Connected Everything II: EPSRC Digital Manufacturing Network Plus extended with new feasibility funding and research themes
Connected Everything is an EPSRC-funded research network for the Digital Manufacturing community which is addressing the question ‘how do we support the future of manufacturing in the UK?‘
The network, hosted at the University of Nottingham in partnership with Newcastle University and the University of Glasgow, has been in place since 2016 and has now received funding from EPSRC for a further three years (to Aug 2022), to include additional themes and new funding calls for feasibility studies.
The existing themes will continue, with digital manufacturing a huge focus for activity, and the addition of crucial new theme areas will help to accelerate collaboration and innovation in the field and meet the challenge of the human factors of success.
New research areas include:
- Sociotechnical data rich systems
- Creativity & design
- Regulation
The recent annual conference included presentations on strategic design, the effects of Human psychology, the circular economy, AV and VR, business, and Computer Science - Data Science, ML and AI
Existing research areas will continue:
- Industrial Internet of Things
- Cyber-physical production systems
- Data analytics and decision making
- Service design and customisation
- Design for future manufacturing
- The future industrial worker
Future feasibility studies will need to be aligned with these themes.
Key Activities will be structured around:
Knowledge
- Feasibility studies (planned to be around £50k to £60k) aligned to the existing and new themes above. Applicants will be encouraged to align with other funding (IAA, industry, existing PhD studentships) to maximise the benefits, and each project/feasibility study will be encouraged to include an ECR.
- Summer Schools and conferences
People
- ECR placements
- Industry
- Skills development
Society
- Horizon-scanning activities: ‘Digital World 2050’
- Webinar and podcast series
Economy
- Collaboration with other Network Plus
- Thematic workshops and thought leadership
Connected Everything has worked with a number of networks, Catapults & the KTN and over the next three years will take on something of “network of networks” role working with a number of organisations relevant to Digital Futures member, including Future Everything 2, DEAS, Food Security and others.
Details of feasibility funding will be announced shortly:
Sign up for Connected Everything updates: https://connectedeverything.ac.uk/contact/
Access the outputs from the activity so far:
Feasibility study case studies:
https://connectedeverything.ac.uk/feasibility-studies/
Thematic reports:
https://connectedeverything.ac.uk/activities/thematic-areas/
Newsletters:
https://connectedeverything.ac.uk/newsletters/
Research challenges report:
Journal and conference papers: