Debate: Smarter manufacturing

Manufacturing is the lifeblood of Lancashire’s economy – but we need to get smarter at it. With Boost Business Lancashire, we brought together our panel of experts to Cotton Court in Preston to discuss ways of doing just that.

How can manufacturers become more productive?

Melissa Conlon: The biggest opportunity is to digitalise, to look to the future and ensure that they’re adopting robotics and cobotics – robots that work with people. There is a big agenda for humans to be working alongside machines. It’s accepting that they have to move forward.

We’re working with companies from the very smallest to large tier one partners. One company we’re working with makes jewellery and is looking at additive manufacturing so she can test pieces. Digitalisation is applicable to all manufacturers.