Accelerating socially driven innovation
Published on 28 March, 2023 in Operational Excellence
Society is built on cultural norms and values that shape how people think, behave, and interact with each other. These cultural factors can influence everything from consumer preferences and business practices to political beliefs, which in turn affect how manufacturing evolves.
Manufacturing is one of the most important sectors of any economy, yet in the UK it can fairly claim to be underrated - despite our being the world’s 9th largest manufacturing nation. According to MAKE UK research, manufacturing provides 2.7 million jobs, has an annual output of £191 billion, and offers wages 13% higher, on average, than the rest of the economy.
The sector also has a multiplier effect which extends far beyond the jobs and wealth it creates directly, supporting the growth of other industries and creating a positive cycle of economic growth - boosting the overall productivity of the country and improving lives.
Society is changing. Accelerating innovation and adopting digital technologies is essential to remain competitive and meet the changing needs of society. It is important to ensure that these changes are made in a way that puts people at its heart, improving the wellbeing of people in and out of the manufacturing sector. This requires collaboration and a shared vision with manufacturing playing a critical role for present and future generations. Developing the goods, services and skills that people rely on every day. Challenging each other to solve the world’s biggest problems.
OMRON's i-Automation can play a crucial role in enabling the three key innovations that manufacturers must leverage to develop the manufacturing systems of the future. By utilising i-Automation, manufacturers can achieve integrated control evolution, intelligent development through ICT, and interactive human-machine collaboration. With i-Automation, manufacturers can optimise their production processes and create more efficient, flexible, and responsive manufacturing systems that can better address the challenges facing the industry and stay competitive in the global marketplace.
The National Manufacturing Summit is a hybrid event that is run simultaneously at the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centre and online across multiple platforms.