining the organisation in April 2015, John’s certainly developed a healthy obsession with provenance marketing and the amazing stories members tell of their businesses, some stretching back more than 100 years. With 1450 SME and larger manufacturing businesses using the award winning collective mark, 400+ joining this year, there will certainly be a lot of catching up to do in 2021. |
Manufacturing businesses can be some of the most complex businesses around. They have many moving parts, complex processes and many variable factors impacting overall profitability and performance. They, more than any business, need a unified, single and integrated system that will connect every step, enabling collaboration, automating manual and repetitive processes and replacing the many disparate systems used to manage the production process. A single system will give them the opportunity to see the business at 360 degrees. A single system, a single database – a single version of the truth from receipt of an order through to shipment and delivery. |

Deborah has worked with many clients over the years developing solutions for their businesses, enabling them to streamline, scale and grow intro the future. She currently leads the sales, marketing and current commercial strategy for Enapps and talks to many owners and Directors of manufacturing businesses wanting to grow, but struggling with disparate systems preventing them from having a complete 360 degree view of their business and the individual performance of parts of it, challenges that prevent them from embracing change and opportunity in the future. |
Is it possible for SME manufacturers to tap into the benefits of digitalisation without the costs and risks inherent in large-scale solutions?
‘Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring’, an EPSRC-funded project, aims to understand and demonstrate how low-cost commercially available technologies for mobile computing, sensing and AI can be exploited in SMEs, and to tackle the issues associated with integrating these safely and securely into a small scale manufacturing environment.

Duncan McFarlane is Professor of Industrial Information Engineering and Head of the Distributed Information & Automation Laboratory. He has been involved in the design and operation of industrial automation and information systems for over twenty years.
Duncan is the lead on the Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring project which is investigating how low-cost, readily available digital technologies can be implemented to support growth and productivity in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The project addresses the common concern that many digital manufacturing solutions are designed for large companies. The research team is working with SME partners on a UK-wide and international project to identify common digital challenges in SME manufacturers and create inexpensive digital options.
Join Joe in the Networking Lounge for any Q&A following his presentation.

Joseph F. Paris Jr. is a recognized thought leader on operational excellence; an international entrepreneur; a prolific writer; and a sought-after strategist, consultant, and speaker with engagements around the world. His book, “State of Readiness” (May 2017) has been well received and endorsed by business leaders from highly respected companies – with operations around the world and across industries – and promises to be a definitive work on the field of Operational Excellence.

In our experience, the disconnect from the shopfloor to the production office means that vital data you need to make decisions is often hard to find, difficult to decipher, and sometimes missing altogether. As a result, many companies are working blind and face daily problems ranging from annoyances to serious business damage. These include missed deliveries, running out of materials, carrying too much stock, excessive overtime to meet deadlines and poor cashflow. The lack of clear, relevant data means you do not know which machines, employees or customers make or lose money for you. This could all be mitigated with the infrastructure and tools to access the data you need, when you need it.
Join us and see how we can:
- Help you understand what data you really need
- Provide the tools to easily capture and process shopfloor production data in real time
- Give you dashboards with all your KPIs on one screen and accessibility from wherever on a PC, tablet or phone
- Show how real time data gives you total visibility of your operations and profitability
Our customers gain an average productivity uplift of 23% and we want to help you do the same.

Having worked in consulting roles for over 15 years, Rod has helped many manufacturing companies improve productivity through software solutions. A universal theme is that companies want to improve productivity and reduce costs and Rod proves how this can be done by using software, working with small specialist owner managed companies through to global operations. |

Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, and eat lunch!
The key to digital manufacturing is data. For this, you don’t always need the latest cutting-edge equipment. A relatively inexpensive way of starting your journey in digital manufacturing is to retrofit sensors to your legacy kit. This lets you track a number of data points (downtime and overall usage, for example) that can help you to improve your production line and boost your productivity. The HVM Catapult’s WMG Centre talks you through the impact this can have on your business.

The HVM Catapult is your partner in manufacturing innovation, harnessing the best research to transform the products you sell, the way you make them and the skills of your workforce. Whether you’re looking for a better production line or support with a new product, our world-class expertise and equipment can help you to deliver a more productive and competitive operation.
Our services are available to firms of all shapes and sizes from FTSE-listed companies to small firms deep in the supply chain. Our offer is built on:
It’s our business to support your growth and guide you in breaking into new markets.
At the HVM Catapult, we will help you to transform great ideas into commercial realities. |
We are EDGE Digital Manufacturing. We work with the real heroes of manufacturing who are pioneering the use of digital technologies.
We’ve enabled leaders of close to 60 manufacturing companies to make their Digital Breakthrough, and to benefit from state support including Made Smarter, InnovateUK and LEPs.
Digital Breakthrough uses diagnostics and collaborative workshops to minimise time demands and maximise buy-in to a strong and progressive roadmap for digital success.
Join us to hear from some manufacturing leaders how they are inspiring Digital Breakthrough in their businesses, and see our insights from experience of prioritising digital technologies in many manufacturers.

Dr Steven Barr is a Chartered Engineer, advisor and company director specialising in making data and digital technologies work effectively for business growth. He co-leads EDGE Digital Manufacturing and is a member of the board of DRL-Tool.org, working with the UK’s leading institutions to boost adoption of data and digital technologies. He is the lead technical author of British Standards PAS 1040 guide to Digital Readiness. Steven spends most of his time shoulder-to-shoulder with manufacturing business leaders, helping them to take full advantage of data and digital technologies in dealing with business challenges and achieving growth ambitions. Steven is a former National Director of the Manufacturing Advisory Service, and 30 year veteran of working with over 50 design, technology and manufacturing companies large and small.
Vertical Aerospace, a UK company aiming to revolutionize flight with all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft came to a crossroads when looking for ERP. The technology-intensive company combines the agility of Formula 1 technology with the rigors of aerospace engineering and wanted to take a more digital approach to their internal systems. After a thorough evaluation, the company chose Rootstock Cloud ERP on the Salesforce Platform. Join Steven Baxter, Vertical’s Head of Programmes, as he describes their journey with Cloud ERP and why they see the Salesforce Cloud Platform as being critical to supporting the business strategy of this dynamic organization. |

Tom Brennan is the Chief Marketing Officer at Rootstock Software and has an extensive track record of helping companies like Rootstock achieve rapid growth. With more than 30 years of experience in ERP and business application software, his goal is to make the market aware of the powerful value proposition Rootstock shares with Salesforce for manufacturers and distributors. He began his career in the computer/software industry in the early 1990s. While at CODA Inc., he played a key role in helping the company go public on London’s AIM. Since then, he has held executive positions managing marketing, sales and building distribution channels at a variety of companies and most recently he was Senior Vice President of Marketing at FinancialForce before joining Rootstock. |

Steven is the Head of Programmes at Vertical Aerospace which encompasses the operational side of the organisation. He is responsible for the Programme Management, Supply Chain, Logistics, Build and is currently overseeing the Quality and HS&E functions. He will be also be responsible for attaining the Production Organisation Authority, a key step towards certification. Steven is a veteran of the automotive and Formula 1 world, having won 8 World Championships during his motorsport career. He has over 29 years of experience working in Inventory, Procurement, Logistics and Programme Management as well as Build Assembly. His experience varies across automotive, notably working on the Aston Martin DB7 project, and Special Vehicles and Sales at Prodrive. The majority of his career was spent in Motorsport working for many of the top teams across different disciplines such as World Rally and Formula 1. Most recently he worked for the Mercedes AMG F1 team responsible for the Whole car and Aerodynamics development planning. |
Made Smarter Origins
Manufacturing Made Smarter programme – and innovation focus
Outcomes & Aims
Integrated Innovation Ecosystem
Progamme of Activities – and how to get involved

Innovation Lead with Manufacturing Made Smarter programme helping organisations collaborate to bring through the next generation of digital innovations and create a new future for UK Manufacturing.
Background: Innovation Champion, Operations Manager, Manufacturing Manager & Lean Improvement Leader, experienced in driving step-change into a wide variety of manufacturing sectors.
Specialties: Business Improvement, Supply Chain Solutions, Change Management, Value Stream Reviews, Lean & Six Sigma, Leadership Coaching, Manufacturing/Production Management, Low-to-High Volume environments, Hi-tech & Traditional Manufacture, Sectors from Sewing & Furniture to Automotive, Motorsport & Aerospace. Transition to digital manufacturing.
Learn how Autodesk Factory Design Utilities can help you plan and validate factory layouts for the most efficient equipment placement to maximise production performance.

Peter De Strijker is an application engineer / industrial manufacturing for Autodesk, Inc. He is responsible for driving the Autodesk manufacturing sales channel in the Benelux region in Europe. Before joining Autodesk, Peter worked as mechanical design engineer at a Belgian marine engine and gearbox manufacturer. He is a graduated engineer with a degree in electro mechanics.

Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, and eat lunch!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, and eat lunch!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, and eat lunch!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, and eat lunch!

Rosa Wilkinson joined the High Value Manufacturing Catapult in 2017 as Director of Communications.
Previous roles included senior civil service posts at the Trade and Business Departments, as Director of Innovation at the Intellectual Property Office and as Director of Public Policy for Lloyds TSB.
Outside the Catapult, Rosa retains an involvement in her family’s industrial property business. She is a non-executive with the MTA and a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s External Affairs Committee.
From March to the start of July 2020 she led communications for the VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium.
Juergen Maier was the founder of the Manufacturing Made Smarter 1) initiative and now co-chair’s its very enthusiastic leadership team and the initiative’s increasing support across the manufacturing sector.
The Made Smarter initiative has made significant progress and now has more than £300m invested in a partnership between the private and public sector to spur on the development and adoption of industrial digital technologies. Historically the speed of our work and the innovation and adoption of advanced digital technologies here in the UK has not been fast enough. Other nations have been moving faster and seizing the opportunity to lead and embrace the 4th Industrial Revolution. A key question is how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed this? The recent Make UK ‘Bounce Back Smarter Survey’ 2) showed that British manufacturing companies have taken significant steps in adopting digital technologies with some 80% confident that Industrial Digital Technologies (IDTs) will be a reality in their businesses by 2025. In the original Made Smarter Review of 20173) this figure was below 20%, so very significant progress has been made.
The use of 3D printers, AI, Internet of things, Augmented and Virtual Reality are making a real contribution to business operations across companies of all sizes -especially around the recent need for remote production and monitoring – but a significant number of small to medium-sized businesses remain at the digital starting block. This is where Made Smarter can help and this talk will discuss how companies can engage more in the Made Smarter programme to accelerate their IDT adoption.
There is further good news in that there being an increasing perception of innovation and specifically manufacturing having a positive impact on society. Our Industry is increasingly seen as a key wealth creator for the entire nation and especially for regions outside of London that feel left behind. This talk will hopefully stimulate a conversation on how our sector can again be at the forefront of prosperity creation and in doing so delivers on the key challenges that matter for a sustainable and more equal society – helping deliver the ‘levelling up agenda’ This much stronger purpose for our work will hopefully enthuse more people from the public and private sector to come on board and invest in the important cause of our industry and Manufacturing Made Smarter.
References:
1) Made Smarter is UK’s national partnership between the manufacturing sector and government to help us become a global leader in the creation, adoption and export of advanced industrial digital technologies, shaping how the modern world does business. More at: www.madesmarter.uk
2) Make UK Bouncing Back Smarter Report September 2020: https://www.makeuk.org/insights/reports/innovation-monitor-2020
3) The original 2017 Made Smarter Review: https://www.madesmarter.uk/about/the-made-smarter-review/

Juergen Maier is Chair of the Digital Catapult, co-Chairs Made Smarter and serves on the Industrial Strategy Council which advises Government on Industrial Strategy. Juergen argues strongly for the modern re-industrialisation of the North of England and is a board member of both the Greater Manchester LEP and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.
Juergen is the former Chief Executive of Siemens UK. A position he held from July 2014 to December 2019. Over his 33 year career with Siemens he held a number of senior roles within Siemens in the UK and Germany. This included Managing Director of Industrial activities for the UK and Manufacturing Director of the award-winning Drives factory in Congleton (where he started his career as a Production Engineer)
Juergen joined Siemens in 1986 with a BSc in production engineering from Nottingham Trent University, on a Siemens-sponsored graduate programme. He was made an honorary professor of Engineering at the University of Manchester in March 2014 and became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in September 2017. Juergen has also received honorary doctorates for his services to UK Science and Engineering from the Universities of Lincoln, Nottingham Trent, Salford Manchester, Cranfield, Sheffield and Manchester Metropolitan. Juergen was awarded a CBE in the New Years honours list 2019.
Juergen is a passionate advocate of rebalancing the UK economy and has supported many UK-wide initiatives championing manufacturing and engineering skills. In 2017 he was asked by the Government to lead a review into how to increase the digitalization of the UK manufacturing sector. The subsequent report led to the creation of the joint industry/government ‘Made Smarter’ Commission, which Juergen co-chairs with the BEIS Business Secretary.
Asif will be sharing five case studies of SMEs on their digital journey and will be touching upon what they did that get them to where they are today. He will share the key lessons learned from these examples and how manufacturers can apply these lessons to their own digital journey.

I believe everything begins with great design. When it’s done right, it leads to exciting new products and businesses that create value for both the companies that make them and the people they employ.
We need more great design in the world, and can only achieve it by thinking beyond productivity, whilst embracing design and manufacturing as a single discipline. At Autodesk, I lead a collaborative initiative focused on enabling the design and manufacturing industry to succeed in a world that’s becoming increasingly connected, where we have to do more with less.
There’s a lot of hype, jargon and boundaries that need to be challenged along the way, so it’s important to have a clear vision of the future, a clear path to it and the courage to work together and make it easy for the industry to engage.
My favourite quote by no one famous “None of us is as smart as all of us”

Rosa Wilkinson joined the High Value Manufacturing Catapult in 2017 as Director of Communications.
Previous roles included senior civil service posts at the Trade and Business Departments, as Director of Innovation at the Intellectual Property Office and as Director of Public Policy for Lloyds TSB.
Outside the Catapult, Rosa retains an involvement in her family’s industrial property business. She is a non-executive with the MTA and a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s External Affairs Committee.
From March to the start of July 2020 she led communications for the VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium.
One of the biggest issues facing the manufacturing industry is the war for talent, with businesses often pitting themselves against both competitors and other industries that are sometimes seen to be offering more appealing career prospects. However, for manufacturing businesses to thrive in today’s economy, it’s vital to find the best employees. So how can you alter your approach to ensure you’re attracting and engaging with top talent? And how do you set your business apart from your competitors? Within this roundtable discussion, we’ll be discussing:
- Positioning yourself as an employer of choice
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Developing a positive candidate experience & efficient recruitment strategy



Dan joined JAM Recruitment in October 2003 as a Trainee Recruitment Consultant and within 12 months was the Account Manager for the largest company account. He was promoted to Senior Account Manager in 2006, Principal Account Manager in December 2007, Team Leader – Major Accounts in March 2008, Business Unit Manager in January 2009, Accounts Director in January 2011, Client Services Director in January 2012 where he held responsibility for business development throughout JAM (both new and old clients), the integration of new clients into JAM and subsequent client satisfaction including added value offerings. Most recently, in April 2018, he was promoted to a Group Director with responsibility across all group companies but mainly within JAM and its sister company, Hunter. He’s currently focusing on the development of Hunter as a standalone business to JAM (but one that does also help JAM provide a more rounded service to our clients) – this involves new business development, development of the company offering and customer success within current clients.
Before joining JAM Recruitment Dan completed a BA in Economics specialising in Finance followed by an MSc in Social Research Methods and Statistics, both at the University of Manchester. Prior to this he attended Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire and did A-Levels in Maths, Economics, Ancient Greek and Christian Theology.
The UK’s 2050 Net Zero pledge presents a great opportunity for UK manufacturers. With the right accounting metrics in place the UK can become a global leader in sustainable manufacturing and compete for business where net zero emissions become an increasing priority in sourcing work. Digital manufacturing technologies will play a key role in enabling resource efficiency and tracking and evidencing of reduced emissions.

Professor Sam Turner is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult. Sam works across the HVM Catapult centres and stakeholders, including government, to develop manufacturing strategy for the UK. He is part of the Made Smarter strategy implementation group led by Juergen Maier and was part of the review team. In this role Sam has chaired the D4I digital industry group, the Through Life Engineering Services (TES) Council and the IMechE Manufacturing Industries Division.
He joined the HVM Catapult team in 2017 from his role as CTO of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, where he worked on a range of projects and capabilities including the flagship digital facility Factory 2050, machining, casting and composites technology. As a founding member of the AMRC, Sam led the growth of the AMRC’s Machining Group, with successes in delivering impact to UK industry, before moving into the CTO role. Sam has over 20 years experience in manufacturing working across the aerospace, steel, defence, automotive sectors.

Embracing the circular economy by designing products in a smarter way using reusable and recyclable environmentally friendly materials so that each product at end of life becomes a new resource is becoming a priority in establishing a sustainable way ahead.

How the manufacturing sector can respond to an unprecedented year to build resilience and thrive in the new economy |

Mark Hughes joined Epicor Software in 2018 as regional vice president UK and Ireland. He brings with him more than 20 years’ experience within the technology sector—using his extensive expertise within the supply chain and manufacturing space to help over 1000 manufacturing businesses take advantage of the latest advances in technology |

High level review of challenges & analysis for digital manufacturing in 2050 with Q&A
This workshop will explore the future challenges facing Digital Manufacturing as we move towards 2050. We will share some of our predictions as well as give examples of insights from Connected Everything feasibility studies. The session will ask delegates to focus on 2 key questions:
- What manufacturing technologies that are not used now will be common place in 2050?
- What are the barriers for small businesses in adopting new digital manufacturing technologies as we approach 2050?

Dr Watson has a MEng in Mechanical Engineering (University of Hull, 2005) and a PhD in Chemical Engineering (University of Leeds, 2010). From 2010 to 2014 he was a Post-Doctoral Research Assistant in the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds. His research there was performed in the Food Physics Research Group and was funded by Innovate UK, BBSRC and via numerous industrial collaborators. In 2013 Dr Watson became a chartered engineer and he is a member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and an Associated Member of the Institute of Chemical Engineers. In 2013 he was also one of the founding directors of the start-up company Albion Crystallisation Ltd, who specialise in developing energy efficient food processing technology. In 2014 he was appointed as an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Nottingham. In 2015 he became a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Dr Watson is a member of the Food, Water, Waste (FWW) Research Group.

Fiona joined Exeter Business School in May 2019 after working for eight years at Cranfield University as a Senior Lecturer in Circular Innovation. Fiona has a background in Industrial Design and has established herself as a thought leader in the Circular Economy, working at the interfaces of Design, Innovation and Manufacture.
Fiona is an investigator on a number of research grants including the EPSRC funded projects ‘Circular4.0: Data-Driven Intelligence for a Circular Economy’, ‘Small is Beautiful’ and ‘Manufacturing Immortality’. Fiona also successfully led the EPSRC funded Network in Re-Distributed Maufacturing, Big Data and Consumer Goods (RECODE) and is a member of the management group for the Connected Everything Network Plus.
Fiona has extensive experience of working with organisations from across sectors to identify new approaches to design, innovation, manufacture and business modelling to transform resource use and value creation. She has also led multiple education and executive training programmes to support future leaders in developing the skills and capabilities necessary to transform our industrial system from linear to circular. In 2018 Fiona was recognised as one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering by the Women’s Engineering Society and the Telegraph for her contribution to Circular Economy research and education.
Qualifications:
BA Industrial Design (Loughborough), MSc by Research (Cranfield), PhD Whole System Design (Cranfield)
British manufacturing companies have taken quick and significant steps towards digitalisation this year.
Our latest research with Make UK & Sage shows that 94% of companies had staff working successfully from home in industries often associated with manual tasks and an extremely high proportion of production-based work within two weeks of lockdown.
Digital acceleration must continue at pace if UK manufacturing is to power ahead and rebuild. We need to ensure we retain skills and ensure our current and future workforce has the digital skills vital for the new economy.


To unlock the full potential of your smart operations you need to think beyond the four walls of the factory. True supply chain optimisation, where planning meets operations, needs advanced modelling and simulation. At Deloitte, we have developed a tool that allows us to tackle this challenge and the results have been impressive – up to 20% reduction in changeover times, 12% reduction in inventories all while achieving higher levels of service. |

Andrew is a Partner in Deloitte’s supply chain practice with over 25 years of consulting experience in the consumer business industry. He is an expert across the whole Planning spectrum and has deep experience in the design, validation and implementation of supply chain target operating models including organisation design, integrated network design, and implementation of supporting technology. |

Duncan is a Senior Manager in Deloitte’s supply chain practice with over 17 years of broad experience across consumer products supply chains. He is an expert in the development of supply chain operating models with a focus on planning, manufacturing, and logistics.
He is responsible for successful client delivery of our SupplyCycle production optimisation tool with a focus on helping our clients move from pilot to scaling across their manufacturing footprint.

I track our journey, negotiating Covid, looking for opportunities with a focus on sustainability and scability. Software solutions are notoriously difficult to implement – ours was no exception. What would we have done differently?

I’m incredibly passionate about the world of manufacturing and raising the profile of, British Manufacturing, especially for the next generation – who are the future of manufacturing here in the UK. It’s an incredibly exciting time for British Manufacturing, a time of change, evolution and rejuvenation of the sector.
I was appointed Managing Director in August 2016 (after the sudden death of my husband who had been the Managing Director since 1992) and set out to build a strategy for growth.
In July 2017 I graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10KSBUK programme which has been pivotal in helping us on our growth trajectory.
Daletech was established in 1987 as an electronic manufacturing company focussing on high quality, diverse, niche products. My journey has opened the doors to the marvellous world of manufacturing! And my love of manufacturing has driven my passion to open the doors of manufacturing to the next generation.
I am Chair of the Leeds Manufacturing Alliance, and have been involved in the organisation of the Leeds Manufacturing Festival – an incredibly successful event that brought Manufacturing front and centre for students and influencers in the Region. This year will be a different format but nevertheless we will still reach out to bring manufacturing alive to young people.
I also work as an Enterprise Advisor for the LEP, have been supporting the #futuregoals campaign. I am a member of the Regional Advisory Board for Make UK.
At Daletech I strive to make sure our customers profit from our expertise and engagement with the sector as a whole and we aim to add value to our customers products.

HP Multi Jet Fusion technology enables production of functional parts, up to 10 times faster, at the lowest cost, and with no trade-offs in the process. That’s because HP’s technology can transform part properties voxel by voxel – enabling a future of limitless applications, materials, and colours. During this session we will deep dive into the technology behind the innovations so you can see for yourself why this really is rocket science at work getting ready for a future era of Digital Manufacturing |

Maryam Qureshi is a 3D Application Engineer. Maryam works specifically with HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology. Working directly with customers to assess their current manufacturing limitations, HP help find bespoke and cost-effective solutions to their problems. Maryam helps to implement the MJF solution into customers’ businesses by encouraging them to use the technology to innovate and design, specifically by designing for additive manufacturing.
Presentation concentrates on importance of employee engagement in success of any business. It puts emphasis on leaders to create self-managing and self-motivated teams and provide them with tools and understanding how they contribute in overall achievements of their business. Highlights important of creating routines, setting boundaries and helping employees remove barriers which stop them from achieving improvements. |

Agata has recently joined a very ambitious business with a great market product and the team of remarkable people and currently holds the position of Head of Operations.
Since coming to the United Kingdom in 2005, Agata worked in manufacturing and held various positions mainly in the automotive industry. Throughout the career she often acted as a link between supply chain and operations, using her personal and professional experience to build strong relationships between management and all employees through empowerment and engagement strategies. She has lead and taken part in major business transformations.
Her goal has always been to be inspirational to those who work with her and leave a legacy for use going forward. According to Agata: ‘Find a solution’ attitude is a must in any leadership position and she strongly believes that the utilization of other people’s skills and knowledge is vital in this aspect.
She has a passion for adding value in the eyes of the customer by implementing Lean methodologies, which had developed when she was a part of a core team who lead her organisation to achieve Lean Model Site status.

The top three questions manufacturers ask themselves on a daily basis:
- What do we need to buy?
- How much do we need to buy?
- When do we need it by?
Whilst most top-level ERP systems incorporate the functionality to enable lean operating, Exel’s own EFACS E/8 ERP system included, it has been Exel’s experience that very few manufacturing companies use it to its fullest, some even at all.
It is due to this realisation that Exel developed the EFACS MRP Workbench. This new capability is a catch-all for all of the required functionality; a single, centralised workspace where you can view and interact with all the required MRP data.
In this presentation, we will show what efficiencies can be achieved through reducing time and complexity by allowing an operator access to all the tools and information needed, in a single module.

With a wealth of industry experience within the software technology sector, Tony Pottle has spent the last 25 years with Exel Computer Systems. Tony has worked with customers of all sizes and at every level in the manufacturing and distribution sectors.
Bringing an in depth understanding of customer needs both for ERP and Field Service solutions, Tony plays a key role in delivering consistent successful software implementations. Tony is an accomplished speaker and presenter of technical software solutions and regularly presents Exel’s products to large and small corporate audiences.
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, grab a coffee!
Connect with manufacturing leaders across different time zones and share business insights, best practice and challenges in this video networking session focused on electronics and facilitated by The Manufacturer team.
Running alongside this live face to face meet up, will be the text chat discussions throughout the day that enables delegates to dip in and out of conversations 24/7.
Make the most of virtual networking in the new normal and make connections that count!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, grab a coffee!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, grab a coffee!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, grab a coffee!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, grab a coffee!
Growth and profitability can be stifled when both production and marketing aren’t focused on scalability. Business development departments must be in tune with manufacturing capability to attract, win and delight the right customers. The path to improvement is not always clear and choosing the right tools can be a daunting process. In this session, we will investigate how marketing, manufacturing and supply chain can work together to accelerate performance, win market share and ultimately, scale for competitive advantage.

Paul heads up the business development team at Intergage and is responsible for driving new business and building relationships with engineers and manufacturers.
Paul has more than 30 years’ experience helping companies to grow. He is also a member of the UK5G Connected Places Working Group, advising on how best the authorities can encourage the take-up of 5G to boost business growth. Most of Paul’s career has been spent working with major brands including Amstrad, Barclaycard, Virgin Mobile, Orange, EE, Telefonica and BT. |
How can you make pricing, product design, sales, and cost management decisions with unprecedented speed until an equilibrium returns to your market?

Dr. Peter Colman is a Partner and shareholder at Simon-Kucher. Peter joined Simon-Kucher in 2008, and divides his time between his base in the North of England and the London office. He leads the consultancy’s Technology & Industrials practice for the UK and Ireland.
Peter has generated strong profit enhancement results throughout his 20 years in consulting and industry. He specialises in Commercial Excellence programmes to address strategy, sales & marketing, pricing and product management topics. He has worked for corporate clients, private equity-backed companies and venture capital-backed start-ups across Europe and North America.
Peter has written over 25 articles for publications such as Institute of Sales Management, Sales Initiative Magazine, Chartered Institute of Marketing, Professional Pricing Society and The Manufacturer. He is a regular speaker / panellist at conferences, a Manufacturing Excellence Awards judge and a Member of Institute of Sales Management, Chartered Institute of Marketing and Institute of Directors.
Prior to joining Simon-Kucher, Peter worked for digital marketing and technology consultancies focusing on eCommerce and Customer Relationship Management transformation programmes.
Peter holds a PhD in Electronics from the University of Cambridge and a First Class degree in Physics from the University of Nottingham.

Xi Bing is a Senior Director based in the London office of Simon-Kucher & Partners, having previously also worked in the New York office covering the North American market. He specialises in go-to-market strategy and pricing projects for both industrials as well as B2B technology/software and services clients. His main topics of work include growth strategy formulation, pricing strategy design, revenue model innovations and sales incentives scheme design.
Xi Bing has 13 years of strategy consulting experience; prior to joining Simon-Kucher, he worked in strategic planning, growth strategy and large-scale transformation for multinational clients across technology, industrial, oil & gas and chemicals sectors. He also has a uniquely international business and cultural perspective having lived and led projects in various global hubs including London, New York, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.
Xi Bing earned his M.B.A. from Columbia University and holds a First Class Bachelors degree in electronic and communications engineering from the University of Bristol.
Presentation by Stephen Clarke, Terracycle.

With a background in PR (20 years altogether), marketing and management and with a strong interest in sustainability and a passion to increase consumer awareness of the importance of recycling I feel that TerraCycle is a great place to use my skills and experience. TerraCycle is a social enterprise, the world’s foremost leader in the recycling industry for hard-to-recycle waste and one of the fastest growing eco-friendly companies in the world.
TerraCycle works with over one hundred major brands in 21 countries across the globe to collect used packaging and products (everything from biscuit wrappers, to pens, to air fresheners and even the likes of cigarette waste etc.) that would otherwise be destined for landfills. It repurposes that waste into new eco-friendly materials and products. The waste is collected through TerraCycle’s free sponsored waste recycling programmes, which are free fundraisers that pay charities and non-profit organisations for every piece of waste they collect and return.
I currently head up TerraCycle’s Communications function across Europe (where we operate in 12 markets) – my role encompasses strategy development and implementation for customer service, social media and public relations campaigns both client and customer facing.
Prior to this role I have also held the following positions within TerraCycle – Director of Client Service & Communications (Northern Europe), General Manager (UK & ROI), Country & Communications Manager (UK & ROI), PR Manager (UK & ROI
How to introduce operational excellence into your organizational structure and successfully implement it? This session will be deep-diving into the practical steps needed.

From the factory to the home and every space in between, digital technologies have revolutionised the world we live in. And today, where connected devices dominate our everyday lives, digital industries are set to become even more important, as we enter a fourth industrial revolution. Join the HVM Catapult’s CPI and National Manufacturing Institute Scotland as they take you through innovations in electronics, blockchain and digital twins, and how they can help improve your performance.

The HVM Catapult is your partner in manufacturing innovation, harnessing the best research to transform the products you sell, the way you make them and the skills of your workforce. Whether you’re looking for a better production line or support with a new product, our world-class expertise and equipment can help you to deliver a more productive and competitive operation.
Our services are available to firms of all shapes and sizes from FTSE-listed companies to small firms deep in the supply chain. Our offer is built on:
It’s our business to support your growth and guide you in breaking into new markets.
At the HVM Catapult, we will help you to transform great ideas into commercial realities. |
From a list of 400 businesses in 2015, to a open data base and digital product warehouse with 1450 factory owners, all in one place: madeinbritain.org
Uniting the most transparent and exemplary British manufacturing businesses to help them all sell more with one mark is the adventure of a lifetime. 60 different product sectors, half of them industrial, the others making household goods, Made in Britain is proud to bring together the most extraordinary diversity of manufacturing content so they all achieve more together. |

Affectionately described as a ‘factory-visit junkie’ by chairman of Made in Britain, Chris Harrop OBE, since joining the organisation in April 2015, John’s certainly developed a healthy obsession with provenance marketing and the amazing stories members tell of their businesses, some stretching back more than 100 years. With 1450 SME and larger manufacturing businesses using the award winning collective mark, 400+ joining this year, there will certainly be a lot of catching up to do in 2021. |
78% of B2B buyers start their journey with a Google search. If buyers are finding your competitors before you, you’re missing out on sales!
Having a clear understanding of how your competitors are using digital marketing to win market share is vital to your own growth strategy. We can help you: Our clients achieve increases in online visibility, enhanced marketing ROI and better lead quality and we can help you achieve the same. |

Paul heads up the business development team at Intergage and is responsible for driving new business and building relationships with engineers and manufacturers.
Paul has more than 30 years’ experience helping companies to grow. He is also a member of the UK5G Connected Places Working Group, advising on how best the authorities can encourage the take-up of 5G to boost business growth. Most of Paul’s career has been spent working with major brands including Amstrad, Barclaycard, Virgin Mobile, Orange, EE, Telefonica and BT. |
Manufacturing businesses can be some of the most complex businesses around. They have many moving parts, complex processes and many variable factors impacting overall profitability and performance. They, more than any business, need a unified, single and integrated system that will connect every step, enabling collaboration, automating manual and repetitive processes and replacing the many disparate systems used to manage the production process. A single system will give them the opportunity to see the business at 360 degrees. A single system, a single database – a single version of the truth from receipt of an order through to shipment and delivery. |

Deborah has worked with many clients over the years developing solutions for their businesses, enabling them to streamline, scale and grow intro the future. She currently leads the sales, marketing and current commercial strategy for Enapps and talks to many owners and Directors of manufacturing businesses wanting to grow, but struggling with disparate systems preventing them from having a complete 360 degree view of their business and the individual performance of parts of it, challenges that prevent them from embracing change and opportunity in the future. |
Is it possible for SME manufacturers to tap into the benefits of digitalisation without the costs and risks inherent in large-scale solutions?
‘Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring’, an EPSRC-funded project, aims to understand and demonstrate how low-cost commercially available technologies for mobile computing, sensing and AI can be exploited in SMEs, and to tackle the issues associated with integrating these safely and securely into a small scale manufacturing environment.

Duncan McFarlane is Professor of Industrial Information Engineering and Head of the Distributed Information & Automation Laboratory. He has been involved in the design and operation of industrial automation and information systems for over twenty years.
Duncan is the lead on the Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring project which is investigating how low-cost, readily available digital technologies can be implemented to support growth and productivity in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The project addresses the common concern that many digital manufacturing solutions are designed for large companies. The research team is working with SME partners on a UK-wide and international project to identify common digital challenges in SME manufacturers and create inexpensive digital options.
The key to digital manufacturing is data. For this, you don’t always need the latest cutting-edge equipment. A relatively inexpensive way of starting your journey in digital manufacturing is to retrofit sensors to your legacy kit. This lets you track a number of data points (downtime and overall usage, for example) that can help you to improve your production line and boost your productivity. The HVM Catapult’s WMG Centre talks you through the impact this can have on your business.

The HVM Catapult is your partner in manufacturing innovation, harnessing the best research to transform the products you sell, the way you make them and the skills of your workforce. Whether you’re looking for a better production line or support with a new product, our world-class expertise and equipment can help you to deliver a more productive and competitive operation.
Our services are available to firms of all shapes and sizes from FTSE-listed companies to small firms deep in the supply chain. Our offer is built on:
It’s our business to support your growth and guide you in breaking into new markets.
At the HVM Catapult, we will help you to transform great ideas into commercial realities. |
In our experience, the disconnect from the shopfloor to the production office means that vital data you need to make decisions is often hard to find, difficult to decipher, and sometimes missing altogether. As a result, many companies are working blind and face daily problems ranging from annoyances to serious business damage. These include missed deliveries, running out of materials, carrying too much stock, excessive overtime to meet deadlines and poor cashflow. The lack of clear, relevant data means you do not know which machines, employees or customers make or lose money for you. This could all be mitigated with the infrastructure and tools to access the data you need, when you need it.
Join us and see how we can:
- Help you understand what data you really need
- Provide the tools to easily capture and process shopfloor production data in real time
- Give you dashboards with all your KPIs on one screen and accessibility from wherever on a PC, tablet or phone
- Show how real time data gives you total visibility of your operations and profitability
Our customers gain an average productivity uplift of 23% and we want to help you do the same.

Having worked in consulting roles for over 15 years, Rod has helped many manufacturing companies improve productivity through software solutions. A universal theme is that companies want to improve productivity and reduce costs and Rod proves how this can be done by using software, working with small specialist owner managed companies through to global operations. |

Lee’s presentation will review what we know about how the UK economy and SMEs in particular have fared through 2020.In what feels like period of unprecedented uncertainty, how can SMEs make the best decisions to navigate the challenges and potential opportunities? The presentation will look ahead at how these risks and potential growth opportunities evolve in the next 12 months.

Lee is Deputy Director for Research Partnerships at the ERC, and is responsible for project managing and delivering the flow of research commissioned by partners on small businesses and entrepreneurship. Lee’s career has focused on understanding business performance and the impact of policy on decision-making and outcomes, she was previously Chief Economist at EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation (now Make UK).
We are EDGE Digital Manufacturing. We work with the real heroes of manufacturing who are pioneering the use of digital technologies.
We’ve enabled leaders of close to 60 manufacturing companies to make their Digital Breakthrough, and to benefit from state support including Made Smarter, InnovateUK and LEPs.
Digital Breakthrough uses diagnostics and collaborative workshops to minimise time demands and maximise buy-in to a strong and progressive roadmap for digital success.
Join us to hear from some manufacturing leaders how they are inspiring Digital Breakthrough in their businesses, and see our insights from experience of prioritising digital technologies in many manufacturers.

Dr Steven Barr is a Chartered Engineer, advisor and company director specialising in making data and digital technologies work effectively for business growth. He co-leads EDGE Digital Manufacturing and is a member of the board of DRL-Tool.org, working with the UK’s leading institutions to boost adoption of data and digital technologies. He is the lead technical author of British Standards PAS 1040 guide to Digital Readiness. Steven spends most of his time shoulder-to-shoulder with manufacturing business leaders, helping them to take full advantage of data and digital technologies in dealing with business challenges and achieving growth ambitions. Steven is a former National Director of the Manufacturing Advisory Service, and 30 year veteran of working with over 50 design, technology and manufacturing companies large and small.
Made Smarter Origins
Manufacturing Made Smarter programme – and innovation focus
Outcomes & Aims
Integrated Innovation Ecosystem
Progamme of Activities – and how to get involved

Innovation Lead with Manufacturing Made Smarter programme helping organisations collaborate to bring through the next generation of digital innovations and create a new future for UK Manufacturing.
Background: Innovation Champion, Operations Manager, Manufacturing Manager & Lean Improvement Leader, experienced in driving step-change into a wide variety of manufacturing sectors.
Specialties: Business Improvement, Supply Chain Solutions, Change Management, Value Stream Reviews, Lean & Six Sigma, Leadership Coaching, Manufacturing/Production Management, Low-to-High Volume environments, Hi-tech & Traditional Manufacture, Sectors from Sewing & Furniture to Automotive, Motorsport & Aerospace. Transition to digital manufacturing.
Vertical Aerospace, a UK company aiming to revolutionize flight with all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft came to a crossroads when looking for ERP. The technology-intensive company combines the agility of Formula 1 technology with the rigors of aerospace engineering and wanted to take a more digital approach to their internal systems. After a thorough evaluation, the company chose Rootstock Cloud ERP on the Salesforce Platform. Join Steven Baxter, Vertical’s Head of Programmes, as he describes their journey with Cloud ERP and why they see the Salesforce Cloud Platform as being critical to supporting the business strategy of this dynamic organization. |

Tom Brennan is the Chief Marketing Officer at Rootstock Software and has an extensive track record of helping companies like Rootstock achieve rapid growth. With more than 30 years of experience in ERP and business application software, his goal is to make the market aware of the powerful value proposition Rootstock shares with Salesforce for manufacturers and distributors. He began his career in the computer/software industry in the early 1990s. While at CODA Inc., he played a key role in helping the company go public on London’s AIM. Since then, he has held executive positions managing marketing, sales and building distribution channels at a variety of companies and most recently he was Senior Vice President of Marketing at FinancialForce before joining Rootstock. |

Steven is the Head of Programmes at Vertical Aerospace which encompasses the operational side of the organisation. He is responsible for the Programme Management, Supply Chain, Logistics, Build and is currently overseeing the Quality and HS&E functions. He will be also be responsible for attaining the Production Organisation Authority, a key step towards certification. Steven is a veteran of the automotive and Formula 1 world, having won 8 World Championships during his motorsport career. He has over 29 years of experience working in Inventory, Procurement, Logistics and Programme Management as well as Build Assembly. His experience varies across automotive, notably working on the Aston Martin DB7 project, and Special Vehicles and Sales at Prodrive. The majority of his career was spent in Motorsport working for many of the top teams across different disciplines such as World Rally and Formula 1. Most recently he worked for the Mercedes AMG F1 team responsible for the Whole car and Aerodynamics development planning. |
Learn how Autodesk Factory Design Utilities can help you plan and validate factory layouts for the most efficient equipment placement to maximise production performance.

Peter De Strijker is an application engineer / industrial manufacturing for Autodesk, Inc. He is responsible for driving the Autodesk manufacturing sales channel in the Benelux region in Europe. Before joining Autodesk, Peter worked as mechanical design engineer at a Belgian marine engine and gearbox manufacturer. He is a graduated engineer with a degree in electro mechanics.

KTN, the UK’s innovation network, launched our new strategy in the summer, bringing new clarity and purpose to our mission – driving positive change for industry and society by making diverse, powerful connections.
Alicia will introduce this strategy along with a couple of case studies showcasing how we enable innovation and its deployment in the context of manufacturing – particularly SMEs. She will also highlight our new network supporting the Manufacturing Made Smarter Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

Dr Alicia Greated is the Chief Executive Officer for KTN. KTN exists to connect innovators with new partners and new to accelerate ideas into real-world solutions.
Previously Alicia was Global Director, Research Engagement at Heriot-Watt University and prior to that, led the Newton Fund (a £735 million research and innovation fund to enhance the UK’s engagement with global emerging economies) delivery team at the UK’s Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
In 2008, Alicia moved to Delhi, India where she was founder and Director of Research Council UK (RCUK) India at the British High Commission. After four years in India, she moved to Beijing to become Director RCUK China at the British Embassy in Beijing.
Alicia has worked as acting Director of Research for the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). She also spent five years at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) where she was Head of Engineering.
Alicia has a PhD in Molecular Genetics. She is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and a representative on the UK Government’s Jet Zero Council. Alicia is a member of various advisory groups including Scottish Funding Council’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee, the Una Europa External Advisory Board and will join the Royal Society’s Science, Industry and Translation Committee from 2021.
- What support is currently available to SMEs?
- What support is required? What are the priorities?
- How realistic is the availability of current support?
- Are government funding and tax incentives supporting the growth of Industry 4.0 initiatives?

Lee is Deputy Director for Research Partnerships at the ERC, and is responsible for project managing and delivering the flow of research commissioned by partners on small businesses and entrepreneurship. Lee’s career has focused on understanding business performance and the impact of policy on decision-making and outcomes, she was previously Chief Economist at EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation (now Make UK).

Marlini is the Managing Director Challs International Limited, who manufactures household cleaning products for the FMCG sector. They supply their branded products, including, Buster, Bin Buddy & Alkimi globally, operating in the UK, USA, Singapore & Australia.
Both the manufacturing and the chemical industry is still very male dominated and Marlini is keen to empower more women to champion in these areas. It starts with the current workforce, she invests and supports people around her, making sure there is a solid base and the company’s ethos of “building for the future” is incorporated in her hiring decisions. The same applies with championing change and new methods of work. Marlini has developed links with schools and now takes on work experience students, most of whom are female. The Suffolk Business Women’s Board is an important group for Marlini. She is an active member attending meetings and speaking at multiple events for them. Her passion is people, and one of her great pleasures is to see people around her flourish.

Thang Vo-Ta co-founded Callaly with leading UK gynaecologist Dr Alex Hooi, who invented the company’s first product, the Tampliner®, after decades listening to women talk about their frustration with the choice of period care products available.
He has helped secure global patents for Callaly’s various innovations and leads the Callaly team and its strategic direction. Thang manages Callaly’s commitment to the environment, people and communities as a certified B-Corp. Thang is a former private equity professional in the New York and London offices of Goldman Sachs, where he helped manage the firm’s venture capital investments. In 2019, he was named a Sunday Times Maserati Top 100 entrepreneur and The Manufacturer’s Top 100 manufacturing leader. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from MIT.

Simon Reid is Head of Advanced Manufacturing at Growth Platform – the Liverpool City Region Growth Company. Growth Platform has been set up by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to act as a single body responsible for inward investment, business growth, skills and education initiatives and destination marketing www.growthplatform.org
After graduating from London Metropolitan University in 1989 Simon returned to Liverpool to deliver Government funded training programs to the long term unemployed before starting a career at engineering and manufacturing recruitment company Kinetic plc in 1993.
For the next 13 years Simon played a pivotal role in the company’s growth which was predicated on delivering on site provision to manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical, FMCG and food and drink sectors. Simon held the role of Service Director with a portfolio of OEM and large Tier 1 companies throughout the UK including Airbus, Kimberley Clark, Arla Foods and Ford. Simon set up a new permanent recruitment wing of the business specialising in senior and executive positions in manufacturing before joining rival Beresford Blake Thomas in 2008 to set up their engineering divisions in Manchester and Liverpool.
Simon joined The Mersey Partnership (TMP) in 2010 as an Investor Development Manager working with foreign owned companies in the Liverpool City Region helping them to attract additional investment and internationally mobile projects. Following a stint as SuperPORT manager for TMP Simon then joined Peel Ports as the Commercial Manager for bulk liquid products for the Port of Liverpool and Manchester Ship Canal, account managing international companies like Shell, Cargill, Ineos and Essar. In 2014 Simon joined the LEP to head up Advanced Manufacturing and working with the Making It Board to deliver economic growth in this critical sector before making the transition to Growth Platform in November 2019.
Simon was instrumental in devising, developing and implementing “LCR 4.0” – a European funded program to deliver Industry 4.0 technologies to 300 SMEs across the Liverpool City Region – www.lcr4.uk Simon also sits on the Made Smarter NW Pilot Steering Group.
Growth Platform, in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, STFC Hartree Centre and Sensor City launched LCR4 START in October 2019 to help SME companies in the Liverpool City Region to develop a digital roadmap.

Rosa Wilkinson joined the High Value Manufacturing Catapult in 2017 as Director of Communications.
Previous roles included senior civil service posts at the Trade and Business Departments, as Director of Innovation at the Intellectual Property Office and as Director of Public Policy for Lloyds TSB.
Outside the Catapult, Rosa retains an involvement in her family’s industrial property business. She is a non-executive with the MTA and a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s External Affairs Committee.
From March to the start of July 2020 she led communications for the VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium.
Connect with manufacturing leaders across different time zones and share business insights, best practice and challenges in this video networking session focused on mechanical/industrial engineering and facilitated by The Manufacturer team.
Running alongside this live face to face meet up, will be the text chat discussions throughout the day that enables delegates to dip in and out of conversations 24/7.
Make the most of virtual networking in the new normal and make connections that count!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, grab a coffee!

Ruth is an award-winning Engineer and Inventor. In 2006 she was Young Engineer for Britain with her GCSE product ‘The StairSteady’ which is now sold internationally and for which Ruth holds a number of patents. Ruth started her first business when she was 16 and was the youngest person to be listed on ‘Management Todays 35 under 35’. Ruth is passionate about STEAM careers (particularly encouraging women into STEAM). She co-founded Kids Invent Stuff with Shawn Brown aimed at inspiring young people into STEAM. Ruth is a keen welder and maker and co-founded #GirlsWithDrills with Kisha Bradley and works with Lincoln Electric on a programme to get more women into welding.

Most companies grow by using methods that involve increasing the amount of resource used; methods that are not sustainable in the future. Moving towards circular thinking in industry provides a sustainable way of creating growth. In this masterclass we will look at how value is captured and lost throughout a full product lifecycle. We will apply the lens of sustainability to understand who the key stakeholders are in a product’s lifecycle and where there are opportunities to introduce circular actions to improve the overall impact of manufacturing your products. You’ll get to try out one of the Cambridge Value Generation tools, share your experience and hear from your peers as we all move to implement sustainability measures and understand how your organisation can play a role in this critical issue.
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Prior to joining Cambridge, Ian had 35 years of industry experience, working at senior levels in multinational companies such as Dell, Philips and Groupe Bull, as well as setting up and running small and mid-sized technology and consulting businesses in the USA and the UK.
He has a strong interest in Innovation and Change and works with Business Modelling and Innovation researchers at the IfM and the Centre helping and advising in the development of new models and tools. He has considerable experience in delivering business model, innovation and value analysis workshops to industry and other sectors.
Other responsibilities include the management of marketing and administrative activities, the recruitment and relationship management of new industry and academic partners and the development of international collaborations. He also has particular interest in the development of guides and tools for industry.
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The UK Manufacturing Industry is the 9th largest in the world, with an annual output of £190Bn with 2.7 million people employed in the industry.
2020 posed the biggest challenge in a generation for the manufacturing industry;beginning with the uncertainty invoked by leaving the European Union and now intensified by the immediate impacts and longer-term implications of Covid-19. In the next 12 months manufacturers will grapple with supply chain interruption, workforce safety challenges and increased skills shortages. The pressures and restrictions resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic will be prolonged and may increase the likelihood of unethical and unsustainable practices within the value chain. In this presentation, we will be exploring: • What it means to be an ethical leader in manufacturing |

Jessica Leigh Jones MBE is a multi-award-winning Engineer and Astrophysicist. She is Co-Founder and CEO of iungo, a CareerTech Company democratising access to excellent careers for everyone. Jessica is a Non-Executive Director of Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and Vice Chair of Wales’ largest exam board, WJEC. She is the Womenspire 2020 Board Member of the Year. Jessica has received the Freedom of the City of London and represents the fastest progression to the rank of Liveryman at the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers. She was 2017’s Woman of the Future for Technology & Digital, featured in the 2020 Who’s Who list of influential British people and appeared as one of the youngest in the Forbes 30 under 30 Europe List 2018.
Lean principles have long been used in manufacturing to drive efficiency and reduce waste, adding digital technologies to lean can take an organisation to a whole new frontier. Join Deloitte’s Brenna Sniderman, Center for Integrated Research Leader and Luciano Lo Tito, UK Lean Manufacturing Leader as they share practical steps and insights on:
• The principles of lean manufacturing that remain relevant today and what will be relevant in the future
• The benefits of digital lean and common pitfalls that practitioners should avoid
• How Industry 4.0 digital and physical technologies enhance lean manufacturing
• How to get started on your digital lean journey

Brenna Sniderman leads the Center for Integrated Research, where she oversees cross-industry research for Deloitte. In this capacity, Brenna leads a team of researchers focused on global shifts in technology, mobility, climate, and workforce; in other words, how organizations can operate and strategize in an age of digital, cultural, environmental, and workplace transformation. Her own research focuses on connected digital and physical technologies and their impact on how companies operate – specifically additive and advanced manufacturing, Industry 4.0, Digital Supply Networks, and the Future of the Enterprise. She works with other thought leaders to deliver insights into the strategic, organizational, and human implications of these technological changes.

Luciano is an experienced Lean Manufacturing and Smart Factory specialist. He has extensive experience in helping clients across multiple industries to transform and innovate their operations. Luciano has led and implemented digital transformations, from strategy definition to implementation, delivering operations performance improvement, including process quality and efficiency increase together with cost of goods sold and inventory reduction. Prior to joining Deloitte, Luciano was a consultant with the Watson IoT team at IBM, worked at Amazon in the fulfilment operations and managed various successful lean manufacturing transformations for the Legrand Group in Australia and Italy. |
Highlighting the benefits of robot automation and the current level of adoption in the UK is a key topic within manufacturing. Join Mike Wilson for an educational presentation and explore the appropriate applications for cobots and industrial robots, with an added focus on real life examples that illustrate the benefits gained by users.

Mike Wilson has over 35 years of experience in the application of automation to manufacturing across a broad range of industry sectors and is widely recognised as one of the leading authorities on the application of industrial robot systems in the UK.
Mike is Chief Automation Officer at the Manufacturing Technology Centre, leading the drive to increase the adoption of automation in UK manufacturing. He is also Chairman of the British Automation and Robot Association and has previously been Chairman of the International Federation of Robotics. His book “Implementation of Robot Systems” was published in 2014.
Presentation outlines importance of data gathering at the heart of the business and staff involvement in their analysis. It shows value of teaching all employees simple problem solving skills and allowing them to be involved in any improvements activities. By achieving routines and allowing employees choose what stops them from being productive, achieving their targets I promote bottom up approach.

Agata has recently joined a very ambitious business with a great market product and the team of remarkable people and currently holds the position of Head of Operations.
Since coming to the United Kingdom in 2005, Agata worked in manufacturing and held various positions mainly in the automotive industry. Throughout the career she often acted as a link between supply chain and operations, using her personal and professional experience to build strong relationships between management and all employees through empowerment and engagement strategies. She has lead and taken part in major business transformations.
Her goal has always been to be inspirational to those who work with her and leave a legacy for use going forward. According to Agata: ‘Find a solution’ attitude is a must in any leadership position and she strongly believes that the utilization of other people’s skills and knowledge is vital in this aspect.
She has a passion for adding value in the eyes of the customer by implementing Lean methodologies, which had developed when she was a part of a core team who lead her organisation to achieve Lean Model Site status.

Many analysts predict that the Enterprise sector will be the biggest growth area for Augmented Reality (AR), yet many business leaders are unaware of the benefits AR can bring. Find out what the AREA (Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance) is doing to grow and educate the ecosystem and what you can do to help!
• Status of the global enterprise AR market and key use cases
• The latest AREA research and initiatives
• Harnessing the benefits of enterprise AR and accelerating adoption

Mark is the Executive Director of the Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA). The AREA is a membership funded alliance, helping to accelerate the adoption of Augmented Reality (AR) through a comprehensive ecosystem.
With a focus on creating value and ROI for its members, his goal is to develop a robust and active ecosystem for AR. His background includes a strong interest in mobile, AR, VR, and IoT and he is excited to work with enterprises, providers and research organizations to the benefit and growth of the AR within the enterprise.
Introduction to Cobalt Blue and its flagship cobalt project – one of the largest greenfield projects in the world, producing ethical cobalt for the next generation of electric vehicles.

– Deutsche Bank, Head of Resources, equities / investment management, resources and energy storage technology focus.
– PwC, Operational reviews and strategic assessments – mining, minerals processing, and infrastructure in Australia, North America and Europe;seconded to BHPB and Rio Tinto.
Learn from recent IfM research into low-cost digital approaches to understand how digital improvement doesn’t have to cost the earth. The Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring project has provided a number of new approaches that harness off the shelf digital technologies to make incremental improvements to business and operational processes. In this masterclass we will share these methods with you and provide some inspiration for where you might be able to digitalise your processes without the huge investment.
Application only

As a member of the IfM ECS team Liz works with companies of all shapes and sizes to help them develop their business strategies and build the operational capabilities they need to create sustainable step changes in business performance and profitability. She leads the IfM ECS participation in the Government-funded Sharing in Growth activity, a £110m programme of intensive supplier development in the UK aerospace and nuclear industries.
Liz also works closely with the IfM’s Distributed Information and Automation Laboratory research group in developing and applying approaches for advanced factory design and automation. Projects have been completed with a range of companies, including Foxconn, Laing O’Rourke and Jaguar Land Rover.
Before joining IfM ECS in 2010, Liz had more than 15 years’ experience in manufacturing, with senior roles in operations management and manufacturing engineering. She initially built her career in the electronics industry, in an environment of highly configurable, build-to-order, complex electronic products on short lead times. She also worked extensively as a management consultant and project manager for a range of manufacturing companies. As a project manager, Liz has led projects in lead time reduction, delivery performance improvement, product transfers, cost reduction, resource planning, new product introduction and strategic reviews.
Liz has a Masters Degree in Manufacturing Engineering from Cambridge University.
High-value manufacturers and their supply-chains are significantly more complex than previous generations. Along with the unprecedented levels of challenges many businesses are currently facing, adopting new disruptive technologies to make step change improvements is now more important than ever. This presentation will explore how companies have challenged themselves to think differently and taken bold decisions to change traditional behaviours, which has yielded significant improvements in their businesses. The results have been profound, creating manufacturing capabilities which are more flexible, adaptive and intelligent, and now are able to take advantage of the current unpredictable level of change in this “new normal”. |

Richard Gould is Sales & Business Development Manager at MetLase, and a qualified engineer. He’s been with the company for four and half years, joining very shortly after MetLase was created.Prior to MetLase, Richard was Commercial Manager at Castings Technology International (Cti) and The University of Sheffield’s, Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, for their “AMRC Castings” division. For the last 19 years Richard has focused on the development, commercialisation and adoption of new disruptive and advanced manufacturing techniques which bring about step change improvements in manufacturing processes and end-users’ product performance. Richard has been instrumental in the successful implementation of new advanced manufacturing techniques, in companies based in UK and worldwide, including Rolls-Royce, GKN, McLaren Automotive, Boeing and Siemens. |
The simple task of moving components, WIP or consumables within a factory environment can often be an area which breeds inefficiencies and operational stress. As more manufacturers are under pressure to improve operational effectiveness and deliver higher product mix solutions, this challenge will continue to escalate. Mobile robots are a newer breed of robot, which are set to revolutionise factory operations, by providing a flexible and secure platform for factory intralogistics tasks. Mobile robots eliminate the complexity of workflow and line replenishment operations, but work collaboratively with human operators and do not require any factory infrastructure modifications. |

Dan Rossek is the UK Marketing Manager for Omron Electronics, a global supplier of automation and robotics solutions. Passionate about technology and innovation, he has spent his entire working career in the field of automation within the manufacturing sector.
Since graduating with a degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering, he has worked in a number of roles from technical support, application engineering, product management and marketing.
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, grab a coffee!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, grab a coffee!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, grab a coffee!
Connect with manufacturing leaders across different time zones and share business insights, best practice and challenges in this video networking session focused on automotive and facilitated by The Manufacturer team.
Running alongside this live face to face meet up, will be the text chat discussions throughout the day that enables delegates to dip in and out of conversations 24/7.
Make the most of virtual networking in the new normal and make connections that count!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, grab a coffee!
Nigel Dawson, Festo Head of Business Development for electric automation looks at four mega-trends. Using a state-of-the-art dynamic display he shows how investing in digitalisation turns sustainability, individualisation and demographic change into opportunities for today’s leading manufacturers. Festo developed the 5m long production line, named ‘The Productivity Master’, to bring the often abstract ideas behind digitalisation into reality. It provides reassurance to procurement teams and the C-suite that their investment in digitalisation and Industry 4.0 is not just a leap of faith but a sound business decision. Nigel demonstrates how connectivity from the machine to the cloud addresses these mega-trends. |

Nigel Dawson is a traditional apprentice trained engineer in Production and Robotics studying ONC, HNC and finally a Production Engineering Degree at Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK. Having spent many years designing and commissioning systems for the process and offshore oil industry, he moved into automation technology for Festo. He has spent the last 24 years at Festo in sales, marketing, solutions engineering and product management, advising industry and industrial media on the optimum solutions for Electric Automation in production lines through the UK, Europe and Asia. Nigel is currently global head of business development as well as application management in Festo HQ, in Germany. His team develops business, software and applications for electrical automation in all industries across the world. |
What pieces make up the Smart Factory? Here Rab Scott discusses the basic building blocks and the barriers to adoption.

Rab is accountable for the delivery of the AMRC’s Chapter 2 Digital Transformation and ensures a digital thread is woven throughout everything the AMRC delivers. Starting at the AMRC in 2001 when just a handful of engineers occupied a single building, Rab has progressed from his original role as lead on Virtual Reality and Simulation to now be Professor of Industrial Digitalisation at the University of Sheffield.
Alongside his work at the AMRC, Rab is also a Visiting Professor in the Department of Design, Manufacturing Engineering Management at the University of Strathclyde; Honorary Research Fellow of the University of Exeter Business School; IET Spokesperson for Virtual Reality and a member of their Digital Panel; Deputy Chair of the Immerse UK Advisory Board; Member of the UK 5G Manufacturing Working Group; Member of the BSI IST/31 Standards Committee; and Operational Chair of the HVMC Digital Strategy Team.
With his wealth of experience Rab is a thought leader in digital for UK manufacturing and makes sure the ground-breaking digital work the AMRC does alongside its partners is adopted both internally and externally.

Each organisation is at a different stage of their Digital transformation and Industrial Automation journey. Whether you are at the “start” or “nearing the end” this presentation shows how simulation software can support you all the way through the automation journey. The presentation will cover issues around some of the common mistakes made in factory design, deployment of robots and cobots and business cases but also show some videos on how to embed simulation software into the decision making process in order to de-risk both Capex and Opex spend.

Steve has vast experience in digital transformation having worked across the world for Consultancy and Software firms as well as a number of blue chip organisations. He has published many articles and blogs on Industrial Automation and Digital Twins. “Digital transformation has been happening for a while. What was merely buzz words is now reality and organisations need support, insight, education and help in identifying truly transformative digital products and services to help them in their Industrial Automation journey – and I aim to do just that!”
The presentation will explore current investment patterns and how companies are changing their mindsets. What should the customer be looking from an equipment supplier , what’s their investment strategy and how do they see the future. How will that link to the future use of IoT platforms and the future smart factories and what is the appetite of individual companies to be using the connected world.
There is a significant amount of data to be collected, processed & analysed. How viable is that for SME’s to make significant investments to gain a competitive advantage and embrace the future. |

With over 15 years of experience within the automation industry Oliver utilises his skills to drive strategic transformation of companies through uptake of automation. The majority of this has been with FANUC, a market leader in automation solutions including robotics, CNC, plastic injection moulding, wire EDM and vertical machining. Oliver promotes the use of modern IoT technology and manufacturing strategy to ensure businesses can run more efficiently, with less risk, whilst maintaining profitably.

CNC Robotics Ltd is the UK’s leading robotic integrator specialising in advanced machining applications. The company had its origins in the use of robots to produce models and sculptures for theatre and film sets. Creative applications still form a key part of the company’s business; however, the company now successfully delivers automated solutions across multiple industries including education, automotive, aerospace, marine, architecture, construction, and general manufacturing. In this presentation, we will explore real life examples of how machining with robots can help overcome manufacturing challenges.

Philippa is the Managing Director of CNC Robotics Ltd, a leading robotic integration company based in the Liverpool City Region. Philippa is responsible for leading the development of the business and its people and is passionate about working closely with the community to address critical challenges that will shape our future. Philippa is a member of the Institute of Directors, and sits on several advisory boards including MAKE UK Regional and Industrial Strategy Challenge fund Manufacturing Made Smarter. In 2019 she was inducted into Insiders 2019 42 under 42 list celebrating the strength of the region’s brightest business talent who will form the next generation of successful business leaders and business owners. |
What can we learn from this thriving, elite tier of mid-size companies that so often flies under the radar?

Dr. Peter Colman is a Partner and shareholder at Simon-Kucher. Peter joined Simon-Kucher in 2008, and divides his time between his base in the North of England and the London office. He leads the consultancy’s Technology & Industrials practice for the UK and Ireland.
Peter has generated strong profit enhancement results throughout his 20 years in consulting and industry. He specialises in Commercial Excellence programmes to address strategy, sales & marketing, pricing and product management topics. He has worked for corporate clients, private equity-backed companies and venture capital-backed start-ups across Europe and North America.
Peter has written over 25 articles for publications such as Institute of Sales Management, Sales Initiative Magazine, Chartered Institute of Marketing, Professional Pricing Society and The Manufacturer. He is a regular speaker / panellist at conferences, a Manufacturing Excellence Awards judge and a Member of Institute of Sales Management, Chartered Institute of Marketing and Institute of Directors.
Prior to joining Simon-Kucher, Peter worked for digital marketing and technology consultancies focusing on eCommerce and Customer Relationship Management transformation programmes.
Peter holds a PhD in Electronics from the University of Cambridge and a First Class degree in Physics from the University of Nottingham.
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, and eat lunch!
In this session, we will reflect on Lean Six Sigma. We will briefly examine the history of Lean and Six Sigma to understand how it once helped create a competitive advantage for companies and ask the questions; Is Lean Six Sigma delivering the competitive advantage today as it once did? Have they hit a ceiling? How can an organization leverage all that is good and break through to the next level? We will examine convergence and explore ways to break from the pack. And we will understand that the competition is no longer the companies that deliver product and services similar to ours, but that our true competitor is time and how to engage.

Joseph F. Paris Jr. is a recognized thought leader on operational excellence; an international entrepreneur; a prolific writer; and a sought-after strategist, consultant, and speaker with engagements around the world. His book, “State of Readiness” (May 2017) has been well received and endorsed by business leaders from highly respected companies – with operations around the world and across industries – and promises to be a definitive work on the field of Operational Excellence.

This year’s COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact across supply chains, in some cases acting as a catalyst for positive change. But how can manufacturers be proactive rather than reactive with opportunities in the supply chain? Join experts at the HVM Catapult’s MTC in exploring how digital manufacturing can serve this purpose across a broad range of industries.

The HVM Catapult is your partner in manufacturing innovation, harnessing the best research to transform the products you sell, the way you make them and the skills of your workforce. Whether you’re looking for a better production line or support with a new product, our world-class expertise and equipment can help you to deliver a more productive and competitive operation.
Our services are available to firms of all shapes and sizes from FTSE-listed companies to small firms deep in the supply chain. Our offer is built on:
It’s our business to support your growth and guide you in breaking into new markets.
At the HVM Catapult, we will help you to transform great ideas into commercial realities. |
The DMA is a long-term programme at the MTC, in partnership with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, to accelerate the implementation of innovative physical and digital manufacturing technologies into UK manufacturing and supply chains. The programme is building a platform to provide companies with the facilities, skills, resources and supply network to overcome the barriers and challenges which can limit the commercial adoption of industrial digital technologies.
Based in the heart of Liverpool, the programme is building a state-of-the-art re-configurable factory, with digital and physical test beds, to support manufacturing businesses and provide new high value engineering jobs and apprenticeships.
This presentation will give you an overview of the DMA programme, the platform we are developing, the assets we are building, with a focus on supply chain collaboration and how you can get involved.

Nigel Haigh has worked at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, since 2018. He is the Supply Chain Manager for the Digital Manufacturing Accelerator (DMA) programme in Liverpool. The DMA is developing a Digital Manufacturing ecosystem which will include a Rapidly Reconfigurable Factory Environment (RRFE) and Digital Factory Environment (DFE). This ecosystem, along with the development of the local supply chain, will help organisations accelerate the development and implementation of digital manufacturing system solutions.
Nigel is a successful operational leader with extensive industrial experience and a strong track record of delivering significant business success. Prior to joining the MTC he was a member of the European leadership team for a top 3 global pharmaceutical company, managing global programmes & supply chain transformation.
Nigel also has 19 years professional consulting experience with medium size privately owned companies and global organisations, implementing Supply Chain Strategy, Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence and Cost Reduction.
A session providing insights into the Smart Factory Transformation program that Schneider Electric has embarked on over the past five years, exploring how to launch a program with guidance from the No1 Gartner recognised supply chain innovator in the European region.

Mark has extensive experience in the manufacturing sector and has 30 years working in the field of plant and factory automation. Focused on transforming clients sustainability and optimisation strategies in the manufacturing sector through digital transformation.
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, and eat lunch!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, and eat lunch!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, and eat lunch!
Time to visit Smart Factory Expo, arrange meetings, and eat lunch!

Dr Steven Barr is a Chartered Engineer, advisor and company director specialising in making data and digital technologies work effectively for business growth. He co-leads EDGE Digital Manufacturing and is a member of the board of DRL-Tool.org, working with the UK’s leading institutions to boost adoption of data and digital technologies. He is the lead technical author of British Standards PAS 1040 guide to Digital Readiness. Steven spends most of his time shoulder-to-shoulder with manufacturing business leaders, helping them to take full advantage of data and digital technologies in dealing with business challenges and achieving growth ambitions. Steven is a former National Director of the Manufacturing Advisory Service, and 30 year veteran of working with over 50 design, technology and manufacturing companies large and small.