Impact case study database

The research has led to new commercially successful products and services being developed for the European manufacturing industry, enhanced the capabilities of European supply systems and led to significant improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of one of Europe’s largest manufacturing companies. This includes a new software system, initially contracted for EUR1,800,000 and eventually leading to estimated savings of EUR10,000,000 per year and boosting throughput by 10%, which also won the Airbus Best Innovation Award for ‘Research to Practice’ in 2018.

4.1. New products and services in the European technology industry

CertiCon Ltd is a Czech technology company specialising in the innovation and development of software solutions for the healthcare, telecommunications, automotive and aeronautical industries. It operates in 30 countries and was an industrial collaborator with Mehandjiev on the ARUM and DIGICOR projects. This collaboration resulted in a new software product, EPIQUA, which was based on Mehandjiev’s research [2,4] into how to model the knowledge underpinning systems which can re-plan production activities after supply chain disruptions [A]. CertiCon quickly added EPIQUA to its commercial portfolio. The Chairman of CertiCon, reports that “ the University of Manchester produced an ontology and an approach to handling re-planning of production activities in response to supply disruptions … and played a key role in implementing a prototype system [EPIQUA] which demonstrated the viability of this approach and was trialled with three separate use cases” [A].

Airbus subsequently placed orders for EPIQUA with CertiCon worth EUR1,800,000 to develop a full commercial version of the prototype [A]. The first version of the system was successfully delivered to Airbus and implemented in 2018 and two additional versions for different types of assembling workshops were delivered later in 2019 [A].

4.2. Enhancing collaborative capability in European supply systems

Hanse Aerospace is Germany’s largest independent association of aerospace suppliers and service providers, with over 150 member companies who generate annual turnover totalling around EUR11,000,000,000. Since 2019, Hanse Aerospace has been using a software module, the Collaborative Team Formation (CTF) module, developed by Mehandjiev’s team during the DIGICOR research project [6] based on earlier research [1,3,4], to enhance capability in the aerospace supply chain. The CTF module is the core of a digital platform that allows SME members of Hanse Aerospace to construct collaborations in pursuit of a manufacturing opportunity. A typical opportunity advertised by the platform is to supply manufacturers (e.g. Airbus and their Tier 1 suppliers) with an aircraft subsystem such as a side wall or lavatory. Such opportunities range in value from EUR500,000 to EUR3,000,000 over 5 years [B].

The CTF module specifically allows Hanse Aerospace to support the formation of collaborative teams among SMEs when they are bidding for opportunities and contracts, by matching SMEs based on their knowledge and skills which can together deliver an aerospace product or subsystem at various stages of procurement. A spokesperson for Hanse Aerospace stated that without access to the CTF module SMEs can only create collaborative teams using a manual exploration process which limits the number of opportunities they can bid for [B]. The spokesperson for Hanse Aerospace also confirmed that the CTF has been successful in automating the collaboration exploration process, leading to a three-fold increase in the number of collaborative opportunities SME members can access. They explain that “ this new capability increases the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector in the Hamburg region” [B] as local SMEs can now gain access to approximately 50 collaborative business opportunities per annum, which previously were difficult for them to access alone.

Similarly, two British companies, Control 2K Limited and Sematronix Ltd, have used Mehandjiev’s software to build a collaboration portal for an SME cluster in Wales. The portal enables SMEs in Wales to collaborate when bidding for contracts with large original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The portal uses the Tender Decomposition and Matchmaking Service (TDMS) module developed by Mehandjiev during the DIGICOR research project based on earlier research [1,3,4]. The TDMS module enables SME organizations to join forces to combine the knowledge, skills and capacity to tender for complex manufacturing work. As reported by the Managing Director of the two businesses, the TDMS module and portal “ provides a new capability for Control 2K Limited and Sematronix Ltd to support the formation of collaborative teams when bidding for business opportunities” [C]. Over 300 SMEs from Wales are using the portal through three affiliated associations (the Welsh Automotive Cluster, the Aerospace Forum and the Electronics Forum), which, the Managing Director of Control 2K attests, “ increases the competiveness of Welsh manufacturing” [C]. The new SME cluster portal disseminates approximately 200 opportunities for collaborative bids each year [C]. A typical bid is to supply an OEM like Ford with a car subsystem such as a suspension module and would be valued at GBP500,000 over 3 years. The Managing Director further attests that “ without access to the TDMS module through the SME Cluster portal or similar distribution platform, SME subscribers will not be eligible for the majority of these opportunities … [and would] have to create collaborative teams using a very slow and costly manual process” [C].

4.3. Improved efficiency and effectiveness of European Aerospace manufacturing

Airbus is one of the largest global corporations involved in designing and manufacturing aerospace products, employing over 133,000 people and creating revenues in excess of EUR63,000,000,000. Airbus has benefited from Mehandjiev’s research through improvements to its production re-planning systems and its procurement and supply system.

Airbus used the manufacturing ontology and knowledge-based approach to re-planning production systems for supply disruptions, which were developed by Mehandjiev and colleagues on the ARUM project [2] and using Mehandjiev’s earlier research [1,4,5]. The Research Project Leader of Systems Engineering at Airbus reports that Airbus use a version of the EPIQUA system prototyped by Mehandjiev in collaboration with CertiCon (see section 4.1) [D]. The Airbus EPIQUA system is classified as TRL9, which certifies it as an actual system proven in its operational environment. The Airbus Project Leader reports that “ Airbus calculations demonstrate that the re-planning system has a major economic impact on Airbus operations, saving EUR10,000,000 per annum in operating costs and allowing 10% increase of throughput” [D]. The project result won the Airbus Best Innovation Award for ‘Research to Practice’ in 2018.

Airbus also benefits from the CTF module Mehandjiev developed through the DIGICOR project [6], based on earlier research [1,3,4]. The Research Project Leader of Systems Engineering at Airbus explains that “ the CTF module provides a radically new way of working by supporting rapid procurement of subsystems allowing aircraft to be personalised to the requirements of specific airlines” [D]. Airbus calculate that this approach has resulted in a 30% improvement in speed of procurement and lower costs by 2% per personalisation [D]. The Project Leader further confirmed that Airbus is supporting the follow-up commercial exploitation of Mehandjiev’s research. This includes the incorporation of the CTF module into the eFactory European Manufacturing platform [E], which is a European-wide digital platform that interlinks different stakeholders of the digital manufacturing domain to maximise connectivity, interoperability and efficiency across the supply chains.