The Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC) is to team up with to Fujitsu to develop ‘smart’ manufacturing solutions. The Singapore-based institution, which is a leading researcher in the field of remanufacturing, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Japanese technology giant. One area in the sights of the three-year partnership is to better integrate processes such as design development within manufacturing – which is potentially a key driver of successful remanufacturing in many sectors. Digital transformation of factories – by the use of such cutting-edge technology as machine learning and artificial intelligence – is a key part of the deal. "The increasing pace of digitalisation and the advancement of disruptive technologies are fundamentally changing industrial production,” says ARTC chief executive officer David Low. “It is therefore absolutely necessary for companies across the value chain to embrace the digitalisation journey to remain competitive.” The organisations believe that their work could offer productivity and efficiency gains, including to small- and medium-size companies. Other areas of collaboration include wearables and robotics. "It is an exciting time for manufacturers globally, who understand that technology and innovation hold the keys to success but may find it hard to keep up with the rapidly evolving digital landscape. “Through our partnership with ARTC, we hope to enable businesses of any size to gain access to data-driven innovation, and integrate the technologies into their processes,” says Fujitsu Singapore country president Wong Heng Chew. “By offering greater access and helping businesses distill and identify relevant solutions, we hope to help the industry as a whole level up in terms of productivity and cost-efficiencies.”
