About the lecture
The Future of Manufacturing is Now
In this lecture, Prof. Mughal considers what the future of manufacturing might look like, what signs of this future are already with us and what steps need to be taken to maximise the opportunities for positive economic, environmental and social impact.
Drawing on his vast experiences in various manufacturing sectors, Prof. Mughal discusses a potential negative scenario for the industry that manages decline and decommissioning; a factory of the future devoid of people; a reliance on fossil fuels eked out well beyond the decarbonisation of all other forms of transport.
He then presents the possibilities for another way - a brighter way - for the industry, the elements of which are already present, both in Singapore and in the UK. He talks about the future of manufacturing: where lessons are applied across disciplines from robotics to space; where real-time data is the currency of a digital factory; where collaborating is the essence of a socially networked supply chain; and where alignment between government, industry and academia is the foundation of success, innovation and stability.
Prof. Mughal shares how these lessons could be applied across manufacturing sectors, sign-posting actions that we can all take today - to understand and anticipate the changes that are upon us now, as well as those that we will be required to take, as we transform towards a manufacturing-driven, net-zero economy.
About the speaker
Prof. Hamid Mughal OBE, the former Director of Global Manufacturing at Rolls-Royce, is Special Advisor to the Principal of the University of Strathclyde, on issues relating to Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing.
Prof. Mughal is an internationally acclaimed manufacturing leader, with more than 35 years’ experience in the automotive and aerospace sectors. He has held senior positions in a number of disciplines, including product engineering, operations management, manufacturing engineering and technology, supply chain management and product development of large-scale programmes.
Prof. Mughal is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. He is also Chair of A*Star Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Programme Board in Singapore.
Prof. Mughal was appointed an OBE in the 2014 New Year Honours List, for services to Innovation, Technology and Manufacturing.
About the University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde is a leading international technological university. Established as the place of useful learning – with a mission to make the world better-educated, prosperous, healthy, fair and secure – the University lives by its socially progressive values today, putting sustainability at the heart of its strategy.
The distinctive Strathclyde innovation ecosystem, built around partnership and collaboration, is key to its growth. Relationships with government and the public and private sectors, developed over an extended period, accelerates the development of technologies, helps companies compete, and informs the development of public policy. This highly successful approach attracts investment and creates deep strategic partnerships with high-impact businesses, large and small, from across the world.
Strathclyde is a multi-award-winning university – and the only university to have won the Times Higher Education UK University of the Year award twice (2012 and 2019). The University has also been recognised across a variety of categories at the Times Higher Education awards, including the coveted Business School of the Year and Workplace of the Year awards.
For more information about relevant courses in Manufacturing at the University of Strathclyde, visit:
Undergraduate programmes
- BEng Manufacturing Engineering with Management
- BSc Product Design Innovation
- BEng Sports Design Engineering
Postgraduate programmes
- MSc Manufacturing Management
- MSc Digital Manufacturing
- MSc Advanced Manufacturing: Technology & Systems
- MSc Advanced Materials Engineering
- MSc Technology Ventures with Digital Manufacturing
- MSc Product Design
- MSc Design Engineering with Advanced Product Development
- MSc Design Engineering
- MSc Mechatronics & Automation
- MSc Systems Engineering Management
- MSc Global Innovation Management
- MSc Supply Chain & Logistics Management
- MSc Engineering Management for Process Excellence
- MSc Autonomous Robotic Intelligent Systems
- MSc Project Management & Innovation
- MSc Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing