The Digital Supply Chain Hub, a platform created to promote strategic cooperation between manufacturers and digital solution providers around the UK, was introduced today by Digital Catapult. With the deployment of deep tech solutions, the new platform will meet industry needs to expedite the digitalization of supply chain operations, fostering resilience and sustainability.

The Hub, which is instantly available to companies, was created by Digital Catapult to address issues like fragmented operations and inefficient information sharing that are frequently encountered when looking for a suitable supply chain partner. By providing customised educational modules to solve the crucial skills shortages in the UK, the platform will address these issues and enable users to take advantage of the Hub's matching functionality to connect with businesses that are relevant to their particular struggle areas.

The Hub will include useful resources, such as the Edge Digital Manufacturing readiness tool and the supply chain resilience navigator by WMG, for companies eager to start their digitalization journey. These resources will assist companies in developing more robust, sustainable, and effective supply chains, thereby bolstering a variety of industries such as advanced manufacturing, energy, food and beverage, and more.

The Hub will also have community forums, or Circles, which will encourage users to have thoughtful conversations about issues facing the supply chain, like risk management, sustainability, and logistical optimisation. With a better understanding of the condition of global supply chains, technology providers will be able to scale more quickly, and the forums, educational modules, and matching capabilities are expected to improve the resilience and efficiency of the UK's supply chain overall.

Remove Supply Chain Challenges

The Hub's launch coincides with the fact that the supply chain accounts for more than 60% of the CO2 emissions produced by industrial companies, which is pushing more corporations to investigate deep tech applications to improve industrial sustainability in their operations. Demand for the platform's services is fueled by the fact that most of the UK's logistics sector is looking for digital solutions to improve their operations. Of those, 86.5% want to invest in at least one digital technology solution over the next two years.

"Navigating new technologies can be overwhelming, and many leaders we speak with don't know where to start or what to do next," stated Ravi Gidoomal, director of Edge Digital Manufacturing. Others find it challenging to keep up the momentum and inspire their team to embrace change in the face of all the other urgent demands on their time. The purpose of the Digital Supply Chain Readiness training is to assist leaders in taking the initial or subsequent steps towards digitalizing their supply chains by offering real-world examples and doable tasks.

"We are excited to launch the new Digital Supply Chain Hub, reflecting the hard work, dedication, and commitment of our team," stated Tim Lawrence, Director of Digital Catapult's Digital Supply Chain Hub. The platform encourages innovation and fresh ideas by representing a major step towards increased collaboration, cooperation, and communication in the supply chain industry. We will boost important economic sectors and enable companies to implement innovative solutions to revolutionise their operations by enabling industry leaders, researchers, and technology suppliers to directly address crucial supply chain concerns through the establishment of a commercially neutral ecosystem.