March 2021

n NEWS March 2021 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 Microsoft launches cloud platform dedicated to manufacturing users MICROSOFTHAS LAUNCHED a cloud platform dedicated to the manufacturing sector. The computing giant says that manufacturers have been moving towards data-driven automation, IoT, machine learning and AI for years and that 2020 showed how critical those capabilities are as factories ground to a halt and even the most sophisticated just-in-time supply chains were impacted. The new Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing, which will be available for public preview before the end of June, is intended to support industry’s core Arkan:“The pandemic has taught us that the fourth industrial revolution is no longer hype.” THE GOVERNMENT is providing £8m in funding to expand the Made Smarter manufacturing technology support programme, rolling it out from the pilot programme in North West England, to help up to 1,000 SMEs in the North East, Yorkshire and Humberside, and the West Midlands to adopt digital technologies such as robotics and automation. Over the past two years, the pilot programme has worked with 1,165 firms in the North West and provided support for 568 manufacturers, including expert advice, funded internships and digital workshops. Almost 150 businesses have received £3.5m in matched funding for 180 projects, attracting a further £10m of private sector investment. These projects are predicted to deliver an extra £138m in gross added value to the North West economy over the coming three years, creating more than 800 jobs and upskilling 1,700 existing roles. For example, Altrincham-based Mackinnon and Saunders, an animation company which worked on Bob the Builder and Postman Pat series, has been helped to adopt digital technologies including 3D printing to keep up with its bigger, global rivals. The new funding – part of the government’s Made Smarter Adoption programme – will continue to support manufacturers in the North West, and will expand in the coming months to include the other regions, helping companies to modernise, go digital, create new jobs, boost productivity and cut emissions. “The companies that have adopted the latest digital technology are already reaping the rewards,” says Minister for Investment, Lord Grimstone. “To help level up the country, we want to ensure businesses have the right tools for the job so that they can build back better and greener from the pandemic.” The government is also investing £147m through its Manufacturing Made Smarter Challenge to drive innovation in new digital systems for manufacturers. • A free online conference, Made Smarter: The Journey to Digital Manufacturing , will take place on 10 March and will look at the lessons of the North West pilot. It will include presentations from companies – including Mackinnon and Saunders – that have benefitted from the scheme, as well as those involved in setting it up and running it. www.madesmarter.uk/conference £8m scheme will roll out Made Smarter to help more UK SME manufacturers to go digital processes and needs. Çağlayan Arkan, Microsoft’s vice- president for manufacturing industry, says that the disruptions caused the pandemic are here to stay, bringing with them a heightened need for innovation and risk management. “We are at a tipping point where the old ways of doing business will no longer suffice,” he argues. “Manufacturers are asking for help accelerating the transformation of not only their operations but all aspects of their end-to-end business – perhaps most notably their people and culture.” According to Arkan,“the pandemic has taught us that the fourth industrial revolution is no longer hype. Every business is on a digital journey. The ones who are well into their journey are creating dramatic gains in terms of productivity, agility, sustainability, speed to market. “It is exciting to see this work really taking hold,”he adds.“It might take several years before we see it scale across the entire industry, but it is happening.”And with its Cloud for Manufacturing, Microsoft and its partners will support manufacturers, wherever they are on their digital transformation journey. Arkan cites the example of the VentilatorChallengeUK programme at the start of the pandemic when 30 companies – including Rexroth, Airbus, PTC and Siemens – came together and used Microsoft Teams, HoloLens and other products and services to set up a new supply chain and produce 20 years’ worth of ventilators in 12 weeks. Arkan believes that the Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing is unique in its support for industry standards and communities such as the Open Manufacturing Platform, the OPC Foundation, and the Digital Twins Consortium. He says that manufacturers accelerated investment in five key areas in response to Covid-19 during 2020, and expects this to persist into 2021 and beyond. He believes that Microsoft and its partners will be able to help them in these areas: n Building more agile factories n Transforming workforces n Engaging customers in new ways n Creating more resilient supply chains n Unlocking innovation and delivering new services Microsoft’s Cloud for Manufacturing is one of several industry-specific cloud offerings that the company is launching. Others are aimed at financial services, retail, healthcare and the non-profit sector. https://drivesncontrols.news/2p8tz