C2I 2021: Information, Data & Connectivity shortlist

The shortlist in this year’s Information, Data & Connectivity shortlist spans the 5G Factory of the Future, a revolutionary method of rice production, a new way to present 3D data, and railway optimisation. 

C2I 2021

Category: Information, Data & Connectivity

Project: Next-gen rice milling

Partners: Koolmill, Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) – The National Centre for Excellence in Food Engineering (NCEFE) with Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Aston Business School, Siemens, JJA Pack and New Food Innovation

This category is sponsored by PTC

The output of this project is a global first - a data-driven, digitalised, and automated rice mill that revolutionises an antiquated and wasteful global industry that feeds 3.5 billion people daily and moves it towards a sustainable future.

By making modern, low power milling available to all millers regardless of size, gender, or location significant it will be possible to alleviate food, fuel, and economic poverty all while growing a £100 million business.

C2I 2021

Category: Information, Data & Connectivity

Project: 5G Factory of the future

Project partners: University of Sheffield AMRC with BAE Systems, IBM, aql, MTT, Miralis, Digital Catapult

The 5G FoF programme will drive forward holistic connectivity and unlock the potential of industrial digitalisation. It will define a new paradigm for how future factories will operate enabling connectivity and business agility both across manufacturing operations and beyond, into the supply chain. The transformative potential of 5G technology will be developed and demonstrated via the strong consortium, being led by the University of Sheffield AMRC.

C2I 2021

Category: Information, Data & Connectivity

Project: CICADAS: Contactless interaction with CAD and systems

Partners: CAE Tech with Babcock International

Babcock International set a challenge of whether complex 3D design data could be presented on the shop floor, and how data access, version control and change management could be incorporated. This is a problem widely faced by manufacturing and construction companies. CAE Tech created the CICADAS, or Contactless Interaction with CAD and Systems, solution to address this challenge.

CICADAS combines cloud-based sharing of 3D CAD data with physical devices from gaming and music, to give intuitive and user-friendly navigation of the design. This has the potential to make huge savings in reduced rework and stoppages.

C2I 2021

Category: Information, Data & Connectivity

Project: Rapid Evaluation and Planning Analysis Infrastructure for Railways (REPAIR)

Partners: Frazer-Nash Consultancy with University of Hull Logistics Institute

REPAIR is a first-of-a-kind achievement, a highly innovative project which combines industry-leading railway databases with cutting-edge machine learning that learns from experience, to enable operators to gain better value from their existing data and understand their systems’ behaviour.

Bringing together defence technologies from industry, academic expertise, and over twelve different rail organisations, this collaborative project has delivered an understanding of the problems the freight sector faces, and enabled a solution to be developed that will provide a step change in how delays on the rail network are understood, reacted to, and mitigated.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WINNING ENTRY