What made this event highly impactful was its deliberate bridging of Sheffield’s digital and manufacturing communities—two ecosystems that have historically operated in parallel rather than in concert. The Digital Forge created a rare intersection where software developers exchanged ideas with metallurgists, where data scientists collaborated with production engineers, and where the region’s rich industrial heritage found common purpose with its emerging technological capabilities. This cross-pollination of expertise represents a powerful catalyst for innovation that neither community could achieve in isolation.
Professor Keith Ridgway, whose pioneering work as co-founder of the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) has been transforming regional potential, delivered a keynote presentation that invited deep reflection. He urged delegates to face some uncomfortable truths. He highlighted the UK’s slide into manufacturing dependency for key infrastructure, citing the Pen y Cymoedd Wind Farm as a project where foreign components predominate. His appeal for strategic reindustrialisation hit home, pointing out not just economic necessity but also fundamental national security.
The event’s first panel illuminated Sheffield’s emergence as an AI and machine learning powerhouse in manufacturing. The participants—Tom Clayton of IntelliAM AI, Cristina Sesma of Productive Machines, Robin Hartley Willows of FourJaw Manufacturing Analytics, and Dr Rob Ward from the University of Sheffield—represented the vanguard of technological innovation in the sector. Particularly noticeable was how the AMRC has functioned as an innovation catalyst, spawning ventures like Productive Machines and FourJaw that are now driving industry transformation. Meanwhile, IntelliAM AI demonstrates how the region’s ecosystem supports rapid growth, evidenced by their recent leadership expansion to capitalise on emerging opportunities.
The second panel explored manufacturing’s future through broad insights, ranging from Victoria Clarke Brown’s e-tailing at Kitlocker.com to Timothy Jewitt’s expertise in maintaining heritage craft at Footprint Tools (the UK’s last tool forging company). Charlotte Hill of Gripple and Richard Gould of Sheffield Technology Ltd completed this diverse conversation, pointing out how inclusive leadership strategies are essential for navigating technological disruption while honouring manufacturing heritage.
The “Pitching @ The Foundry” session, expertly facilitated by Andy Hanselman, showcased the region’s entrepreneurial vitality. The presenters exemplified how technological innovation is addressing critical issues across sectors: Future Greens with their modular waste-to-energy solutions; Choppity, fresh from turning down Peter Jones on Dragons’ Den, presented their new AI-powered video editing platform; NIQS Tech’s pioneering quantum-based glucose monitoring technology; and Kausal Maintenance’s predictive systems that promise to revolutionise manufacturing efficiency.
Adam Pollock of Oberon Capital concluded the event with strategic takeaways on the changing investment landscape. His observations on how new partnerships with Yorkshire AI Labs will democratise access to capital for South Yorkshire companies underscored a critical shift in how industrial innovation should be financed in the region and beyond.
The Digital Forge represents more than a celebration of technological advancement—it signals Sheffield’s deliberate strategy to reclaim its manufacturing prominence by integrating digital capabilities with centuries of industrial expertise. This intentional fusion of digital innovation with manufacturing knowledge creates a powerful synergy that neither sector could achieve independently, positioning Sheffield at the forefront of what might be called “Manufacturing 4.0”—where data-driven insights and physical production exist in seamless harmony.
For those inspired by this convergence of tradition and innovation, the upcoming event on 8 May at Victoria—“What’s your next move? Scale, sell, or something smarter?”—offers an opportunity to continue these important conversations. Free tickets are available at https://lu.ma/8trrzhok.
