Session Overview: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way manufacturing works, helping companies run more efficiently, make better decisions, and increase productivity. As the pressure to innovate grows, AI offers the tools to simplify processes, lower costs, and quickly adapt to changing market demands. This session will look at how AI is being used in manufacturing today, from improving supply chains to predictive maintenance, and how it’s shaping the factories of tomorrow.
Why Attend? Last year, manufacturers, AI start-ups, and industry experts gave us a glimpse of what AI can do and shared their insights on its potential to transform factories. As more companies begin to adopt AI, this is a great chance to connect with others in the industry, hear first-hand how different manufacturers are using AI, and discover how it could bring new opportunities to your operations.
What to Expect: This year’s session will bring together manufacturers of all sizes, each at a different stage in their AI journey. They’ll share practical experiences, challenges, and success stories, showing how AI is making a real difference in the manufacturing world. You can expect:
Come along to gain insights, connect with others using AI, and be part of the conversation shaping the future of manufacturing.
Check out the Tech Breakout session from 2024 using the following link – Make UK Conf 24 Breakout AI (youtube.com)
Mike Biddle, Innovate UK
As Executive Director for Net Zero, Mike is responsible for leading Innovate UK’s activities to ensure the UK prospers from being the fastest transitioning economy to Net Zero.
To prosper we need to create value for the UK from the products and services that are needed to get to net zero as quickly as possible. It means inspiring, involving and investing in UK innovation to create green jobs, sustainable growth and exports. It means laying foundations for a clean economy in which towns, cities and regions across the UK can thrive.
Net Zero is a race against time not against each other and more of the same won’t do. That means we must change the way we do things and that means we must innovate with urgency, because the clock is ticking.
Prior to this, Mike was Programme Director for the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to deliver the research and science that businesses needs to transform existing industries, create new ones and deliver economic impact, jobs and growth.
Before joining Innovate UK, Mike worked in the photonics industry for 10 years after graduating with a masters in physics from Imperial College, London. He is a board member of the Advanced Propulsion Centre and Aerospace Technologies Institute and a Fellow of the Institute of Physics.
Andrew Kinder, SVP – Industry & Solution Strategy, Infor Discrete Manufacturing
Andrew leads the Strategy team for Infor Discrete Manufacturing globally. His role involves developing a deep understanding of customer needs, their challenges and ambitions and the technologies that help them achieve their transformations and growth. Based in the UK, Andrew’s background is in manufacturing and supply chain and the enterprise applications that serve these.
Richard Bovey, Chief for Data, AND Digital
Rich heads AND Digital’s UK Data and AI practice delivering impactful transformation: guiding clients through the complexities of rapidly changing tech.
Rich has dedicated years of his career to the manufacturing sector, most notably building Jaguar Land Rover’s digital capability with a brand of transformation laser focussed on value delivery. As Director of Data and Digital he modernised JLR’s technology infrastructure, talent strategy and approach to technical delivery.
Rich has a passion for opportunity creation, growing and nurturing talent. Working with TechWM over the past 3 years Rich has led the way in connecting the supply and demand side of the Digital Skills Gap. This includes curating the innovative ‘AI for Manufacturing Accelerator’ which transformed a pilot cohorts practical approach to AI adoption in their organisations.
John Cook, Production Director, Groupe Atlantic UK, ROI & NA
John spent his childhood in Leeds before embarking on his Engineering apprenticeship with Allied, a global food manufacturing business. John progressed in the field of Engineering up to Director level within SME’s and has worked with a number of large companies including the likes of Smith and Nephew.
It is at Smith and Nephew where John shifted focus towards leading Operations with a passion to drive focused performance improvements across broader business’, something he has continued to deliver today as a Director at Groupe Atlantics Ideal Heating Division here in the UK.
John continues to be an ambassador for the benefits of apprenticeships and education in any form. He has recently been invited to support both the Institute of Technology and the University of Hull’s Artificial Intelligence in Business program, a groundbreaking initiative in the UK today.
John is an active board member of MakeUK and sits on Hull and East Yorkshires Skills Improvement Planning Board, Hull Colleges Board of Governors and is looking forward to embarking on a global mobilisation role within Groupe Atlantic’s Business Improvement Faculty later this year.
Tom Hollands, Innovation and Technical Director, Raynor Foods
Tom Hollands is the Innovation and Technical Director at Raynor Foods, he is also Honorary Fellow of the IFST and previously one of its trustees. Tom is an accomplished Food Scientist who has worked in both government (Food Standards Agency) and the private sector. Tom is a true innovator at heart and has won many national and international accolades, last year he was awarded with the Honorary Fellowship from the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), in recognition for his extraordinary contributions to the IFST and wider food system as a food scientist and innovator. Tom’s innovations are focused on sustainability and meta food systems, their emerging technologies and the fascinating and complex links that join them.