APM Project Management Conference, Manchester 2018

1. Lynn Dwyer – Commercial Director
What is all this Digitalisation about?
Transformational tools to address common
challenges

2. • The Virtual Engineering Centre was established in 2010 and is a centre leading in
the exploration and adoption of modelling, simulation and immersive visualisation
• Multi-disciplinary team with expertise across engineering, software development,
systems engineering, data analytics, manufacturing, digital art and industry
What do we do:
• Deliver bespoke Digital Engineering solutions to organisations using the latest
technologies, best practice, research and expertise
How do we do this:
• Through development and collaboration with the domain expertise
sandpit sessions in digital labs, virtual test environments, and
training and skills development
Who are we:
Background

3. Global Competition
• Digitalisation is transforming businesses globally and is at the top of strategic
planning
• Rate of growth of technology is creating a host of opportunities which allows
for new innovations and better quality products, processes and new service
models
• Vital to remain globally competitive

4. Common Understanding
• Digital revolution is all about data
• Immersive technologies provide a common platform for communication,
understanding and collaboration based on data, helping to solve common
challenges
• Seamless blending of the virtual and real world provides strong immersive
experiences providing insight and innovation as to how we address these
challenges

5. Common Challenges – Cross Sector Working
Automotive Aerospace Energy Healthcare Industry
4.0
Collaborative Working Platforms
Experiential Simulation
Common Infrastructure and Toolkits

6. Case Study -
Bentley Motors
Reducing New Product Development Timescales - speed to market
• Accessing innovative new digital supply chain entrants
• Upskilling existing staff to adapt to new process methods
• Embedding technology into the existing processes

8. Case Study -
Alder Hey Children's Hospital
Transforming Pre-Operative Planning
• Maximising value from patient data
• De-risking complicated interventions, increased likelihood of
successful first time outcomes
• Improved communications and understanding across surgical
team, patient and family
•

10. Immersive Tech Case Study
Nuclear Industry
Transforming Pre-Operative Planning
• Maximising value and enhancing existing data
• De-risking complicated interventions, increased likelihood of
successful first time outcomes, minimising time in hazardous area
• Improved communications and understanding across operational
team and stakeholders
•

11. SME - Case Study
LCR4.0 Programme
• Not just about large organisations
• Not just about amending business process - in contrast, digital
simulation provides the opportunity to reconceive the business
process
• Modelling and simulation – 20% increase in productivity without
additional investment in tools or automation
•

12. Track Record and Current Projects
• Digitisation of aerospace and related supply chain – 38 NW SME’s
• Creating a new digital supply chain for automotive sector – STRIVE
• Providing digital test bed environment for new software suppliers to BAE
Systems and NNL - GAMMA
• Supporting digitalisation - 300 manufacturing and related industries LCR4.0
• Developing a digital nuclear framework for the future - BEIS Digital Reactor
Design

13. BEIS Digital Nuclear Reactor Design Project
Integrated Nuclear Development Environment:
• To develop a digital integrated framework to support future nuclear reactor
build – design through to decommissioning
Aims:
• Providing a safe environment for scenario planning
• Provides a new way of working that encourages collaboration between the
supply chain
• Enables easier access for non-nuclear community – stakeholders and new
supply chain
• Provide UK nuclear sector with a competitive advantage over global
competitors

14. Partners
• Engagement with broader nuclear sector and stakeholders is critical and key
to understand requirements for future framework
• www.digitalnucleardesign.com

15. What are we trying to do?

16. Interlinked Digital Environment
Digital Environment
• a series of interconnected, multi-scale, multi-physics computational models’
Validation data
BIM data
Health monitoring data
NDI data
Inspection data
Predictive performance /
behaviour / outcomes
Implementation dependent on closing technology gaps in
• HPC developments in exascale
• Innovation in measurement technologies
• Development of data & model credibility, connectivity & integration

17. Why?
Advantages
• Shortened development times
• More reliable prediction of development times, allowing better
synchronisation
• Reduced risk and perception of risk
• Increased credibility, operability, reliability & safety
• Directly & through enhanced training & skills development
• Reduced risk and perception of risk
• Reduced costs
• Shorter timescales for preliminary tests, development & licensing
• Increased return on investment through efficient operation &
maintenance
• Limiting decommissioning costs to budget
• Lower risk leading to reduction in financing costs
• Improved public perception leading to more friendly operating conditions

18. Progress
Status
• Project on track and on cost
• Use cases developed and demonstrations completed
• AGR – Graphite cracking
• PWR – Rod ejection
Deliverables
• Proof of concept integrated framework architecture- complete
• Roadmap for safety and security – near completion
Timescales
• Project end date February 2019
Involvement
• Nuclear sector engagement events held – including demonstrations and
feedback sessions for future direction

19. Find out more
www.digitalnucleardesign.com

20. Thank you.
For more information
Lynn Dwyer
ldwyer@liv.ac.uk
www.virtualengineeringcentre.com