CONFIRM researchers and academics will contribute to 3 virtual events as part of this year’s Berlin Science Week.
Berlin Science Week provides international scientists and science-driven organisations with a stage to share insights into current topics, discuss grand challenges and envision the future together.
This year, CONFIRM will host two virtual events as part of the festival;
MANUFACTURING THE FUTURE (Panel Discussion) – Tuesday 2nd November, 3pm – 4pm (IST) Click here to register.
Manufacturing, as we know it today, is almost unrecognisable from the factories and production lines of the first industrial revolution. The adoption of technologies such as collaborative robotics and artificial intelligence continue to radically transform the way goods are produced and how human workers engage with the manufacturing process. This event will bring together a panel of experts from CONFIRM (the Science Foundation Ireland funded research centre for smart manufacturing based at the University of Limerick, Ireland) and other organisations (to be announced) to discuss technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Robotics as well as the impact they have had (and could potentially have in the future) on the manufacturing sector, the people working within it and wider society.
3D PRINTING: APPLICATIONS IN MEDICINE AND IN HOSPITALS (Public Talk) – Wednesday 3rd November, 10am – 11am (IST) Click here to register.
3d printing, also termed additive manufacturing, involves digitally printing three-dimensional shapes. The traditional way of making things is to subtractively remove material to arrive at a shape, through for example milling parts. 3D printing has been around for some time, but the original patents recently expired which then gave rise to a great expansion in the development of new technology and materials.
This technology is now used across almost all industries in one way or another. Sample industries include aviation, automotive, energy, pharmaceutical, agriculture, services, among many others. Healthcare and medicine have experienced an exponential rise in the application of this technology.
In this presentation we will hear of the variety of applications of 3d printing in medicine, from the use of MRI scans of the body to create 3d models of organs which can then be printed, through to the printing of bespoke medical devices to treat patients which specific medical care needs. These advance in 3D printing in medicine, coupled with the widespread and increased adoption of this technology in the manufacturing industry, has brought with it the concept of Point of Care (POC) manufacturing of medical devices in hospitals. This will transform the medical device industry, in particular in how treatments can be customised for patients.
Professor Joseph Walsh (Head of STEM at Munster Technological University and investigator with CONFIRM & LERO) will also be leading an event as part of the programme;
CREATING THE FUTURE IN SMART MANUFACTURING – Friday 5th November, 7am – 8am (IST) Click here for registration information.
The digital transformation of businesses and industries is accelerating, presenting numerous opportunities to develop new products, processes and services. The ability of companies to innovate is greatly facilitated through collaborative networks. The IMaR Research Centre at Munster Technological University, Ireland has a long track record in researching and developing digital solutions for manufacturing companies, including Internet of Things, cyber-physical systems and augmented and virtual reality technologies. Much of this work has been done in collaboration with German companies, supported by Science Foundation Ireland. In this breakfast event, IMaR and its German partners in Ireland, Kostal Ireland GmbH and Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd, will share their experiences working together on Industry 4.0 and related technologies.
What does the future of manufacturing look like? What’s trending? What are the challenges? What does the future of Manufacturing Engineering Education look like? Professor Joseph Walsh from MTU, Kerry and the world-leading SFI Research Centre for Software, Lero, will discuss these questions in a keynote at the Embassy of Ireland in Berlin. This will be followed by case studies of collaborative developments between MTU and Lero’s German partners, Kostal and Liebherr. The session will conclude with a Q&A, where you will have the chance to ask questions about the future of software and manufacturing!
