Ayrshire’s Bold Digital Future Gets a Boost

Ayrshire's ambitious plans to integrate cutting-edge technology at strategic sites have received a significant endorsement this week. Vodafone has been confirmed as the technology provider for the Digital Process Manufacturing Centre (DPMC), part of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) 5G project, which is set to open in the i3 area of Irvine later this year.

Last November, Ayrshire was identified as one of ten innovation regions, securing £3.7 million in funding from the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). This initiative aims to transform regions with new 5G and advanced wireless technologies.

The collaborative Ayrshire team includes representatives from the three councils, the University of the West of Scotland, Ayrshire College, The Scotland 5G Centre, and NMIS. The funding will be used to enhance technologies at three key strategic sites in the Ayrshire Growth Deal: the DPMC, the Aerospace Innovation Hub, and the Prestwick International Aerospace Park, along with Ayrshire Innovation Park in Moorfield, Kilmarnock.

Vodafone will play a crucial role by developing a Mobile Private Network at the DPMC. This network will provide secure, fast, and efficient coverage, supporting local businesses in adopting 5G connectivity for advanced manufacturing.

The DPMC is a collaboration involving the University of Strathclyde, North Ayrshire Council, and CPI, both of which are part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult. The centre will offer process manufacturing businesses access to state-of-the-art facilities and digital expertise to explore and adopt new technologies.

“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,” said Councillor Marie Burns, Leader of North Ayrshire Council and chair of the Ayrshire Economic Joint Committee.

Burns further noted, “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 at Vodafone, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration: "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. By working strategically with DPMC, we are committed to ensuring the continual development and learning across these innovative projects, extending the impact well beyond the 5G Innovation Region programme."

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Director of the Digital Factory at NMIS, added, “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. With 5G's ultra-fast, low-latency connectivity, manufacturers can leverage connectivity to access real-time, actionable insights that help reduce costs, and improve sustainability and productivity, ultimately helping the sector to become more competitive.”