The goal is to boost productivity and manufacturing value-add while lowering costs using the technology
- At the launch of the partnership between A*Star and Microsoft in Hannover, Germany, on Monday (Apr 20) were (from left): Microsoft’s managing director of digital engineering Guy Bursell; Microsoft’s corporate vice-president of manufacturing and mobility Dayan Rodriguez; EDB’s executive vice-president Cindy Koh; and A*Star’s CEO of its advanced remanufacturing and technology centre Dr David Low. PHOTO: SINGAPORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD
[HANNOVER] Manufacturers facing challenges in adopting artificial intelligence could soon see these barriers reduced, following a new partnership between Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) and Microsoft launched on Monday (Apr 20).
The memorandum of understanding (MOU), signed on the first day of the Hannover Messe industrial trade fair in Germany, “aims to reduce barriers for manufacturers to deploy advanced AI solutions developed specifically for industrial settings”, said A*Star.
Adoption hurdles include limited access to expertise in both AI and manufacturing, issues over data availability and standardisation, and concerns about deploying AI reliably in industrial environments, the agency said.
One potential outcome for manufacturers is “higher productivity, greater manufacturing value-add and lower operational costs through the adoption of manufacturing-specific AI tools”, it added.
Technology partners and system integrators could also benefit by licensing, integrating and deploying these technologies for end-user customers, as well as within their own service offerings.
While the MOU is non-binding and “intended to serve as a record of shared intent”, A*Star said, the collaboration seeks to support the Sectoral AI Centre of Excellence for Manufacturing (AIMfg) as a national platform for AI-enabled manufacturing and research translation.