Manufacturing Executive - September 2008 - (Page 41)

greater research and innovation-based manufacturing. Traditionally, European products are associated with high quality, appealing design, and cutting-edge technology. Five priority pillars of activity were identified and documented in the ManuFuture Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) to leverage these strengths, spanning the short- to long-term time frame. The five pillars both include and look beyond technology: high added value products and services, new business models, new manufacturing engineering techniques, emerging manufacturing science and technologies, and the transformation of existing research and educational infrastructures to support a world-class manufacturing sector. Let me give one example. Since the market increasingly demands customised products, the business focus must shift from designing and selling individual products, to supplying a whole system of customisable products and services, while also reducing total lifecycle costs and the environmental impact. for the future of manufacturing. It now needs enhanced research activity for the successful development and application of this new technology. It will allow manufacturing to create adaptable networks, linking OEMs with value chain partners and suppliers of factory equipment and services, selected according to needs at a given time. This concept of knowledgebased manufacturing, manufacturing in networks, or principles of self-organisation and self-optimisation is not compatible with the present concepts of detailed process planning according to Taylor’s [management] principles. As a consequence, manufacturers need to adopt a new type of Taylorism, which allows con- have yet to be merged. Q: What leadership characteristics do you think will be most important going forward — such as driving greater efficiencies in operations, getting into new geographic markets, creating innovative cultures, workforce development, etc.? A: It is not easy to prioritise from a general perspective, since different nations and companies have different strengths and weaknesses. Of course, efficiencies in operations are a prerequisite of every successful company; otherwise it will go out of business. However, for me, the path to competitiveness starts with efficiencies in operations, which leads to more money for product innovation, leading to higher customer satisfaction and increased sales and market share. From there you can go anywhere — workforce development, innovative culture, etc. — since nothing is more successful than success. “State-of-the-art in research is far from being state-of-the-art in many industrial processes right now.” tinuous knowledge integration in manufacturing systems. Since manufacturing is an integration task, it has to cover cutting-edge technology in manufacturing engineering and production processes, which comprises high-end materials processing, machining, and assembly over a broad field of sectors. I would say good examples of ManuFuture in action are in the European aircraft and automotive industries as well as the mechanical engineering industry and their respective clusters in Europe. Q: You have also said that 2008 is “the time for action.” What action are you most eager to see happen? Q: You have said in the past that progress has been slower than you would have wished because of bureaucracy and the difficulties of pan-European coordination. How can these obstacles be overcome? A: The key to everything is to show the proof of concept. Therefore, my first three priorities are “implementation, implementation, implementation” of the great ideas and concepts formulated in the ManuFuture SRA. As the famous slogan says: “Just do it!” A: Political decisions, pressure from industry, the recognition of the urgency of the situation, linking the research world to the financial world — these are all big challenges. We need to prove — and there are already examples today in Germany — that industry is considering a mid-term perspective, investing in research. These same entrepreneurs also have the courage to make long-term investments in new factories here, despite the framework conditions of relatively high-wage economies. They strongly believe in the principle of knowledge-based, agile factories for the future that have a stronghold in Europe. Q: So how can European manufacturers benefit from and get more involved with the ManuFuture initiative in the year ahead? Q: Current moves toward greater integration between manufacturing ERP and business systems with plant floor automation seem to offer great benefits for the future. What are the key challenges and the primary benefits that you see emerging from this integration? A: The key word is connectivity, which means seamless integration of many different systems. There are high expectations here about the gains of efficiency for the future. The vision is “plug and produce” by self-configuration of the different hardware and software systems. The key challenges are the missing standards and the different “worlds” that Q: What areas of technological innovation do you feel hold the best prospects for European manufacturers in the years ahead? Which innovation clusters would you point to as good examples of ManuFuture in action? A: The “virtual factory” is a key enabler A: The ManuFuture 2008 conference, in Saint-Etienne [France] on 8 and 9 December 2008, is a great chance to show the benefits of our programmes to European researchers and SMEs, especially in France and beyond. Regions and regional manufacturing clusters will be at the centre of the conference agenda. The idea of bringing European regions together extends the sometimes vague “globalisation of production” concept into a practical exchange of ideas between interested European regions and their SMEs. It’s also a great chance for networking and brokerage for upcoming projects. We hope to see your readers there. ■ September 2008 41

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Manufacturing Executive - September 2008

Manufacturing Executive - September 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Opinion By David Humphrey Starters Road Trip Part 1: Innovation or Efficiency? Part 2: The Innovation Gap Opinion By Lisa Bodell Special Report: Great Aspirations Supply Chain: The New Money Machine Product Design: Fruehauf Gets into High Gear with 3D CAD Business Intelligence: Food Distributor Turns Up the Heat on Manufacturers Software: Manufacturers Face SaaS Hurdles Dialogue Opinion By Pierfrancesco Manenti

Manufacturing Executive - September 2008

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