The engineering researchers at the University of Greenwich have been awarded a grant from the European Union so that they can lead the UK side of a â¬3.9 million bid that will improve innovation, communications, productivity and profitability for the factories of the future. The European Union has awarded the University of Greenwich â¬397,868 towards this research.
It is expected that the engineers at the university will work alongside manufacturers of high value goods with high specifications which could include avionic systems in fighter jets and luxury cars. It is thought that a lot of these companies will work across dispersed factory sites that can be located in different countries. Professor Simeon Keates is the Pro Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Engineering & Science and suggests that the research can go beyond mass production of standard goods at low prices. It is thought that the work of the university will develop new systems as well as more innovative ways of working with other people and their manufacturing equipment in order to produce the best possible designs and products available in the most efficient and cost effective way.
It is thought that people across dispersed company sites will waste time re-inventing ways to do a simple task. Like re-inventing the wheel, some companies lack the communications that could enable them to share the best possible practices as well as develop new ideas in collaboration with other dispersed company sites. An improvement in communications will help businesses in gaining a fuller range of perspectives as well as accessing more creativity, knowledge and skills.
The engineering research team will be working alongside two UK project partners which are the University of Exeter and the Autofina Ltd. The team will also receive help from France and five partners including CESI, BA Systèmes, IRSEEM, the Université du Havre and CERI.
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