UK must lead the fourth industrial revolution

Posted on March 26th, 2018

Why Britain must lead the fourth industrial revolution will be one of the main topics discussed at the East Midlands Manufacturing and Engineering Conference this week.

The fourth industrial revolution focuses on fully automated factories needing neither lights nor heating and jobs that will be created as a result of the rise of machines in the workplace.

Key speaker Marcus Burton, Director at Yamazaki Mazak UK, will discuss why the UK must lead the revolution.

His presentation will be followed by one from Svetan Ratchev, Professor of Production Engineering and Director of the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing at the University of Nottingham’s Faculty of Engineering who will discuss manufacturing in a digital age.

Mark Titterington, the CEO of Engineering UK, will then present on the recently published State of Engineering Report: 2018, before Neil Tatman, Associate Fellow Manufacturing Systems, Rolls-Royce looks at the journey to the next generation of ‘Smart Factories’.

The final speaker will be Naomi Clayton, Policy and Research Manager at Centre for Cities, on the Cities Outlook 2018: Impact of Increasing Automation, which highlights that some parts of the East Midlands could take some of the hardest hits to employment, in relation to increased automation.

Ian Bates, Sector Forums Manager at East Midlands Chamber*, which has organised the conference, said: “There are significant challenges ahead for the manufacturing and engineering sector, from advancements in technology to simply being able to recruit the right people for the jobs, and only by staying one step ahead of the game can companies expect to maximise the opportunities that will, undoubtedly, emerge.

“This conference should give delegates an insight into what various experts expect to happen in the foreseeable future, which will hopefully steer Chamber policy and give us a glimpse of where we should be heading as we look ahead to a future outside the EU.”

The conference, which will include exhibitions from regional firms involved in the sector, takes place at the Advanced Manufacturing Building, University of Nottingham, at 522 Derby Road, Nottingham, from 8am to 12.30pm on Wednesday 28 March.

The event is sponsored by Chamber Strategic Partner Geldards and the University of Nottingham using its European Regional Development Fund allocation.

For further details about the conference on 28 March, visit http://bit.ly/2HuCWUT.

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