
![]() |
Edward Lowton
Editor |
![]() ![]() |
Home> | Industry update | >Company news | >Helping tackle fractured supply chains |
Helping tackle fractured supply chains
05 September 2022
SUPPLY CHAIN woes could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a new series of world-first national digital testbeds that will apply advanced technologies to help resolve fractured supply chains.

Digital Catapult is launching the series of national testbeds to trial digital technology solutions to revolutionise supply chain productivity, sustainability and resilience - as part of its Made Smarter Innovation | Digital Supply Chain Hub.
The four national testbeds will act as a proving ground for technologies like blockchain, quantum computing and Artificial Intelligence to help organisations measure supply chain emissions, optimise inventory management, and automate supply chain mapping.
Leading supply chain organisations are now being invited to play a critical role in the testbeds, where they will have an unprecedented opportunity to trial new technologies across their critical supply chains without an impact on live production systems.
For example, a food and drink manufacturer could test a combination of advanced technologies in a live environment - from machine learning to the Internet of Things - to more efficiently track products from farm to fork, preventing excessive food waste or spoilage. Each testbed will receive investments of £1.5 million, comprising funding from Innovate UK and co-investment from the technology community and partners.
The Digital Supply Chain Hub is backed by giants in supply chains including Nissan, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls Royce SMR, and Sainsbury’s - with the new testbed network focusing on improving sector supply chains including FMCG, electric vehicle batteries and emerging supply chains such as nuclear and hydrogen. The programme is the first initiative of its kind globally to develop testbeds for end-to-end supply chains across multiple sectors.
"For too long, many business leaders have been using better technology to run their social lives than to run their businesses. This is leading to breakdowns in these supply chains which everyone is feeling, whether food to consumers, batteries to car manufacturers, or silicon chips to device makers," explained Tim Lawrence, director of the Digital Supply Chain Hub.
"These testbeds are an amazing opportunity to be at the forefront of the supply chain evolution - working towards net zero, optimising the flow of goods, money and data across the tiers, and making our supply chains smarter."
A briefing event for organisations interested in getting involved in the testbeds will take place at Digital Catapult in King’s Cross on 5 October 2022.
- Data drives down equipment failure
- Cardboard cutout manufacturer invests in AI and automation
- New Digital Engineering platform to upskill engineering & manufacturing workers
- 750 new jobs from £12.6M technology investment
- Made Smarter survey reveals need for manufacturers to digitalise
- Why North East manufacturers should consider the Made Smarter programme
- BEP Surface Technologies slashes energy use by 20% with data-driven project
- Helping SME manufacturers realise the smart factory dream
- Innovative leadership helping SME manufacturers take on toughest test
- £25m drive to confront turbulent manufacturing supply chains