Connecting Academia and Industry: Catalysing Innovation through Collaboration

Manufacturing is a critical sector in the UK, employing over 2.6 million and contributing ~9% of GDP to the UK economy. With the race to net zero, heightened geopolitical uncertainty, rapid technological advances and continuous disruptions to supply chains, remaining competitive is increasingly challenging.

Against the backdrop of these challenges, there is a need for stronger collaboration between industry and academia to drive continuous innovation and solve the more complex problems of today and of the future. The benefits from industry-academia collaboration are symbiotic. Through the combination of sector- and discipline-specific knowledge and expertise, these partnerships enable industry and academic groups to work together and co-design research programmes which will inform and underpin industry’s response to these challenges. Such partnerships will allow a broad spectrum of opportunities, including:

• Shared knowledge and skills
• New research informed opportunities for innovation and commercialisation
• Embedding world-leading research with manufacturing practice
• Access to additional research and innovation funding routes
• Access to world leading resources, including state of the art technology and equipment (e.g. Bristol Digital Futures Institute, Isambard AI)
• Access to world-leading staff and students at the University of Bristol
• Co-design educational programmes to create the work force of the future

The aim of this event is to bring together the manufacturing community with the University of Bristol Business School, a leading Business School in the UK, to develop and drive forward a collaborative, interdisciplinary research agenda. In doing so, the event will showcase success stories, facilitate panel discussions, and provide information on funding opportunities and other routes to collaborative research.

EVENT OVERVIEW

13:00 - Welcome and introduction - University of Bristol Business School - Professor Jon Beaverstock, Deputy Dean of the University of Bristol Business School

13:15 - Outline of key industry challenges - Verity Davidge, Director of Policy & Public Affairs, Make UK

13:45 - Research and Facility Showcase – University of Bristol Business School

Transforming Net Zero with Next Generation Power Semiconductors - Professor Martin Kuball (School of Physics), Dr Minhao Zhang (UoBBS), Professor Palie Smart (UoBBS)

Strategic Value Maximisation in Multi-Echelon Supply Chains: Evidence from an Industry-Academia Collaboration - Professor Gilberto Montibeller (UoBBS)

Bristol Digital Futures Institute Facilities Showcase - Professor Daniel Neyland, BDFI Academic Co-Director

Break: 14:45 - 15:00

15:00 - Panel Discussion - Cross-sector perceptions of the challenges and how and what research can inform industry’s response to these challenges:

• Panel Chair: Professor Palie Smart (Associate Pro- Vice Chancellor Global Civic Engagement and Professor in Operations Management)
• Verity Davidge (Director of Policy & Public Affairs, Make UK)
• Professor Jennifer Johns (Professor of Management and Research Director, UoBBS)
• Tim Lawrence (Director of the Digital Supply Chain Hub at the Digital Catapult)
• Professor Gilberto Montibeller (Professor in Operations Management, UoBBS)

15:45 - Collaborative Funding Routes and Opportunities - Geraint Jones (Innovate UK), Sam Lambshead (University of Bristol), Dr Phil Walker-Davies (UoBBS)

16:15 - Summing up, next steps - Dr Phil Walker-Davies (UoBBS)

Closing Remarks - Kerri-Anne Mruk (Regional Director - South, Make UK)

Close: 16:30

Registration: To register, please click the button below.

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Ticket Costs:

Buffet included

Make UK members £20

Non-Make UK members £30

There is limited opportunity to display a single pop up/banner at cost (please select and pay on checkout)

Registration closes at midnight on the Wednesday 28 May