Food Automation: Unlocking Potential

Are you a food and drink business? Receive an update on the advanced food manufacturing support currently available at Loughry which aims to enthuse the sector in adopting robotics & automation technologies. The event will also enable delegates to find out more about the other current themes of work and food technology services available at CAFRE Loughry Campus.   

CAFRE, Loughry Campus in collaboration with AMIC (Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre) at Queens University have been working with the sector to demonstrate how the utilisation of industry 4.0 techniques through digitisation, robotics & automation can potentially tackle challenges in the food manufacturing sector e.g. labour constraints, process efficiency, sustainability, health and safety and waste minimisation.

Results of our recent pilot programme which focuses on simulation of food manufacturing processes have indicated that the use of advanced technologies has the potential to increase process efficiency and mitigate many of the challenges.

The collaboration with CAFRE and NITC / AMIC will continue, based on the success of previous pilot programme. This session has been organised to share some examples of use cases and to let businesses know how to become involved in future projects and to review some of the other services which CAFRE, Loughry Campus has to offer.  

Delegates can speak with the team to review any their operational challenges, current bottlenecks, issues or improvement plans within your organisation to understand the potential scope for a project and how the collaboration can assist.  

Agenda:  

• 09:45-10:00       Arrival, welcome and registration
• 10:00-10:05       Introduction, Peter Simpson, Head of Food Technology, CAFRE
• 10:05-10:25       Pilot project overview: Dessie Brady, CAFRE/ Rory Collins, AMIC
• 10:25-10:50       Pilot case studies, Andy Bhadbhade, AMIC
• 10:50-11:00       Food & Drink Degree Apprentice presentation, John Sherry, Dale Farm
• Comfort break 
• 11:00-11:20       Industry speaker, Kelvin Henry, White’s Oats & Peter Higgins, AMIC
• 11:20-11:50       Invest NI
• 11:50-12:00       Summary, Peter Simpson, Head of Food Technology, CAFRE
• 12:00-12:30       Campus tours

if you have any difficulties booking, please contact des.brady@daera-ni.gov.uk or tel: 07917037838