Dassault Systèmes has renewed and enhanced its membership with the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), committing software, training and support to continue to upskill the next generation of researchers in aerospace, by providing hands-on, material support for UK-led innovation in the sector.

The partnership will benefit from Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform and DELMIA applications, combined with deep industry expertise gained from over 40 years of helping aerospace leaders and innovators tackle complex modelling, design and manufacturing challenges.

Dassault Systèmes has enabled the aerospace industry to create connected virtual manufacturing twins and fully functioning models of real-world environments to drive efficiency and intelligence in manufacturing.

Rab Scott, director of industrial digitalisation at the University of Sheffield AMRC, says: “We have been working with Dassault Systèmes for more than 10 years and during that time, more players have entered the aerospace sector and manufacturing has become more distributed than ever.

“Resource availability, internationalisation of supply chains, sovereign capability and sustainability are all integral to innovation in smart manufacturing. As a world-leading research centre, we are constantly looking to make the industry more efficient, forward-looking and resilient.

“Working with key industry players that prioritise business sustainability, such as Dassault Systèmes, enables us to deliver on our mission to achieve even better outcomes for the industry.”

The AMRC and Dassault Systèmes relationship will capitalise on the renewed membership to define how virtual twin technology can push boundaries by overlaying data and devices and providing the context with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

These developments will be aligned with the AMRC's strategic pillars including sustainable manufacturing, industrial digitalisation, supply chain resilience, future products and processes and culture.

“The AMRC is key to industry-led research, influencing prime and Tier 1 companies on their strategy and accelerating the use of technology in production,” says Marc Overton, managing director, EURONORTH, Dassault Systèmes.

“As a science-based company, research and development must be at the heart of everything we do. Our long-standing relationship with the AMRC is designed to drive more sustainable innovation, and shows our shared commitment to the future of the industry. We support the AMRC in its mission to continue to challenge the connected manufacturing industry: to think bigger, bolder and in a more sustainable way.”

Over their partnership, the AMRC and Dassault Systèmes have developed a new approach to the Factory of the Future, including the DELMIA Factory of the Future Showcase at AMRC Cymru in North Wales and the Airbus DAWN and Smarter Test Programmes.

Other joint collaborations include the AMRC North West led FoFoRAN project, a £88 million UK government Open Networks Research and Development Fund, dedicated to building secure and resilient communications infrastructure and enhancing competition and innovation within the 5G telecoms supply chain.