Digital product passports are being introduced across sectors to improve material traceability for the whole life of e.g. products and materials.  The digital passport in this case study is a digital twin¹ of an electric car battery which contains detailed information about the product's materials, design, manufacturing process, supply chain, maintenance history, usage patterns, and so on. The information provided on the digital passport can enhance transparency across product value chains, such as meeting recycling requirements for electric vehicle (EV) batteries

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) provide valuable data-driven insights that enable companies to manage critical functions such as planning, scheduling, tracking, and quality control more effectively. However, the question remains: are organisations fully realising the potential value of their MES systems? And if not, what is stopping them and what action can be taken?

The government's transition strategy to a net-zero energy sector relies heavily on the increased use of digital technologies.  The oil and gas industry provide 80% of all jobs in the energy sector (OEUK, 2024), but over time, jobs are expected to transition from oil and gas to renewable energies (wind, carbon storage, etc.).

Digital technologies can potentially deliver significant economic, environmental, and societal benefits. However, with so many digital solutions available, the key question is which of the available options best meets the needs of the organisation, its workforce, society, and sustainability. We use the concept of legitimacy as a way to facilitate rich conversations which explore different stakeholder perspectives, helping to inform decisions about technology adoption.

Digital technologies are reshaping industries and job roles within the manufacturing sector.  However, a persistent stereotype associates digital technologies primarily with men, often undermining women's perceived abilities in this field. This raises an important question: Does this stereotype manifest itself as unconscious bias?  If so, it may create barriers for women, possibly limiting their career opportunities and progression.  Understanding and mitigating these biases is crucial for fostering a more equitable and inclusive labour market

Digital technologies have the potential to deliver significant economic, societal, and environmental benefits. However, the challenge is that the UK manufacturing sector is not adopting these technologies as quickly as our competitors. Given that around 99% of UK manufacturing companies are classified as small or medium-sized businesses (SMEs), it is crucial to ensure that these organisations are considered and that research outputs are translated into relevant insights and tools for them.

Digital technologies have the potential to support the workforce with demanding job roles by enabling and enhancing human capabilities. Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) manufacturing companies are heavily regulated to ensure patient safety, however the processes for manufacture and quality control are still quite manual and can place a physical and mental toll on the operator. By using digital technologies to identify where tasks become more challenging, companies can improve workflow design, reducing difficulty for operators, and ultimately minimise risk to the healthcare product.

It is forecast there will be 27,000 vacancies in the Water Sector over 2020-2029 period, with 48% of the workforce retiring in the next 20 years.  Despite this, research shows that 85–90% of neurodivergent individuals are unemployed or underemployed.  Change is required, not only for the benefit of these individuals but to address the resource challenges that the sector faces. A shift towards digital innovation and transformative solutions can enable change. 

Digital technologies have the potential to deliver enormous economic, environmental, and societal benefits. However, heavily regulated sectors like the energy industry, known for their conservatism and low risk tolerance, face significant obstacles in adopting these technologies. This is significant because broader use of digital technologies is important for delivering on the industry's mission and crucial for the energy sector's transition to net zero.