IFST & SDT Scotland Branch Technical Visit to NMIS (National Manufacturing Institute Scotland) - Industry 4.0 for Food Manufacturers

Organised by IFST Scotland Branch and the SDT (Society of Dairy Technology)

This will be a joint event run by IFST Scotland Branch and the SDT (Society of Dairy Technology) Scotland Branch. The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) is driving the future of manufacturing through innovation and brings together a growing network of world-class manufacturing R&D facilities.  

NMIS, operated by the University of Strathclyde, is a new world-class, flagship facility at the heart of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) in Renfrewshire, Glasgow and opened in June of this year. It will act as a magnet for advanced manufacturing in Scotland and across the globe.  It’s distinctive heather-coloured, 11,500m2 operationally carbon neutral campus next to Glasgow Airport will support manufacturing, engineering and associated technology businesses of all sizes. Innovative R&D will help them to become more productive, tap into emerging markets, embrace new technologies and achieve net-zero targets. Featuring a variety of technology zones dedicated to growth areas, the NMIS Digital Factory will include a food and drink cyber-physical demonstrator, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) connected shop floor, a factory command centre and a hub dedicated to helping manufacturers embrace the circular economy and extend the life of their products and systems. The factory demonstrates the vast potential of digital technologies in helping manufacturers improve their products and processes in the drive towards a net-zero economy while still increasing productivity. 

This is an opportunity to hear about what Industry 4.0 is all about and how the Food & Drink manufacturing industry can embrace new technology, become more efficient and sustainable. Take a tour of the facility and learn how your business can collaborate with NMIS on projects. 

There will be an opportunity for networking at the evening dinner.

Evening Dinner & Networking
2 Course Meal at Pendulum Scottish Kitchen & Bar; 11 Gauze Street, Paisley PA1 1ES
Menu choices & special dietary requriements to be made on the evening. Example menu attached https://www.pendulumscottishkitchenandbar.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/P-Dinner.pdf

Programme:

Speaker: Chris Hay, Chairman for Scotland, SDT 

Chris started his dairy career at Lockerbie Creamery in 2003 progressing from a laboratory technician role to cheesemaker and then Quality Manager. Remaining with Arla Foods he moved from Cheddar to Stilton manufacture at Tuxford and Tebbutt Creamery (Melton Mowbray) in 2013 as Health and Safety Manager. At this time he commenced the Eden Dairy Technology Degree course, winning the SDT Student of the Year award in 2016. He completed his studies by topping up to a BSc(Hons) Food Manufacturing with Operations Management at Chester University.  In       2018 Chris and his family moved to Prince Edward Island, Canada, with Arla Foods where he took up the role of Production, Technology and Development Manager for 3 years. On returning to the UK he commenced a position with IFF (UK & Ireland) as Technical Sales Manager, where he remains today.

Speaker: Rachel Mirfattahi, IFST Scotland Branch, Chair 

Rachel took on the role of Chair of the IFST Scotland Branch in January 2023. She started her career as a Food Technologist working with Pillsbury dough products at Jus Rol before moving on to ready meals and air lines meals at Grampian Country Foods. She then spent the next 15 years working for Oracle on their product lifecycle management and specification software, delivering training and consultancy to food and drink manufacturers the length and breadth of the UK. Since then, Rachel has been working on a number of programmes hosted by universities within the areas of Skills Development for the Food Industry and, Innovation within the Food and Drink Supply Chain.  She is currently the Innovation Broker at Strathclyde University on the Digital Dairy Chain programme working with all areas of the dairy supply chain to bring about collaboration, innovation, and growth to the sector.
In her spare time, she enjoys singing in a community choir, going to the theatre and hill walking.

Speaker: Alistair Williams, NMIS Food & Drink Theme Lead

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