Presenting 14 cutting-edge industrial concepts

On 23 June 2021 the Made Smarter Technology Accelerator presented it's prototype presentation event

Rewatch the event

Prototyping presentation event

The Made Smarter Technology Accelerator is at the forefront of industrial innovation, it has been developed to pair manufacturers with technology companies so they can take advantage of advanced technology to radically alter and improve, the way we approach manufacturing.  

On 23 June 2021, the programme proudly presented the first phase insights and learnings for industry. The event heard directly from the Industry Challenge Owners and Tech Sponsors, and explored the challenges they face and how to overcome them. Joined by the 14 programme startups, as you rewatch this event, you’ll discover the industry-changing prototypes as they pitch the conceptual solutions developed through the programme.

The event recording is available online. 

Register to attend About the programme
Designed for industry. Made real by innovators.

As we closed our prototyping phase of the programme, the teams all developed pioneering digital tools that help accelerate innovation into the sector and combat a specific challenge for their chosen Industry Challenge Owners: Babcock International Group, BAE Systems, GAF, Northumbrian Water Group (NWG), O’Neills Irish International Sports Company Limited, Safran Landing Systems, and Sainsbury’s. 

With representation from all seven challenge owners we’ll also be joined by Tech Sponsors Software AG and Verizon with focused and industry relevant panels chaired by well renowned leaders including Juergen Maier, Chair of Digital Catapult and Co-Chair of Made Smarter and Priya Guha, Venture Partner at Merian Ventures and Non Executive Director at Digital Catapult.

Meet the challenge owners

Watch the event recording

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Who attended

The event was designed for those working within or for the manufacturing industrial sector. In particular we are seeking interest from senior leaders within these sectors:

  • Aerospace and defence
  • Automotive
  • Food and drink
  • Rail and infrastructure
  • Construction
  • Utilities and energy
  • Supply chain and logistics
  • Health and pharmaceutical
  • Textiles

Why watch the event recording

Presented by the Made Smarter Technology Accelerator industry leading partners, sponsors and cohort members the challenges and solutions range from increasing shelf-life and sell-through rate of products while reducing waste (Sainsbury’s) to product customisation – intelligent verification (O’neill’s) and scalable artificial intelligence for products’ visual inspection (BAE Systems).

Each company has been through a thorough programme of activities to further accelerate and refine their offerings and develop industry relevant digital concepts. 

As you rewatch the event you’ll get a chance to:

  • Hear from industry experts and leaders from a range of sectors
  • Listen to pitches from the most exciting startups working within the industrial sector
  • Learn from two focused panel discussions on Boosting UK Industrial Digital Technology capability and Building the case for investing in Industrial Digital innovation  – led by Jurgen Maier and Priya Guha
Rewatch the event

Meet the pitching cohort and their Industry Challenge Owners

Babcock International Group - dIgital shipbuilding

Using novel interaction techniques, CAE Tech Ltd will enable an entire team, particularly those on the factory-floor, to collaborate around computer aided design (CAD) data.

Babcock International Group - warrior base overhaul

JetSoft Ltd aims to develop a solution that will utilise existing equipment and combined data output to create an automatic 3D dataset – easing the hull inspection process.

BAE Systems - dynamic workflow management

Using AI techniques and SCALE+, a systems dynamic software, the DIEM Innovations solution will provide logistics experts with actionable insights into its supply chains, without needing to be simulation experts.

BAE Systems - scalable artificial intelligence for visual inspection

Using a novel machine learning technique, Machine Intelligence Ltd will identify defects in manufacturing, improve the quality of the end product, reduce waste and save money.

GAF - asphalt material characterisation

Volatile AI is building a combined gas sensor and AI solution for olfactory and chemical property tracking. The project will enable rapid and portable chemical testing for asphalt variations.

GAF - machine vision systems for product conformance and machine condition

Using cutting-edge AI and modern sensor technologies this product conformance solution is fast, accurate, affordable, and scalable. By replacing techniques typically carried out by human inspectors, the Zeta Motion Ltd solution uses smart cameras and advanced AI – creating higher throughput and consistency.

Northumbrian Water - water network monitoring and real time

The ITERATION project, a collaboration with Riscon solutions Ltd and Inventia UK, delivers a cloud-enabled, solution that comprises of a remote and self-sustaining water quality sensor module and associated cloud information system – utilised for signal capture, processing and analysis.

Northumbrian Water - sewer blockages smart Porcupine

Innovotek Ltd will develop a low-cost, unmanned monitoring system aimed at tackling the challenge of unflushables, such as wet-wipes, nappies and cotton-buds – reducing sewer flooding and environmental contamination within the sewerage system.

O’Neills Irish International Sports Company Limited - automation of production

Pentiot will be working with O’Neills on the automation challenge: Using AI guided robotics to automatically feed raw material into sewing equipment to replace seamstress or seamster with a seambot.

O’Neills Irish International Sports Company Limited - product customisation – intelligent verification

This digital manufacturing system from Metis Automation uses customer order data and converts this data into simple, easy to follow manufacturing steps and checks.

Safran Landing Systems - adaptive scheduling and performance monitoring

Despite many advances in technology, the issue of translating shopfloor know-how to top floor planning systems remains one of the biggest gaps to bridge. This project from Total Control Pro looks to identify best possible planning options and make recommendations to the production for scheduling.

Safran Landing Systems - implementation of SPC on all test rigs in the assembly shop

Zizo Software will be building a portable edge industrial internet of things (IIoT) analysis platform, using data analysis software, this solution provides big data capability. It will create a repository and platform to manage data from across teams and across functions.

Sainsbury’s - microbial control in ready to eat food

Ascalia will use high-tech cameras and artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure food safety from microbes and rot, in a way that is non-invasive and non-contaminating – creating a risk-free experience to shoppers. Using hyperspectral cameras – a combination of a normal camera and a spectrometer – the solution can detect chemical composition of objects on the production line.

Sainsbury’s - increasing shelf life and sell through of products while reducing waste

Singular Intelligence Ltd will develop a predictive shelf-life model for the supply chain, along with an automated, centralised optimal control system that takes necessary action to maximise the shelf life from the first stage in the supply chain, through to the consumer.

Meet the cohort Discover who’s involved

Event recording running order

  • Welcome and introduction Jeremy Silver – CEO, Digital Catapult
  • Programme overview and objectives – Justin Cross – Innovation Partner & Programme Lead, Digital Catapult
  • Panel discussion: Boosting UK Industrial Digital Technology capability – speakers including Made Smarter Technology Accelerator Industry Challenge Owners and Tech Sponsor
    Chaired by Juergen Maier – Chair, Digital Catapult and Co-Chair of Made Smarter
  • Startups pitches Part one
  •  Coffee break
  • Panel discussion : Building the case for investing in Industrial Digital Technology innovation – speakers including Made Smarter Technology Accelerator Industry Challenge Owners and Tech Sponsor
    Chaired by Priya Guha – Venture Partner, Merian Ventures and Non Executive Director, Digital Catapult
  • Startups pitches Part two
  • Closing remarks – Chris Courtney – Challenge Director Manufacturing Made Smarter, UKRI
Rewatch the event

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