New York based industrial cloud provider Infor is partnering the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), a grouping of manufacturing R&D centres located west of Glasgow. Infor’s investment will underpin the development of Model Digital Factory Demonstrators (MDFD) for the NMIS Digital Factory environment at the new NMIS 11,500-square-metre headquarters. This follows Infor’s role as founding sponsor of The Smart Factory @ Wichita, an immersive experience centre launched by Deloitte and Wichita State University in Kansas.

Operated by the University of Strathclyde, NMIS is part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult. The new NMIS headquarters will provide facilities where manufacturing and related supply chain research is undertaken on productivity, competitiveness and skills required for the current and future workforce.

Infor’s investment will fund dedicated MDFDs that will showcase end-to-end manufacturing use cases in the NMIS Digital Factory environment, integrating with the facility’s IT backbone and the digital and automation cells. They will demonstrate how modern, advanced technology and solutions can help companies automate processes and transform workplaces.

The MDFDs, which are working facsimiles of manufacturing systems, will demonstrate: how new technologies, physical and digital, can be developed and/or deployed, transforming the workplace and boosting productivity; how a representative system for a typical client group — e.g., demonstrating key business outcomes for food & beverage process manufacturing or industrial manufacturing companies — delivers key business outcomes; how the ecosystem — i.e., customer, machine tool company, software partners and NMIS partners — can work together in a representative environment.

Speaking about the partnership, Chris Dungey, research director at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, said: “I am delighted Infor has decided to join the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland’s community and is committed to working with us to transform manufacturing in Scotland and the wider UK.

“When it comes to solving problems, growing businesses and ultimately becoming more competitive, data is invaluable to manufacturers and, by partnering with Infor, we can, together, help companies embrace the digital revolution, boost productivity and futureproof their offering,” Dungey said.

“With over 60,000 customers across more than 175 countries, Infor has 20 years of experience and expertise in implementing industry-specific business software throughout the manufacturing sector,” comments Kevin Samuelson, Infor chief executive officer. “As with our sponsorship of The Smart Factory @ Wichita, Infor’s support of NMIS demonstrates our commitment to delivering high-value capabilities to the manufacturing sector, and we’re looking forward to showcasing the many benefits that smarter manufacturing can bring to industries the world over.”

“At a time when manufacturing is beset with local and global business challenges, there has never been a greater need for government, industry and academia to join forces to help drive transformational change,” said Anwen Robinson, Infor GM and SVP for UK and Ireland. “Infor is wholly owned by Koch Industries, one of the largest industrial companies in the world, and our investment in NMIS highlights Infor’s commitment to supporting manufacturing through not only the latest advancements in technology but through the continual development of key skills right across the sector.”