The Digital Design Network Plus recently held its second workshop, bringing together academics, industry partners, and challenge teams for an intensive programme of presentations, discussions, and collaboration across two leading Scottish innovation sites.
Day 1 – NMIS
The workshop opened at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), where participants were warmly welcomed by Graeme McLaughlin and the NMIS team.
A key focus of the day was the progress update from the Challenge Case Study 1 teams. To support the evaluation process, our interdisciplinary panel—Ian Risk, Katrina Thompson, Chris McMahon, and Tony Phipps—joined us to provide expert perspectives and assess each team’s approach. Their combined expertise will be central in selecting the winning team, to be announced soon.
We were also delighted to welcome Brian Loudon of Loud1Design, whose contributions added an industry‑driven perspective to the day’s discussions.
Day 2 – DMEM
Day 2 took place within the Department of Design, Manufacturing and Engineering Management (DMEM) at the University of Strathclyde. Our hosts, Professor Anja Maier and Professor Andrew Wodehouse, kindly welcomed the Network and facilitated a dynamic and engaging programme.
The morning began with the official introduction to Challenge Case Study 2, led by Maryam Farsi and Ejae Perez. Their session set the stage for the next phase of collaborative research and development within the network. Full details of this challenge will be available on our website shortly.
We were pleased to be joined by industry partners from PTC—Bernhard Eberl, Darren Henry, and Alyssa Walker—as well as representatives from Autodesk, Iwan Roberts and Ryan Sheridan. Their insights provided valuable context on emerging digital tools, industrial needs, and technology trends influencing the future of design innovation.
We extend our sincere thanks to NMIS and the University of Strathclyde for their hospitality, to all speakers and contributors, and to the challenge teams for their exceptional work and commitment.
Stay tuned for updates on Challenge Case Study 2, evaluation outcomes, and future D2N+ events.