PLANS to bring state-of-the art technology to key strategic sites in Ayrshire have received a significant boost.

This week it was confirmed that Vodafone will be the technology provider for the Digital Process Manufacturing Centre (DPMC), which is part of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) 5G project due to open in the i3 area of Irvine later this year.

Ayrshire was named as one of 10 Innovation Regions in November last year – one of two in Scotland - securing £3.7 million of funding from the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) that will see regions transformed with new cutting-edge 5G and advanced wireless technologies.

The Ayrshire team behind the proposals comprises of the three councils, University of the West of Scotland, Ayrshire College, The Scotland 5G Centre and National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS).

The team will use the funding to build on technologies at three of the key strategic Ayrshire Growth Deal sites – the Digital Processing Manufacturing Centre (DPMC), Aerospace Innovation Hub, Prestwick International Aerospace Park and Ayrshire Innovation Park in Kilmarnock.

Vodafone – who will also providing expert advice and support throughout the course of the Innovation Regions Programme – will begin their support by developing a Mobile Private Network at the DPMC to provide secure, fast and efficient network coverage to showcase, and support local companies with 5G connectivity in advanced manufacturing.

The Digital Process Manufacturing Centre (DPMC) is a collaboration between the University of Strathclyde, as the operator of NMIS, North Ayrshire Council and CPI. Both NMIS and CPI are part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

It will give process manufacturing businesses access to state-of-the-art facilities and digital expertise to enable them to explore and adopt new technology.

Councillor Marie Burns, leader of North Ayrshire Council, said: “We are delighted that Vodafone are joining us on our innovation journey – to have such an established world-renowned provider supporting us will be invaluable to us as we push ahead with our projects.

“The DPMC is an exciting project. Not only will it provide a skills boost to the companies and workforce of today but also lay a firm foundation for the next generation of talent coming into engineering and manufacturing.

“5G is an enabling technology which can be combined with existing DPMC capabilities including AR, VR, Digital Connectivity and Data Analytics to support manufacturing challenges across industries in Scotland.”

Robert Hotchkiss, head of regional sales north of Vodafone, added: "Vodafone is delighted to collaborate with the Digital Process Manufacturing Centre (DPMC) and the wider Ayrshire region to drive forward the future of advanced manufacturing, powered by 5G connectivity.

"This partnership represents an exciting opportunity to create cutting-edge use cases that will transform the sector and deliver lasting benefits for businesses, workforce development, and the regional economy."

Stephen Fitzpatrick, director of Digital Factory at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, said: “This is the first collaborative project we're undertaking at the Digital Process Manufacturing Centre, and we're excited to work with Vodafone to demonstrate the transformative benefits of 5G technology for manufacturers.”