Re-Distributed Manufacturing in Deployed Operations - Workshop

Lead Research Organisation: University of the West of England
Department Name: Faculty of Business and Law

Abstract

The EPSRC funded Re-Distributed Manufacturing in Healthcare Network (RiHN) (www.rihn.org.uk) was launched in Feb 2015 and is being delivered by a consortium between six universities (UWE, Loughborough, Nottingham, Cambridge, Newcastle & Brunel), representing disciplines from both the social sciences and engineering. Investigators from RiHN working with the Ministry of Defence's Defence Medical Services organisation propose to lead a specialist workshop to explore a new compelling area of research, exploring the potential of Re-Distributed Manufacturing (RDM) in deployed operations. This encompasses the application of new RDM-related technologies and systems (e.g. Bioprinters, Additive Layer Manufacturing) in expeditionary military and civilian emergency and humanitarian operations.

Re-Distributed Manufacture (RDM) is defined as: "Technology, systems and strategies that change the economics and organisation of manufacturing, particularly with regard to location and scale" . In healthcare, RDM involves bringing production closer to the point of clinical need or use and enhancing the capability to deliver personalised medicine. RiHN is leading an agenda to advance the impact of UK medical manufacturing research.

Whilst RDM includes the notion of a shift from centralised towards decentralised production, extant research continues to assume a degree of stable environmental conditions and fixed static location (e.g. hospitals/clinics/home). However, RDM can deliver life-saving benefits in mobile medical scenarios, where there is urgent and unforeseen demand in changing and remote locations, such as in response to natural disasters and emergencies (e.g. recent Ebola crisis), and the rapid treatment of soldiers in battlefield scenarios. This often requires a reverse supply chain perspective, starting with the requirement based on patient need. There are a variety of medical conditions that could benefit from rapid response treatments in deployed operations, these include and are not limited to blast injuries to skin and tissue, haemorrhagic shock, and bone and muscle repair.

The EPSRC funded workshop aims to: "review and identify applications for RDM in deployed operations and create an agenda for delivering R&D pathfinders that will radically transform medical treatments and patient outcomes". The workshop provides an opportunity to (a) define both medical and manufacturing requirements, and (b) take stock of UK R&D capability in this specialist area. It also provides a unique forum for learning and exchange between civilian and defence organisations. In order to authoritatively explore the potential of RDM in this emerging specialist area, the team will engage a range of experts and stakeholders, to include key decision-makers in MoD, emergency medicine practitioners, and researchers in medical engineering.

The RiHN team will use the outputs of the workshop to inform a future funding proposal, which will set out detailed justification for specific target areas for investigation, as well as research leads and partners who will implement these studies. Where relevant, this proposal will consider RDM applications (civil and defence) that will benefit from Early Supplier Involvement (ESI) and Innovate UK/Catapult involvement in the development of products and services that have the potential to transform healthcare delivery to front line services. Relevant insights will also feature in a wider RiHN white paper offering guidance to healthcare stakeholders for future RDM in healthcare R&D investment.

Planned Impact

In summary, during a series of sandpit and workshop events, run by the RiHN, the potential value of implementing RDM approaches in deployed, frontline operations was identified. Working with MoD Defence Medical Services (DMS), members of the RiHN team seek to open up a new line of investigation that has the potential to radically transform support to medical treatments in deployed operations, where there is urgent and unforeseen demand remote and changeable locations. The workshop will allow us to bring together a number of key experts and disciplines and advance a robust, structured agenda for further research with the aim of advancing the UK's capability in RDM and delivering impact to clinicians, practitioners and patients. This agenda will help shape how MoD, defence prime contractors, emergency services and UK Research Council proceed with future R&D investment and resourcing.

Beneficiaries include SMEs and defence prime contractors (suppliers of 3D printers and scanners, and manufacturers specialising in customised parts and therapies), clinicians within the NHS and MoD Defence Medical Services, who will define requirements and will be end users of new technologies and and systems that will allow the rapid, tailored and localised treatments of life-threatening and debilitating injuries, resulting in better patient outcomes. If there were a significant adoption of RDM, soldiers would receive an enhanced level of critical care when it is most required, which has the potential to reduce complications and long-term care costs incurred by the Ministry of Defence.

Clinicians operating in deployed operations often have to administer treatments in extreme conditions, facing needs that may help define future take up by the NHS. The practice of emergency and military medicine can be employed to evaluate novel healthcare approaches, and identify where RDM can add the most value in healthcare delivery.

Finally, the academic community will benefit from the workshop, which brings together those from diverse backgrounds to investigate applications beyond the mainstream clinical settings. For those from the social sciences, this will allow them to explore the role of lead users in shaping novel manufacturing technologies and systems, and an improved comprehension of the diffusion of disruptive innovations. For those from engineering and science, they will be provided with an insight into the working environment and issues of emergency and military medicine. All academic participants will have the opportunity to explore and critique their ideas leading to proposals investigating the feasibility of RDM applications.

RiHN is well connected to key researchers in engineering and management, centres of innovative manufacturing, and specialists in military and emergency medicine - ensuring effective participation, dissemination and exploitation.
 
Description A significant part of the workshop discussion focused around deploying without the ability to resupply, and the support required to improve speed of treatment and diagnosis and benefits that can be derived from miniaturisation of production technology particularly in the context of pre-hospital field care (both in defence and civilian scenarios), where medics are limited as to what they can carry. A related point was made about the need to reduce the logistics burden of delivering medical care in mobile and deployed scenarios and to consider the potentially harsh operating environment (i.e. limited power, water and sterile conditions). Discussion of requirements and operations were an important part of scoping where future manufacturing research should be directed (presented in the research hypothesis and objectives section).
Material from a roadmapping exercises was grouped and presented back to a panel of cross-disciplinary experts. The following clusters were identified: (a) protection requirements, (b) manufacturing requirements, (c) in-field medicinal manufacture, (d) RDM products, (e) cell and tissue therapies, (f) additive layer production technology, (g) training and skills, (h) governance, and (I) infrastructure and logistics. These clusters were aggregated and considered against requirements cited in the 'background' section, which identified the following research priorities:
1 - Development of military and emergency medicine requirements in deployed operations
2 - Evaluate additive manufacturing capability for the creation of custom medical devices; and (2) To focus on three priority areas, which include: wound cleaning/sterilising and closure; surgical devices/instruments, and; compression/splinting/immobilisation.
3 - Evaluate cell and tissue therapy manufacturing capability
4 - Clinical Fluids Manufacturing Capability - demonstrate the capability to rapidly produce intravenous fluids under deployed conditions, utilising portable, efficient and adaptable production equipment
5 - Pharmaceutical Manufacturing capability - to advance the development of miniaturised portable device platform(s) and techniques capable of producing small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and therapeutic proteins (e.g. analgesics, anaesthesia, antibiotics)
6 - Innovation, assessment and adoption for deployed operations - integrate learning to systematically establish innovation route maps for RDM in deployed operations
Exploitation Route The future funding proposal will be submitted to the EPSRC 'Manufacturing the Future' call. This proposal will set out detailed justification for specific target areas for investigation, as well as research leads and partners who will implement these studies. Where relevant, this proposal will consider RDM applications (civil and defence) that will benefit from Early Supplier Involvement (ESI) and Innovate UK/Catapult involvement in the development of products and services that have the potential to transform healthcare delivery to deployed
front line services.

It is often the case that new technologies and systems are tested first in defence and emergency situations and lessons learned are transferred to the UK National Health Service for later adoption. Relevant outputs from the workshop have been shared directly with delegates and via the RiHN website supported by social media.

An ongoing dialogue has continued with relevant organisations in MoD during the exploitation,dissemination and new proposal stages. This has included engagement with the MoD defence acquisition and logistics communities to make sure there is an advance perspective of commercial/procurement decisions that must be considered when acquiring and transporting new manufacturing capabilities and (if applicable) integrating them for use in existing/future platforms (land vehicles, ships and aircraft) or deployed clinical environments.
Sectors Aerospace

Defence and Marine

Agriculture

Food and Drink

Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software)

Energy

Environment

Healthcare

Government

Democracy and Justice

Manufacturing

including Industrial Biotechology

Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology

Security and Diplomacy

Transport

URL http://www.rihn.org.uk
 
Description In June 2017, the findings of the workshop were presented as a poster at a MoD Defence Medical Services strategy refresh meeting and was ranked as high priority based on the potential to enhance prolonged field care. The urgency and need to be able to rapidly deliver life-saving treatments was further highlighted at a meeting of NHS England Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (ERPP). In a discussion concerning the emergency services response to recent terrorist attacks in UK and Europe, NHS Supply expressed strong interest in RDM and how it might benefit from a UK NHS perspective, underlining the saliency of this research. In December 2018 RiHN released its White Paper which incorporated the workshop findings in order to provide an overview of the research agenda for RDM in healthcare Building on the findings of the workshop and the RiHN White paper a proposal was submitted to the EPSRC. Focusing on RDM in Deployed operations, the proposal set out detailed justification for specific target areas for investigation, as well as research leads and partners who will implement these studies. In October 2019, the research ream were informed that the proposal was successful. The Programme aimed to commence in March 2020 but due to Covid-19 it started in July 2020 and has since gone on to award funding to 13 feasibility studies with a focus on RDM in Deployed operations. The Funding call was shaped by the findings from the EPSRC Workshop on Deployed operations. As result of the work RiHN has undertaken with MoD, members of the RiHN team have been invited to be members of a MoD working group focused on redistributed manufacturing for defence medical services.
First Year Of Impact 2016
Sector Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology,Security and Diplomacy
Impact Types Societal

Policy & public services

 
Description Additive bio-manufacturing: 3D printing for medical recovery and human enhancement
Geographic Reach Europe 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
URL https://epthinktank.eu/2017/11/10/what-if-we-could-3d-print-our-own-body-parts-science-and-technolog...
 
Description JOINT EXPERIMENTATION RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (JERI)
Amount £123,600 (GBP)
Organisation Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2022 
End 04/2023
 
Description Redistributed Manufacturing in Deployed Medical Care Network Plus
Amount £1,741,421 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/T014970/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2020 
End 03/2022
 
Description Redistributed Manufacturing in Healthcare: Establishing UWE as a Centre of Excellence
Amount £9,685 (GBP)
Organisation University of the West of England 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2022 
End 09/2022
 
Description DMS MoD 
Organisation Defence Medical Services
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Hospitals 
PI Contribution The research team provided overall leadership of the workshop workshop planning, delivery and follow up, including managing project funds and operational preparation of the workshop (workshop design, invites, speaker engagement, break out exercises, creation of materials). The research team capitalised on its network membership (built through EPSRC RiHN) and partner networks to identify academic researchers working on technologies and systems that had applications relevant for use in deployed operations scenarios
Collaborator Contribution Defence Medical Services secured participation from professors of military medicine from a range of relevant disciplines and secured attendance from industry and university researchers interested in participating in this workshop. MoD Defence Medical Services provided provided support through a variety of means such as co-hosting the workshop, providing the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine as a venue, and arranging guest speakers from the defence sector. Staff from Defence Medical Services provided administrative support leading up to the workshop in terms of promoting the event. Brigadier Hodgetts from MoD defence Medical Services presented at the workshop, outlining potential of Re-Distributed Manufacturing (RDM) in deployed operations.
Impact 1. Workshop report,providing overview of the key findings of the workshop 2. Findings of the workshop were incorporated into the RiHN White Paper 3. Draft full EPSRC bid proposal
Start Year 2016
 
Description 3D Bioprinting Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The workshop presented the results of anESRC-funded project 'Bio-modifying Technologies' which examined the development and challenges posed by gene therapy/editing, induced pluripotent stem cells, and 3D bioprinting.
It involved around participants drawn from the biological and medical sciences, social science, companies, science policy, funding and regulatory agencies. Findings from the project were shown:
- How to understand the specific' and distinctive 'experimental space' for bioprinting as both a critical tool for basic research and a 'gateway' technology with multiple potential biomedical applications from toxicity screening to regenerative medicine
- The challenges this space carries especially in regard to the development of products and prospective clinical delivery
- Reporting on the results of an MHRA-hosted Patient Forum coordinated by the project
- The current UK activity in each area and the wider global landscape in each area
- Lessons from the social sciences and how these can be drawn on in each field
The primary objective was to have an informed discussion and to listen to and draw from participants' expertise in the area.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description @EPSRCRiHN twitter account 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact RiHN has set-up its own twitter account @EPSRCRiHN which has a good following from a broad array of individuals and organisations. All events have had allocated Twitter feeds enabling 'live reporting' which is also linked to the network website.The Twitter account had stimulated greater interest in RiHN and its activities as evidenced by messages sent via Twitter and tweets and retweets of issues relating to RiHN and RDM.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015,2016,2017
URL https://twitter.com/EPSRCRIHN
 
Description Blood Manufacturing Value Stream Mapping Introduction 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A workshop led by John Kiff to introduce Flt. Lt. Dr. Felix Wood to an engineering management methodology value stream mapping to be able to apply it to a healthcare scenario and articulate key metrics or parameters for a unspecialised audience.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Clinical Fluids Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Workshop with members of the RiHN funded clinical fluids project, the researcher, industrial collaborators, defence clinician, and end-user collaborators. Discussion and remapping on the value stream map and hypothetical scenario for clinical fluid resupply. Information provided by all parties to refine and improve the understanding of the proposed future state that the impact that the technology will have.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Conference presentation at EurOMA 2022: "Humanitarian Innovation: Defining The Operational Requirements For Deployed Healthcare" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Research examining the role of end user insight in the development of operational requirements for deployed healthcare was presented to academic peers for feedback and critical insight, at a EurOMA conference session focused on digital innovation in the humanitarian sector (~30 participants). The presentation generated discussion about the utility and relevance of end user engagement in healthcare innovation and new international connections were cemented
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://uwe.worktribe.com/record.jx?recordid=9719954
 
Description Conference presentation at EurOMA 2022: "Innovation in healthcare: developing the business case for redistributed manufacturing in deployed medical operations " 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presentation of conference paper examining the role of value stream mapping for deployed healthcare was presented to academic peers for feedback and critical insight, at a EurOMA conference session focused on innovation in healthcare (~30 participants). The presentation generated discussion about the utility and relevance of end user engagement in healthcare innovation, transferring operational management practice into medical process flows, and developing new international connections.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://uwe.worktribe.com/record.jx?recordid=9720006
 
Description Conference presentation at ISPIM 2022: "Innovation in deployed medical care: Building resilient healthcare supply chains" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Research examining the role of end user insight in the technology roadmapping of deployable medical technologies was presented to academic peers for feedback and critical insight, at an IPSIM conference session focused on digital innovation in the healthcare sector (~30 participants). The presentation generated discussion about the utility and relevance of end user engagement in healthcare innovation, and new international connections were made.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://uwe.worktribe.com/record.jx?recordid=10488744
 
Description Conference presentation at POMS 2022: "Redistributed Manufacturing in Healthcare: Developing the Business Case for Innovation" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact PhD student Victor Uwalaka's presentation of conference paper examining the role of value stream mapping for deployed healthcare was presented to academic peers for feedback and critical insight, at a EurOMA conference session focused on innovation in healthcare (~30 participants). The presentation generated discussion about the utility and relevance of end user engagement in healthcare innovation, transferring operational management practice into medical process flows, and developing new international connections
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://pomsmeetings.org/conf-2022/
 
Description Defence Military Services - RiHN Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Defence Medical Services (DMS) invited 30 members of personnel from all 3 service branches of the armed forces to discuss where redistributed manufacturing could contribute to addressing their needs in a deployed medical operating environment. The outcome of this work revealed several defence priority areas which were identified and raised in a final report summary given to the head of DMS.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Deployed Medical and Healthcare Delivery 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Conference - Deployed Medical and Healthcare Delivery. A networking opportunity for RiHN to meet and interact with Defence Medical Services and other healthcare related personnel. Contacts with JHUB Med were established at this meeting.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.defenceiq.com/events-deployedmedicalforum
 
Description Deployed Medical and Healthcare Delivery 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Conference - Deployed Medical and Healthcare Delivery. A networking opportunity for RiHN to meet and interact with Defence Medical Services and other healthcare related personnel. Working with DSTL and Stratcom to develop the value stream mapping for blood manufacturing project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.defenceiq.com/events-deployedmedicalforum
 
Description Design 4 Additive Manufacturing - RiHN 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presentations from RiHN Co-Is as well as workshops faciliated by RiHN team members to bring together academics in additive layer manufacturing and innovation to develop understanding around how the new technology can be used in emerging fields such as clinical environments and pharmaceuticals.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.d4am.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/d4am-project
 
Description EDSI Conference, Venice, June 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Presented the findings of the research and workshops to international academics and practitioners from around the world. The presentation sparked questions and discussion and request for further information.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://dsi-dev.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/9-EDSI-Call-for-Paper.pdf
 
Description EU parliament Workshop on Additive bio-manufacturing: 3D printing for medical recovery and human enhancement 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Invited by the European Parliament to be involved a scenario development workshop at the EU Parliament in Brussels. The interactive working session wasdedicated to exploring the future of 3D-bio printing technology via a set of 'story-based scenarios'. These are stories that are designed to support the exploration of social, ethical and regulatory issues under a range of different future scenarios of technical development.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL https://epthinktank.eu/2017/11/10/what-if-we-could-3d-print-our-own-body-parts-science-and-technolog...
 
Description Higher Education Innovation Fund Workshop Event 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact HEIF workshop event, involved talks from regional institutions with an interest of RDM for healthcare and how they could align with RiHN. Presentations from Corryn Biotechnologies, WEAHSN, NCC, and RiHN. Later workshop event around establishing the South West as centre of excellence for redistributed manufacturing.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Interview for trade magazine GEN 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact I was invited to give a short interview concerning distributed manufacture of advanced therapies by a journalist working for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News, a free trade magazine that is circulated widely in hard-copy and electronic form.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.genengnews.com/topics/bioprocessing/decentralized-manufacturing-of-advanced-therapies/
 
Description JHubMed - RiHN AM OPCP Meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A visit to JHubMed to discuss and outline some of the operating patient care pathway and where re-distributed manufacturing and additive layer manufacturing can make an impact and improve end-user delivery of care.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Medical Logistics Workshop - RiHN 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A visit from the 84th Medical Logisitics Sqn. to UWE Bristol campus to discuss value stream mapping, technology innovation feasibility projects being developed by RiHN co-collaborators, and sharing of defence deployed operating scenarios and workflows.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Meeting with MIT group 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact Meeting with representatives from MIT who had heard of the RiHN research and were interested to learn more as they felt the Network were ahead of many other research groups in terms of understanding of Redistributed Manufacturing in Healthcare
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description MoD Defence Medical Services strategy refresh meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The research priorties identified during the workshop were presented as a poster at a MoD Defence Medical Services strategy refresh meeting and were ranked as high priority based on the potential to enhance prolonged field care.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description NHS England Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (ERPP) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The urgency and need to be able to rapidly deliver life-saving treatments was further highlighted at a meeting of NHS England Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (ERPP). In a discussion concerning the emergency services response to recent terrorist attacks in UK and Europe, NHS Supply expressed strong interest in RDM and how it might benefit from a UK NHS perspective
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL https://twitter.com/Defence_Medical/status/877555418058428416
 
Description RDM Working Group for the Defence Medical Services. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Members of the RiHN research team have been ivited by JHUBMED, the medical innovation group of MoD, to sit on a working group focused on Redistributed Manufacturing in defence medical services
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Redistributed manufacturing in deployed operations workshop, Birmingham, Feb 2017 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This was a workshop led by the RiHN team but that had acquired additional funding from the EPSRC. RiHN had identified that, currently, the vake of RDM in healthcare lies in niche applications particularly in front-line services, most notably defence. RiHN had engaged with the Royal Centre for Defence medicine and developed a successful proposal to fund a workshop to scope out the research priorities for RDM in emergency and military medicine. Through road-mapping exercises the participants scope out key research packages which could be taken forward into larger scale research projects. The audience was composed of mainly defence staff, particulalry nurses, surgeons and clinicians.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL https://goo.gl/UsFbfc
 
Description Regen Medicine at the Front Line Collaboration 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact The Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) carried out a scoping study to define how Defence should engage in the regenerative medicine research space, the event aimed to support collaboration in the areas of research identified within the study
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.contracts.mod.uk/do-features-and-articles/regenerative-medicine-at-the-frontline/
 
Description Resilient Healthcare in Supply Chains 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact A podcast for Chain Reaction which is a podcast 'All About Supply Chain Advantage' containing regular audio snippets relevant to C suite executives, supply chain professionals, researchers, policy makers in government, students, media commentators and the wider public. New episodes each week discuss hot topics in the news and supply chain ideas relevant to everyone involved in supply chain management.

In the episode Prof Wendy Phillips (PI) discusses resilient supply chains in healthcarefocusing on how redistributed manufacturing as a strategy can be used to improve timeliness to meet patient needs better.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/resilient-supply-chains-in-healthcare-extract/id1552626101?i=1...
 
Description RiHN LinkedIn Network 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact RiHN has established a LinkedIn Group which comprises a multi-disciplinary network including academics, practitioners and industry representatives providing an online forum to define the challenges of realising Re-Distributed Manufacture (RDM) in healthcare.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015,2016,2017
URL https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8238989
 
Description RiHN website 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The RiHN Website (www.rihn.org.uk) has been set up to inform interested parties of the Network's activities and outputs. Via RiHN's social media strategy the network coordinator has ensured that all activities of the network, feasibility studies and organisations relevant to RDM in manufacturing are communicated through the website and outputs and specifically produced materials such as videos are uploaded to the site. The website provides an overview of the feasibility studies funded by the project all of the feasibility studies have been required to produce a two minute summary video of their topic and signpost their activities as a condition of receiving network funding and these have been added to the website. The Website has expanded RiHN's outreach as evidenced by the web traffic and the request for further information and network membership appications.

The website is updated regularly and informs network members of and interested individuals of developments in the area of RDM in healthcare. Through the website, those who would like to know more about the RiHN's work can access information and can join the network.

The RiHN website is evolving into a repository of expertise with the potential to persist beyond the life of the network
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015,2016,2017
URL http://www.rihn.org.uk
 
Description Special Interest Group: Point-of-Care Manufacturing 1 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact RiHN is hosting an online event to discuss the business case for point-of-care redistributed manufacturing (RDM) focussing on additive layer manufacturing and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Talks from Dr. Phil Reeves, Dr. Luke Burke around the benefits of PoC additive manufacturing, and Dr. Sam Roscoe and Prof. Sheng Qi around redistributed manufacturing of pharmaceuticals

With senior stakeholders in RDM on the steering panel for this special interest group, their involvement lends weight to
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://rihn.org.uk/sig/
 
Description Special Interest Group: Point-of-Care Manufacturing 2 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact RiHN is hosting online a series of short talks on the business case for redistributed manufacturing (RDM) in clinical fluid, and cell & tissue manufacturing.

Talks from Prof. Nick Medcalf - Innovate UK and Dr. Ifty Ahmed - University of Nottingham, on Cell & Tissue Manufacturing at the point-of-care. Followed by talks from Prof. Darren Reynolds and Dr. Jenni May, on clinical fluid manufacturing and the challenges facing blood transfusion for frontline treatment.

With senior stakeholders in RDM on the steering panel for this special interest group, their involvement lends weight to the conversation and depth to what "point-of-care" manufacturing means to them. We hope to tackle some of the unique challenges in implementing and validating RDM solutions, determine where in the economic model does RDM makes the most sense, and articulate the benefits to both the providers and end-users.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://rihn.org.uk/sig/
 
Description Special Interest Group: Point-of-Care Manufacturing 3 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact RiHN is meeting in person to debate on the business case for redistributed manufacturing (RDM) in clinical fluid, and cell & tissue manufacturing. Talks from Prof. Bill Scott - Newcastle University, Lt. Col. Dr. Paul Hunt - DMS, Prof Richard Bibb - Loughborough University. With senior stakeholders in RDM on the steering panel for this special interest group, their involvement lends weight to the conversation and depth to what "point-of-care" manufacturing means to them. We hope to tackle some of the unique challenges in implementing and validating RDM solutions, determine where in the economic model does RDM makes the most sense, and articulate the benefits to both the providers and end-users. Part of the workshop will be part of a technology roadmapping exercise we hope to contribute to ALM business case to adopt RDM for healthcare and where it can make an impact.

Being able to meet in-person allows us to showcase facilities of partner organisations such as the centre for process innovation (CPI), home of the national biologics manufacturing centre and the RNA centre of excellence. CPI will be hosting tours of both facilities and an opportunity to meet with some the technologists.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://rihn.org.uk/sig/
 
Description Tidal N+ and RiHN Workshop Meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Event promoting Tidal N+ funding call for Digital Manufacturing Systems and Physical Devices. Paul Hunt, Wendy Phillips and Chris Howell gave presentations online around RDM and technology research themes relevant to TidalN+ . The event led to identifying opportunities, research questions, and challenges based on mapping workshops with public stakeholders, end-users, regulators, innovation implementers, and technology developers.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description World Economic Forum Council Meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Technology, Values and Policy Spring Offsite meeting brought together WEF council members with special guests from various stakeholder groups, including Industry, Civil Society, and Government. The group discussed three areas of council inquiry: A New Social Contract and new license to operate for
businesses, the impact of AI and robotics on the economy and society, and the broader governance challenges and prerequisites needed to successfully manage the integration of emerging and converging technologies.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
URL https://www.weforum.org/communities/the-future-of-technology-values-policy
 
Description • Reconfiguring healthcare supply chains: the scope, challenges and opportunities. Presentation to Performance with Purpose Research Centre, London Met, 17 Jan 2024 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Presentation to staff and PG students asscoaciated with Purpose Research Centre, London Metrolpolitan University presenting the key finsings of the RiHN research.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024