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A £1.8 million technology centre is opening at Teesside University to help the region’s industrial businesses embrace the potential of digital technology.

The Industrial Digitalisation Technology Centre will work with industrial SMEs across the Tees Valley and support them on their digitalisation journey.

The ERDF* funded initiative provides a collaborative working space for eligible small and medium enterprises in the region’s industrial sectors to explore an array of Industry 4.0 technologies before making an investment.

Its Serious Play Facility is set to open in Summer 2021, subject to government restriction guidelines, and will allow businesses to gain hands-on experience of industrial digitalisation products and services and their benefits.

The technologies available include a cyber-physical lab, interactive digital factory systems, data management software, a SMART digital lab, IoT (Internet of Things) and cloud services and hosting.

In a bid to generate real value for local businesses and minimise any investment risk, the Centre also offers fully-funded consultancy support.

Its team of digital and academic experts will work on a one-to-one basis to structure a six to 12-month project which will be practical, pragmatic and the right option for each individual organisation.

Eligible businesses can start exploring digitalisation opportunities now through the project with support to develop roadmaps and business cases.

The Centre builds on the work of the University’s DigitalCity initiative, putting digital at the heart of traditional businesses, and the School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technology’s expertise and reputation for innovation, academic excellence, world-class research, and industrial experience.

Dr David Hughes, Associate Professor who is leading the Centre’s development, said:

“This project provides businesses with access to our expert academic staff alongside hands-on experience and de-risked test facilities.

“We are very excited to begin working with businesses to understand their challenges better and look at how digital solutions can support their growth and productivity.

“There are a wealth of regional digital businesses and projects who we want to work closely with to really grow the regional industrial digital eco-system.”

For more information about the Industrial Digitalisation Technology Centre, please click here.