The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) has welcomed its first group of members from the global manufacturing, engineering, and technology sectors to its membership programme.

Based at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) in Renfrewshire, NMIS has attracted investment, commitment and support from cloud software firm Infor and oil and gas firm Baker Hughes along with seven other major manufacturing related firms: Fanuc, ATS Global, Sandvik, Skyreal, Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies, Beckhoff and Nikken.

The companies are the first to sign-up to the NMIS membership programme which will see them work together to innovate, access world leading expertise and technical capability and form a supportive network to tackle future global manufacturing challenges.

NMIS’ Chief Commercial Officer, Dr Lynne O’Hare said: “It is great news for Scottish manufacturing and the wider UK sector that the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland can attract companies of this calibre as industrial members.

“At the heart of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland is a growing community of like-minded people and companies all seeking to work with each other, and our engineers and researchers, to solve problems, turn ideas into a reality and put Scotland and the wider UK at the forefront of the digital manufacturing revolution helping to make our companies globally innovative and competitive.”

Infor said it is investing in the NMIS Digital Factory to help accelerate the adoption of smart technologies to drive step-change improvements in UK productivity, digital skills, and sustainability.

The partnership with NMIS will bring the global manufacturing experience of Infor, along with its data-driven solutions, to enable UK companies – from OEMs to smaller supply chain companies – to maintain their competitive edge through the adoption of smart technologies.

Kevin Samuelson, Infor Chief Executive Officer, said that its membership of NMIS will bring about the development of model digital factory demonstrators that showcase end-to-end manufacturing use cases in the new NMIS Digital Factory, integrating the facility’s IT backbone and the digital and automation cells.

“As with our sponsorship of The Smart Factory in the USA, Infor’s long-term partnership agreement with National Manufacturing Institute Scotland 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 here in Scotland and the wider world.”

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Operated by the University of Strathclyde, supported by Scottish Government and its enterprise agencies and part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult network, the fast-growing NMIS Group close to Glasgow airport brings together industry, government and research to revolutionise skills, productivity and innovation to help attract inward investment and make Scotland and the wider UK a global leader in advanced manufacturing.

Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise Ivan McKee said: “With its cutting-edge facilities to promote advanced manufacturing capability, The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) lies at the very heart of Scotland’s ambition be a global leader in developing innovative products.

“NMIS’ new membership programme has already attracted a broad range of impressive firms. This ongoing partnership with industry will enable Scotland to fulfil its true manufacturing potential.”

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