An innovative research and development project to improve the productivity and environmental performance of businesses in the aerospace and food and drink sectors is taking place at AMRC Cymru in Broughton.

Ffatri 4.0 is a collaboration between the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) Cymru, Airbus and food and drink companies. The aim is to create a blueprint for future factories improving business resilience, productivity and sustainability while increasing the capacity for collaborative research with industry, and increased R&D investment in Wales.

Backed by the Welsh Government the project will create six new research positions at AMRC Cymru.

The food businesses taking part in the project are The Pudding Compartment from Flintshire and Hensol Castle Distillery from the Vale of Glamorgan. 

The project will look at how business can continue to increase productivity while meeting net zero carbon emissions targets through smart technologies. It is based on the premise that the sustainability and productivity goals of the manufacturing sector can be accelerated through the successful adoption and integration of digital manufacturing technologies.

Lessons learned from the project will be used to help other companies.

Minister for Economy Vaughan Gething said: “Ffatri 4.0 is an innovative project which supports research and development in Wales, while also carrying out important work to advise the factories of the future. Businesses want and need to increase productivity but must do so while taking the environmental impacts into account.  

“It’s great to see AMRC Cymru being used for this important research which will be of particular benefit to the aerospace and food and drink sectors.  It fits in with the wider aims of our Manufacturing Plan of creating the right environment for businesses to succeed.”

Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales Lesley Griffiths said: “I’m pleased to see food and drink companies taking advantage of the excellent facilities at AMRC Cymru. The work carried out will be of benefit for the future productivity of the sector, while boosting Wales’ reputation for research and development. 

“The lessons learned as part of this project will be of benefit to businesses across Wales and further afield. It’s particularly positive to see sectors collaborating on research in this way, which was one of the aims of AMRC Cymru.”

AMRC Cymru Operations Director, Jason Murphy, said: “We are excited by the opportunity that this project brings for knowledge transfer and the sharing of ideas across these two incredibly important sectors to the Welsh economy.

“Ffatri 4.0 will make a significant contribution to the aims of the ‘Well Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act’, ‘Wales 4.0 – Delivering Economic Transformation for a Better Future of Work‘ and ‘The Decarbonisation Framework for Wales’.

"The lessons learnt will be shared widely across the Welsh manufacturing sector to improve productivity, boost business resilience, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste.”

AMRC Cymru opened in 2019. It is managed by the University of Sheffield and the £20m construction was fully funded by the Welsh Government. Airbus is a tenant as part of its Wing of Tomorrow project.

Ever wondered what happens inside AMRC Cymru? The AMRC is opening up its doors as part of National Manufacturing Day on July 7; you can see firsthand where cutting-edge research and innovation meets education to make things better for manufacturing.

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