- This event has passed.
Lecture by Prof. Duncan McFarlane from the University of Cambridge
December 10 | 11:00 – 12:30 UTC+1
A lecture on the development of low-cost digital solutions for small and medium-sized industrial enterprises, presented by Duncan McFarlane, Professor of Industrial Information Engineering and founder of the Digital Shoestring program at the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge.
Attendance is open without prior registration. The lecture will be delivered in English.
When: Tuesday, December 10, 2024 | 11:00 AM–12:30 PM
Location: CIIRC CTU, Testbed Multifunctional Room
The lecture will explore the significance, scope, and applicability of low-cost digital solutions, arguing that a systematic approach to their specification, design, and deployment can effectively build industrial organizations’ confidence in their adoption. The presentation will highlight the Digital Shoestring approach, developed at the University of Cambridge, and provide case studies from manufacturing and logistics that demonstrate how this method can be applied.
Speaker Biography
Duncan McFarlane is a Professor of Industrial Information Engineering at the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, a Fellow of St John’s College, and Head of the Distributed Information and Automation Laboratory at the Institute for Manufacturing. His work focuses on developing automation and control systems for manufacturing and broader applications of digital systems within industrial supply chains.
His current research emphasizes distributed intelligent industrial automation, low-cost approaches to digital industrial solutions, and resilient and reconfigurable systems in manufacturing and logistics. His past projects include integrating RFID, tracking and tracing systems, assessing industrial information systems, and designing digital solutions for industrial services.
Prof. McFarlane co-founded RedBite Solutions Ltd in 2006, serving as Chairman (2006–2024). RedBite specializes in industrial RFID solutions and tracking systems. From March to July 2020, he led a team that earned the President’s Special Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering for providing industrial engineering support to local hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. From September 2020 to July 2021, he managed logistics for Cambridge University’s asymptomatic COVID-19 testing program for students.
Between 2018 and 2022, Prof. McFarlane founded and led the Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring program, which investigated how low-cost and widely available digital technologies can improve productivity and sustainability in small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises. This project addressed a common issue: most commercial digital manufacturing solutions are designed primarily for large companies. The Shoestring approach is now being expanded through various research initiatives. From 2022 to 2024, he led the Shoestring business unit at the Institute for Manufacturing, focusing on industrial deployment through implementation programs across different regions in the UK and internationally.