Jason Riby

“A skilled engineering workforce ensures the UK stays at the forefront of technological advancement, attracting investment and driving growth." 🌍 The UK faces a longstanding engineering skills shortage that impacts our journey to Net Zero, economic growth, and delivering essential services. Addressing this shortage is crucial to maintaining the UK's position as a global leader in technology and innovation. Our ‘Engineering policy priorities for the 2024 - 2029 UK Parliament’ report highlights the importance of a National Engineering and Technology Workforce Strategy to tackle STEM teacher shortages, support apprenticeships—especially within SMEs—and promote engineering careers. It's essential that we cultivate a culture of lifelong learning and make engineering a desirable and accessible career path. Key priorities include: 1. 🔍 Showcasing the engineering profession 2. 📚 Curriculum review and update 3. 🔄 Rapid reskilling programs Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/mp4rr #EngineeringSkills #STEM #LifelongLearning

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British Army Embraces 3D Printing At the TCT 3Sixty 2024 conference, Digby Gill, Head of Advanced Manufacturing (AdM) Capability Coherence for the British Army, discussed the Army's use of 3D printing to produce mission-critical parts near the front lines. His keynote, titled "Additive Manufacturing for UK Defence," highlighted how 3D printing is transforming military capabilities and outlined the challenges to broader adoption in defense. Gill noted the Army's growing reliance on commercial suppliers and the resulting loss of self-sufficiency. He argued that deployable 3D printing technology could address issues like insecure supply chains and long lead times, especially given recent global disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict in Ukraine, and geopolitical tensions. 3D printing can produce essential parts on-demand, reducing downtime and ensuring operational readiness. Over the past five years, the British Army has advanced its polymer 3D printing capabilities from hobbyist levels to producing functional parts. On the metals side, the Army uses technology from SPEE3D, including the XSPEE3D cold spray 3D printer and the new Expeditionary Manufacturing Unit (EMU). These systems are housed in containers for easy transport, aligning with the goal of operating 3D printers close to the frontline. Gill also highlighted the development of a digital repository for 3D printable designs, standardizing the additive manufacturing process across the Army. As part of a two-year experiment, the British Army tested 3D printing near the front lines during Exercise Steadfast Defender. Using the XSPEE3D, personnel from the 9 Theatre Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (9 REME), produced replacement parts for vehicles, such as jerry can caps and communication system brackets. The British Army also supports Ukraine by providing technical data packs (TDPs) for 70 spare parts, enabling Ukrainian forces to produce critical components with their 3D printers. At the AM Village 2024 event in Belgium, British forces 3D printed 133 functional parts, demonstrating successful collaboration with European allies. Gill acknowledged challenges in broader adoption of 3D printing for defense, particularly in training and personnel. Technologies have advanced faster than training programs, necessitating a dedicated school and syllabus for additive manufacturing. Increasing specialization in computer-aided design (CAD) and materials science will enhance the impact of 3D printing in defense. Gill’s presentation underscored the British Army's progress in integrating 3D printing into its operations, highlighting its potential to revolutionize military manufacturing and readiness. As the technology evolves, it promises to enhance the Army's ability to produce critical parts on-demand and adapt to modern warfare challenges.

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What are your thoughts on the closure of one of the last microchip factories in the UK? How do you think this will impact the tech industry and defence projects moving forward? What strategies should be implemented to enhance local production capabilities? Join the conversation and share your insights with us. Together, let's explore solutions that can strengthen our industry and ensure a secure, innovative future. Karen Salmon FIIOM FORCE TECHNOLOGIES Ben Savage MIIOM #TechIndustry #SemiconductorManufacturing #NationalSecurity #SupplyChain #ForceTechnologies #Innovation

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The #EPAWSS was designed with continuous upgradeability and rapid capability addition in mind using agile software development to provide iterative upgrades to EW systems in the field. This will enable users to defend against electromagnetic threats, which will arise in the future. Learn more below👇 . . . . #baesystems #ew #electronicwarfare #f15 #epawss #defenceindustry

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Whether you're getting started with UEI or are a veteran user, UEI application engineer Gregory Armstrong explains how our dedicated training can save you time, money, and support your design outcomes. https://ow.ly/7yKq50SeHiJ #UEI #EngineeringTraining #TechnicalTraining #EngineeringEducation

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