Liferay has been chosen as a core digital infrastructure component in the factory of the future at the Digital Manufacturing Accelerator (DMA). The initiative, by the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), lets manufacturers experience the advantages of industry 4.0, IoT, smart manufacturing, robotics, and automation in a risk-free environment with accurate financial and operational projections in relation to selected manufacturing applications.
As part of the project, MTC is building a state-of-the-art re-configurable factory in the centre of Liverpool to house the technologies that will provide manufacturers with modular “plug and play” physical and digital solutions that will accelerate the development of technological capabilities, and demonstrate the operation of flexible manufacturing systems.
Liferay will be the core technology in the DMA’s Digital Customer Portal, which will enable multiple stakeholders, including customers, supply chain partners, and MTC experts to collaborate on projects. The DMA will make Liferay’s solution available to all the companies using MTC’s services. Authenticated users will be able to use the Digital Portal to:
- Select virtual assets from a catalogue to deploy in their project
- Choose applications to integrate with the assets
- Access live data and make changes to their environments
The DMA will also utilise Liferay’s Knowledge Hub and enterprise search capabilities to provide information specific to a variety of industry use cases.
Liferay is one of 30 companies chosen to participate in the project. The selection was made by MTC’s team of leading academics and researchers who assessed the technologies, rating Liferay as one of the top applicants. Liferay’s experience in working with top global manufacturing companies and the flexibility of Liferay’s Digital Experience Platform (DXP) distinguished its solution from the competition.
Sai Sharma, Manufacturing Sector Lead, at Liferay UK & Ireland, said: “We are very proud to participate in this initiative. Being included in the DMA programme is a great endorsement of the use of Liferay technology within the manufacturing industry. MTC is an important partner for us, and this cooperation will enable us to support many more UK manufacturing companies in transformative digital projects.”
Nigel Haigh, DMA Supply Chain Manager at MTC, commented: “The success of the DMA requires a network of suppliers with strong capabilities in technology, supply chain, and project delivery. We have a comprehensive supplier engagement and assessment programme to identify and select companies that can deliver the DMA assets and the longer-term collaboration needed. Being part of DMA’s supplier network is an endorsement of Liferay’s strong capabilities and its commitment to build a mutually beneficial relationship. We recognise that the DMA will be a challenging environment, but we are confident in Liferay’s capabilities and excited to be working together.”
About Liferay
Liferay helps organisations solve digital challenges with omni-channel intranet, portal, commerce, and integration solutions. Our Digital Experience Platform is open source, which makes it more reliable, innovative, and secure. Liferay aims to leave a positive mark on the world through business and technology. Thousands of organisations in manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, government, insurance, retail, and many other industries use Liferay. ”Liferay. One Platform. Endless Solutions”.
About The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC)
MTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre) was established in 2010 as an independent Research and Technology Organisation (RTO) to help bridge the gap and create more meaningful and beneficial links between academia and industry to aid the growth of UK manufacturing. Today, the MTC has over 800 employees, 100 industrial members, turns over around £100m and operates from sites in Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, South East London, Bristol and Liverpool. Supported by the Government along with our partners in the Catapult, Innovate UK and our founding universities, we have been able to work alongside our Members and industrial partners to deliver world leading innovation to the broadest range of UK based businesses from OEM’s and large-scale global manufacturers through to SMEs and new start-ups. As our footprint has grown across the UK we have been able to directly influence and support more and more advanced engineering businesses and manufacturers as we work collaboratively to drive the innovation and competitiveness of UK manufacturing.
About DMA
The DMA is an initial 10-year partnership between the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) to invest in and develop UK manufacturers and their workforce to successfully build global competitiveness. Our aim is to help companies of all sizes de-risk the adoption of new digital and automation technologies and enhance the UK’s reputation in adopting modern methods of manufacturing. Located in new, purpose-built facilities in the Liverpool City Region, the DMA will strengthen the competitiveness of UK manufacturers through the development and deployment of new digital and automation technologies, creating a more efficient, agile and productive manufacturing sector.
