Manufacturing Event Set to Shine Light on Innovative Digital Tools

Digital tools to help local manufacturers transform their businesses will be in the spotlight at an upcoming industry event.

As part of the region’s Made Smarter Adoption North East programme, Tees Valley Combined Authority and Teesside University are delivering a “Serious Play” session on Thursday 3 October. This will give business owners the chance to explore how their companies could benefit from groundbreaking digital advancements such as Microsoft’s Power BI, augmented and virtual reality, ChatGPT and more.

The day-long session will also see some of Tees Valley’s leading commercial software providers give valuable advice on how manufacturers can start their digital journey.

Businesses are already benefitting from getting involved in Made Smarter – a Government-led programme being delivered locally alongside Teesside University to improve the development and adoption of new, innovative technologies to encourage business growth.

Middlesbrough-based Eco-Trailer Ltd secured a £10,000 grant from Made Smarter to invest in a collaborative robot – known as a Cobot – and incorporate it into its manufacturing processes. Cobots are smaller than more traditional robots and are designed to perform specific tasks in assembly, picking and packing, material handling and quality control.

The firm produces more than 240 high-quality trailers each year for Europe, the UAE, USA and even New Zealand, and the Cobot has helped Eco-Trailer streamline its manufacturing process and tackle challenges including increased costs and performance analysis.

Eco-Trailer Ltd’s Managing Director Simon Walker-Hansell said: “Made Smarter’s support kickstarted our lean manufacturing journey, and we are already seeing significant benefits!”

Sophie Walton, Science, Innovation & Technology Lead on the Tees Valley Business Board, said: “Emerging digital technologies represent some of the biggest opportunities for manufacturers to streamline, solve challenges and boost efficiency, but many are unaware the sheer scope of innovation out there, or how this can be applied to their work.

“These Made Smarter sessions are an excellent way to get hands-on with the groundbreaking hardware and software that can make a make a huge difference in running a business. Not only that, attendees can meet local developers, experts and providers for face-to-face advice and guidance. I’d call on all local SME manufacturers to sign up and come along.”

To register for the event or find out more, visit https://tinyurl.com/serious-play