Digital Planning co-founder James Ferraby will join a panel of senior industry and education leaders to discuss how manufacturers can attract talent and improve productivity through people.
James will speak at the East Midlands Chamber Manufacturing and Trade Conference on 24 March at Loughborough University.
Organised by East Midlands Chamber, the conference brings together manufacturers, policymakers and supports organisations to explore growth, trade and digital adoption across the region.
The panel connects skills development, leadership and productivity in a year of significant economic and political change.
James said: “Productivity in manufacturing doesn’t just start with technology – it starts with people, decisions and how work flows through the business.
“I’m looking forward to launching our new whitepaper guidance and exploring practical next steps with manufacturers from across the region, so we can turn those ideas into measurable productivity gains on the shopfloor and in the back office.”
Talent, productivity and digital delivery gap
The panel, chaired by Richard Blackmore, Director of Policy and Insight at East Midlands Chamber, will examine how Local Skills Improvement Plans are supporting talent pipelines three years on.
James will be joined by Professor James Flint from Loughborough University’s Wolfson School of Engineering, Dr Gareth Thomas from the LSIP programme, and Shabir Ismail, Principal and CEO of Leicester College.
As part of the session, James will introduce Digital Planning’s new guide, Bridging the Digital Delivery Gap in Manufacturing.
The guide, available to conference delegates, is a qualitative resource based on original interviews with more than 80 UK companies employing between 10 and 10,000 people.
It details common AI-integration pain points in manufacturing, shows how disconnects between strategy, people and technology slow execution and growth, and sets out practical steps to fix them.
Digital Planning is a strategic partner of East Midlands Chamber, working together on commercial R&D, digital transformation and regional skills programmes.
The panel and guide launch are an extension of that partnership – and Digital Planning’s mission to research, develop and deliver next-generation technologies that transform productivity in complex industries.
Digital Planning works with manufacturers through tailored solutions, direct collaboration and an honest, platform-agnostic approach to AI.
Its focus is on optimising operations and resource allocation – increasing efficiency, reducing costs and freeing up people to focus on what matters.
The wider conference reinforces this focus, with sessions on Industry, defence and nuclear supply-chain opportunities, digital twins, AI automation in manufacturing offices, and resilient energy strategies.
