Our research

‘Industry 4.0’ – or the Fourth Industrial Revolution – is widely regarded to be propelled by nine pillars:

  • Additive manufacturing
  • AI and data analytics
  • Augmented reality
  • Autonomous robots
  • Cloud computing
  • Cyber security
  • Internet of things
  • Simulation
  • System integration

These pillars cut across a number of themes that define The University of Manchester’s Industry 4.0 capabilities and research interests, listed below:

Biomanufacturing

Working closely with colleagues in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, this theme brings together multi-disciplinary expertise in bio-engineering, synthetic and industrial biotechnology, and the learning health systems. The challenges this theme aims to address include:

  • Optimising the delivery of healthcare at all scales in the system, from an individual health pathway up to the organisation of health economy
  • Healthcare’s slow adoption of digitisation tech

 

Male researcher working on a simulation of cardiovascular healthcare

MACE researchers are developing innovative solutions to healthcare problems through modelling and simulation

 

Human-centric manufacturing

Industry 4.0 is often equated with its enabling technologies such as Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. In fact, these technologies are necessary but not sufficient to implement the vision of Industry 4.0. We also need to learn how the technologies will work alongside people and what the organisational and training prerequisites for successful adoption are.

Achieving Industry 4.0 type of demand-driven flexibility means we need to manage the millions of dependencies linking organisations, activities and resources in any manufacturing value chain of realistic size, and to constantly re-align technology, organisation and strategy.

We work closely with colleagues in the Alliance Manchester Business School to tackle the challenges of adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies as well as the opportunities the create for innovative and versatile supply chains.

Two male researchers, virtual engineering on a simulation of the International Space Station

Manufacturing future cities

As the world becomes increasingly urbanised, cities need to become smarter and more sustainable. Policy makers, funding agencies and governments recognise that new approaches are needed to building and living in cities that make them sustainable, resilient and inclusive.

Research, technology and data can play a critical role through developing more effective services, engaging citizens in more responsive and creative ways, and enhancing decision-making. The challenge is to develop approaches that work in practice, on the ground, in very different kinds of cities across the world, in ways that are fair and promote social cohesion.

Our smart and sustainable city research has helped to attract more than £50 million of funding in the past five years, and we work directly with hundreds of partners from across the UK, Europe, Asia and Africa.

We work closely with the Manchester Urban Institute to addresses this theme.

Computer simulation of urban planning showing green outlines on a black background

Smart sustainable manufacturing

This MACE-led theme is at the heart of The University’s Industry 4.0 spectrum, and involves new products and new ways of producing existing products through the use and coordination of information, automation, computation and cutting edge materials. Enabling technologies include advanced robots, additive manufacturing, advanced laser processes, and IoT. The theme addresses:

  • Key economic drivers, such as logistics management and plant maintenance
  • Social drivers including personalisation, new small/micro-manufacturing facilities close to the end-consumer, micro-season products, and novel product-service-systems
  • Environmental drivers such as zero-emission and zero-defect manufacturing

 Researcher using a tablet with condition monitoring app

Condition monitoring using a tablet app

If you are interested in learning more about these areas of research, please email research group lead Professor Paulo Bartolo or Industry4.0@manchester.ac.uk.

Meet the team

Find all the contact details you need for key people leading on our Industry 4.0 themes. 

In the media

Manchester was the epicentre of the first industrial revolution and will lead the fourth.