Compared to two years ago when the global pandemic shut down much of the manufacturing sector, the future is looking brighter for the industry. However, manufacturers are far from smooth sailing as the industry still faces a confluence of challenges, from increased consumer demand, rising costs of materials and shipping, and trucking driver shortages – all of which end up increasing costs which are then passed on to consumers.
Manufacturers are looking for ways to achieve more efficient operations, more seamless production and better customer service, all at a lower cost. The answer for many is clear: digitalisation. Processes such as automated machinery, computerised product development, robotics and cloud computing are beginning to take the sector by storm.
These innovations are being applied to every part of the manufacturing life cycle. In pre-production areas such as product development, computer simulations are being integrated into the design process. Meanwhile, during production, software is used to automate systems and processes that would otherwise have to be completed manually. Post-production, digitalisation can be used at the quality assurance stage to test large numbers of products more thoroughly – and recently, machine learning and AI have been applied to work streams to help suggest improvements to products, based on computer findings.
The evolving needs of a digital manufacturer
Yet if manufacturers assume that these innovative technologies are simple and straightforward to implement, they are mistaken. Certainly, a wholesale change in workplace culture is required before digitalisation can be adopted. After years of manual processes, many employees and managers are resistant to injecting new tools and technologies into a system that, in their opinion, works perfectly well.
Others see the investment required as too great for the promised (but not certain) efficiencies. Developing internal infrastructure and implementation can be costly, and shareholders may not be willing to support such change, not least because of the short-term impact on profitability.
But the most critical problem when it comes to implementing a digitalisation strategy is the current skills gap. There are too few people with the required digitalisation skills, with universities and training centres struggling to meet demand from employers. It’s here where location becomes the key factor.
Locations leading the charge
It is not only skills gaps leading manufacturers to specific locations. Ultimately, government support will be needed if sectors are to make the transition to digital manufacturing. There will also need to be digitalisation along the length of the supply chain, with each element – from raw materials to logistics – integrated into a digital system. Either that or many of the gains will be lost once the goods leave the factory.
It is here that Ireland has emerged as a leader in digital manufacturing. To help the manufacturing industry adopt new digital technologies, the Irish government through IDA Ireland will launch the Advanced Manufacturing Centre (AMC), where companies use cutting-edge digital facilities to innovate and streamline their processes.
To address the need for more qualified employees, the AMC will assist in the training of new hires to support companies in the shift to digital manufacturing – as well as address the issue at a decision-making level in businesses – supporting senior managers and owners in making the transition. The centre will also feature a fully functional production line.
The country has also launched a national research centre to help the growth and development of the biopharma manufacturing industry specifically, known as the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT). With so many leading global biopharma companies located in the area, such as Janssen, Pfizer, Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline, the centre helps advance these companies in their efforts, making transformative discoveries across multidisciplinary areas such as analytical science, cell and genetic engineering, informatics, and bioprocess engineering.
Manufacturing of the future
The digitalisation of manufacturing processes can be seen in companies around the world, in every industry sector. For instance, the global supplier of technology and services Bosch has embraced digitalisation wholeheartedly – particularly in its automotive sector. Its recently launched Automotive Research and Development Centre focused on the implementation of integrated circuits (IC) for 77GHz radar sensors, which has applications for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) such as Automatic Emergency Braking, Collision Avoidance and Adaptive Cruise Control as well as radar technologies for automated driving.
Leibherr is another success story: a construction machinery manufacturer, as well as producer of domestic appliances, machine tools and aviation and rail systems. The Killarney plant, established in 1958, was the first Liebherr plant outside of Germany and employs over 900 skilled staff in design, structural, mechanical, and electronic engineering – using digital manufacturing to continually innovate their products.
As more and more companies go digital, there is increasing pressure on supply chains to keep pace, putting pressure on more and more businesses. It is in forward-looking locations where they can learn to adapt, knowing that they enjoy the ‘clustering’ benefits of these growing hubs for digital manufacturing.
Shauna Higgins, vice president of engineering and green economy at IDA Ireland
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