Kick-starting the Epic Journey in the Heartland of Engineering

As Industry 4.0 edges towards its zenith and Europe continues to strengthen its claim as a tech powerhouse, we see a rise in demand for new technologies that are faster, more efficient, and secure. Increasing attention is being concentrated on leveraging these new technologies at scale for creating effective solutions for the next billion. The focus is on developing new approaches to engineering and technology application to unleash hidden value.  

Engineering Research and Development (ER&D) has therefore emerged as a prime mover of this emerging paradigm, with the market for these services expected to cross USD 70 billion by 2025.

As a leading global ER&D major, we understand the importance of this trend and are eager to support the movement. The ER&D Hackathon & Bus Tour is a direct result of this belief and drives us to explore and identify the best of the best. We started from Manchester on May 31, 2019, and will continue our journey across seven key European centers, ending it in Munich on June 14-15, 2019, with a power-packed, 24-hour hackathon. Our goal through this event is to discover new solutions for scaling Industry 4.0 and digital transformation solutions across different verticals, that will engineer the change the next generation #ForTheNextBillion.  

Innovation hub and the ‘Capital of the North’

Manchester, the birthplace of the first industrial revolution, is one of the largest cities in the UK. It has been the focus of engineering innovation over the years and holds the distinction of being recognized as the world’s first industrialized city.

The city also holds the distinction of setting benchmarks in pioneering innovation. In 2004, the city saw the first successful isolation of Graphene. And in 2012, Manchester was witness to the first interactive tapeless sporting event being broadcast from MediaCity on the occasion of the 2012 London Olympics, another historical first.

A keen focus on innovation continues to define the city, which is also the first in the UK to win the ‘European City of Science’ award in 2016. Home to the first Autonomous Vehicles course in the UK, it continues to be a key driver of technology and engineering innovation in the western hemisphere.

Updates from the Ground

The prediction of a stray shower could not dampen the spirit and enthusiasm of the people, who came out for the masterclass and the idea exchanges. The setting, against the backdrop of MediaCityUK, was apt for the kick-off of this event. Located on the banks of the historic Manchester ship canal, this is the focal point for nurturing best in class talent and hosts a wide variety of activities, besides being a vibrant and sustainable destination to work, live and play.

As the events for the day unfolded, we engaged with key customers, academia, and analysts whose keen interest in the future of engineering services added to our enthusiasm.

Day 1

Agenda: Demo-fair, round-tables, customer engagement, strategy roundtables, and more...

Our day started at 9:00 AM at Salford’s Media City, with a warm welcome from LTTS’s CBO Gaurav Gupta. The inauguration of the tour was led by the guest of honor, the Ceremonial Mayor of the City of Salford Councillor Charlie McIntyre and Mathew Elkington, Head of Transportation Software Engineering, Thales UK.

The first masterclass was presented by LTTS’s Director of Consultancy, Mark Mcleod. The masterclass addressed ‘The Anatomy of a Successful Technical Communication Strategy.’ With less than 10% of the world’s major companies possessing a Technical content strategy, the opportunity to optimize this key area of their business is now a major focus area for companies across industries to reduce costs, increase revenue, and revolutionize the technical communication offering.

The technical discussions continued through the day with customers and technology enthusiasts on key technological trends and the demos showcased around digitalization opportunities for various industries, IoT implementation, intelligent energy management, 5G, industrial automation, robotics, product design, predictive maintenance, artificial intelligence, digital twin, and asset information management.

Our second host for the day was Essar Oil, UK. We showcased our demos and capabilities to the Essar leadership, exchanged ideas and insights on the application of digitalization in the Oil & Gas industry and were flagged off to Amiens – Paris, by Essar Oil CEO, Mr. S. Thangapandian.

Key Highlights

The Road Ahead

It was an exciting day here in Manchester. The enthusiastic participation in the master classes and the vibrant exchange of ideas at the subsequent roundtables bears testimony to the resilience and will of the city and its residents to forge their place in the 21st century. We applaud their enthusiasm.

So here’s your chance to build deeper peer-to-peer networks with engineering and technology experts, mentor hackers and students, drive thought leadership, and future-proof your business with technology and engineering solutions. The journey continues in Paris, Leverkusen, Dusseldorf, followed by Hamburg, Hannover, Frankfurt, Eindhoven, and the grand finale at Munich on June 14-15, 2019.

Look forward to seeing you on our Innovation Bus, come join us to #EngineerTheChange #ForTheNextBillion!