Institution news
The IMechE’s head of manufacturing and transport has spoken at a major international conference in New Delhi, India, to raise awareness of the Institution’s growing role in the region.
Philippa Oldham gave a keynote presentation, titled “Manufacturing: Missing an opportunity?” at the International Science Fusion and Technology Conference (ISFT) last month as part of a trip that included visits to local firms and universities.
The ISFT conference was attended by more than 100 academics, mostly from the US, Africa, Philippines, Korea and India. The presentation covered the importance of efficiently using of the capacity and the adoption of automation on the shop floor, giving international examples of best and worst case scenarios.
Philippa Oldham said: “The conference provided insight into international areas of research. It was a real diverse range of topics. My own presentation was well-received and included research I’m doing about about productivity in India focusing on spare capacity in public sector companies.
“A highlight of the trip was visiting the universities and meeting engineering students. They all want to become engineers, when in the UK many want to move into other areas.”
Her visit included two presentations to engineering students at Chitkara University, Chandigarh and one to the students at Manipul University, Jaipur. These talks focused on developments in technology over the next decade in manufacturing, as well as informing the students about how they could become more involved with the Institution.
The week finished with meetings at the Ministries of Heavy Industry, Ministries of Railways and the Confederation of Indian Industries, where she discussed the research on the importance of repurposing of machinery within the Indian PSUs. The report highlighting the findings is expected to be launched later this year.
The ISFT conference in New Delhi
Allwyn Peter, country advisor, North India, said: “There are several main issues going on as far as manufacturing is concerned in India. One aspect are the opportunities from the massive human resources, which are unfortunately being held back by the skills gap. The second is to upgrade plant and machinery to dramatically increase efficiency. Another is the repurposing of the high amount of unused plant and machinery in public sector units.”
“We’re trying to make a big noise in India about why we are here and what we can do. We are working closely with industry, engineering colleges to show how membership can enhance professional growth. There are 2,800 members, but there is still lots of potential.”
Read more about our activities in India, our Head of Manufacturing, Philippa Oldham or our Manufacturing theme.