Addressing the skills

requirements for Advanced

Manufacturing in Wales

Dr David Bould & Prof Johann Sienz

Second Platform Event of the RIM Plus 2015-2016

Wales House, Brussels

8th July 2015

Swansea University

Engineering – Background

The Faculty of Engineering was created in the 1920‟s with 5

Departments, which reflected the industrial needs of South

Wales:

Electrical Engineering

Civil Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Metallurgy and Materials

Mechanical Engineering

Engineering – REF 2014 results

Engineering Panels Combined GPA

University FTE's GPA Rank

University of Oxford 127.91 3.53 1

University of Cambridge 243.06 3.49 2

Imperial College London 344.10 3.38 3

King's College London 53.34 3.37 4

Cardiff University 48.10 3.35 5

University of Dundee 33.25 3.31 6

University of Edinburgh 91.80 3.30 7

Heriot-Watt University 108.84 3.30 7

University of Bristol 123.38 3.30 7

Swansea University 74.83 3.29 10

University of Southampton 276.48 3.25 11

University of Glasgow 84.00 3.25 11

University of Warwick 94.75 3.22 13

„Swansea University‟s

model of engaging with

industry is one to be

replicated in Europe‟ Dimitri Corparkis, DG Research and

Innovation, European Commission,

Brussels, June 2013

Engineering – Science and Innovation Campus

Now: Future:

Engineering

Advanced Manufacturing - Challenge for

Wales

West Wales and the

Valleys: 71

True “Academia – Industry” Collaboration at core operating on a joint cost/work share model

Embedding of technologies / knowledge transfer

May 2010 – June 2015

80 full time employees – engineers and administrators

Value £27M: £14.3M (ERDF), £13M (Partners)

All Welsh Universities!

AIM: “To enable the manufacturing industry in West Wales and the Valleys to grow by

adopting more advanced technologies, and at the same time improve its sustainability by

reducing its environmental impact.”

The ASTUTE Project

ASTUTE’s position in the Innovation

pipeline

University

Research

Portfolio

Research

Institute/NRN

/Ser Cymru

ASTUTE

Pre-

commercial

Development

UK

Manufacturing

Glo

ba

l M

ark

et

Deployment

Demonstrations

Research and Development

TRL 1-3 Fundamental

research

TRL 3-6 Technology

development and

scale up

TRL 6-8 Component

and system

development

TRL 8-9 Commercial

implementation

Doctoral

Training

Centre

PUSH PULL PULL THROUGH

“The ASTUTE project achievement to date is an exemplar of successful industry/academia collaboration. This can be attributed to a number of key issues which it is recommended are adopted as best practice for further or future EU or government funded academia projects.” [Ciotek, Mid Term Evaluation Report, Jan 2013]

“Swansea University‟s ASTUTE project was raised as being effective and the only true business support mechanism aimed at helping Welsh Manufacturing companies…. a number of companies highlighted that ASTUTE was seen as the programme of assistance that was being used in the main to deliver the larger scale projects in companies.” [Draft Report for WGs Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (AM+M), 2014]

“Programmes such as the ASTUTE Project ….allows Welsh businesses to access the latest innovations in advanced manufacturing from eight Welsh Universities to generate solutions to a wide range of manufacturing problems. This project needs to be extended and used as a flagship programme for EU Research and Innovation spending.” [Kay Swinburne, MEP, 2014]

Outside Views

of Impact

ASTUTE Impact – ERDF Indicators

Total Original Profile

over ASTUTE lifetime

(2010 – 2015)

Re-profiled targets

September 2014 Total Targets achieved

Outputs

Enterprise Assisted 350 277 300

Collaborative R&D Projects 40 128 152

Development of Innovation

Space (m2) created

200 482.95 482.95

Results

New Jobs Created 130 130 173.42

New Enterprise Created 5 10 12

Investment Induced (£) 4,000,000 5,750,000 9,719,758.07

PPS Launched 120 340 376

PPS Registered 40 40 42

CCT EMS 16 31 34

CCT EQS 20 25 30

Impact of ASTUTE

Independent Final Evaluation of project:

• 91% of companies confirmed impact or improvement

achieved or expected, directly as result of engagement

with ASTUTE

• Project created 158 jobs with further 237-261 jobs

projected by companies

• Increased business of over £203 million

• Additional investment exceeds £210 million

• ASTUTE has produced a calculated RoI of £211,975,000

• Based on 25% of realisation of company expectations

Impact of ASTUTE

For every £1 invested

ASTUTE generated £15

economic impact using

conservative estimates

Are we actually geared up for the future ?

(5 to 15 to 35 years)?

Disruptive megatrends

( waves of change / converging to tsunamis)?

Horizon Scanning with Industrial Experts

Observations – Where does this leave us?

Waves of Emerging Megatrends – one view Energy Communications

Big Data, Internet of Things

Economies of “Unscale”

Digital to Physical World (Programmable/Digital Materials)

Distributed Networks, Co-Creation, IP

Demographics, Societal, Education (Future Cities and Future Villages)

Copyright 2014 College of Engineering, Swansea University Commercial in Confidence

Data from ASTUTE Mid-

term evaluation, 2013

Table shows company

responses to evaluation

questionnaire:

Lack of skilled workforce

stifling growth

• Many issues can be

overcome if appropriate

skills exist (e.g.finding

skilled people)

ASTUTE – Finding

General Barriers for Welsh SMEs

Moving Forward

Historical:

• Successful ERDF projects

• Some disconnected ESF programmes

• Some UK government funded doctoral training

programmes

Future:

• Technological Megatrends (additive layer

manufacture, advanced materials, industry 4.0, big

data, internet of things)

• Structural Fund projects to turn threats of

megatrends into opportunities (ASTUTE 2020, etc)

• Fully aligned skills training for Megatrends/Structural

Funds Skills Pyramid

Copyright 2014 College of Engineering, Swansea University Commercial in Confidence

Skill Pyramid: Development of skill base in

Wales

General information and outreach

Work-based learning. Bespoke courses

Foundation degrees e.g. Skills

Foundation for Industry

Full-time degrees e.g.

BEng, MEng, Msc

Research

Masters degrees

Doctoral

Research

Materials and

Manufacturing

Academy

~ £25m

ESF / EPSRC

Skills for

Industry

~ £12m

ESF

ESF METaL

Diolch yn fawr

-

Thank you