n NEWS June 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 THE UK’S £37.6m Digital Twin Centre has opened in Belfast, with the aim of driving the next wave of industrial transformation by accelerating the adoption of digital twin technologies across critical UK sectors, potentially delivering 230 new jobs and £62m in GVA for the Northern Ireland economy over the coming decade. The Centre will help businesses across the UK to demonstrate and deploy digital twins. It brings together capabilities in six areas – intelligence, data services, immersive end-user experiences, cyberphysical systems, integration and security – to make the emerging technology more accessible and interoperable across sectors and suppliers. The Centre is funded by the £850m Belfast Region City Deal and Innovate UK, and delivered by the Digital Catapult. There are three co-investing industrial partners: Artemis Technologies, Spirit AeroSystems and Thales UK. Since the project was announced last year, the Digital Catapult has brought industry and other interested parties together to identify barriers to adopting digital twins and possible strategic interventions. At the Centre’s opening, the industrial partners used its facilities – including a 360degree immersive space and an advanced technology lab – to demonstrate how digital twins can solve complex challenges. The earlystage use cases emphasise how cross-sector collaboration can help to create scalable, practical systems, while building expertise that can be shared across industries, ultimately improving product design, building supply chain resilience, and decarbonising industrial operations. The Centre’s first six-month accelerator programme will support partnerships between technology SMEs and industry to fast-track digital twin adoption in the maritime, aerospace and defence sectors. As well as funding from Innovate UK, participants will also receive mentorship, workshops and support to develop proofs-of-concept for technologies such as IoT, data integration, and simulation tools, bringing their systems closer to real-world deployment. SMEs and others interested in taking part in the accelerator programme can apply online at https://digicat.org.uk/UK-Digital-Twin-Centre “The UK Digital Twin Centre brings together our technical expertise, facilities and networks to unlock the power of deep technologies,” says Digital Catapult CEO, Susan Bowen. “By connecting industries with cutting-edge technology through our programmes, we are enabling businesses to harness the full potential of digital twins – driving operational efficiencies, advancing sustainability, and sharpening the competitive edge of UK businesses.” www.digicatapult.org.uk UK’s £37m Digital Twin Centre opens to drive digitalisation p More than 200 companies have registered for the £1.55m Government-backed Made Smarter South East programme which will help manufacturing and engineering SMEs in the region to adopt cutting-edge manufacturing technologies. It will offer advice, training, student placements, and match-funded grants of up to £20,000 to help improve productivity, competitiveness and sustainability. The programme is being delivered by Surrey County Council in partnership with 11 local authorities and LEPs. The programme is open to SMEs with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than £44m. https://bit.ly/MadeSmarterSouthEast p ABB has been chosen by the energy company Eni to be the main automation contractor for the HyNet project which will transport CO2 emitted by industrial plants in the North West of England and North Wales for storage in four depleted gas fields in the Irish Sea. The project aims to cut CO2 emissions by 10 million tonnes a year by 2030 – a quarter of the CO2 emitted in the region. ABB’s Ability 800xA control and safety system will manage the project’s automation, comms and cybersecurity. p The Italian automation and robotics company, Comau, is buying another Italian business, the warehousing and intralogistics automation specialist Automha, from its owner Trasma, for an undisclosed sum. The deal will open up new opportunities in the expanding warehousing and logistics sector. Comau hopes that synergies will help to create an Italian automation hub that competes globally. p The Japanese-headquartered bearings and linear motion company, NSK, is combining its industrial and automotive operations in Europe in a move designed to improve its efficiency and enable collaboration between functions including manufacturing, engineering and sales. Matthieu Lavieuville has been appointed chief operating officer to oversee the merger. p Mitsubishi Electric has bought the Irish elevator company, Ascension Lifts, via its Swedish subsidiary, Motum. The move is part of an expansion of Mitsubishi’s activities in elevator maintenance and renewal, with demand for these services expected to grow against the backdrop of ageing elevators and escalators, and heightened environmental awareness. p The global market for industrial controls was worth $157.3bn in 2024, and will reach $321.6bn by 2034 – a CAGR of 7.6% from 2025 to 2034 – according to a new report from Allied Market Research. The survey covers PLCs, DCSs, Scada systems, industrial Ethernet, power supplies and other technologies. DCSs accounted for more than 40% of the market in 2024 and are expected to retain this dominance. www.alliedmarketresearch.com NEWS BRIEFS The UK Digital Twin Centre will allow industry and innovators to embrace, explore and realise the power of digital twins. For more News visit www.drivesncontrols.com
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