Insights
What Will Tomorrow’s Manufacturing Landscape Look Like?
Like many industries, the manufacturing landscape is transforming. Faced with the challenges and opportunities of industry 4.0, sustainability, market shifts, and workforce decline – making things is not what it used to be. With a blurry horizon, how can manufacturers anticipate the future to stay ahead of the curve? This is exactly why Sixth Sense was created: To look around corners and get an idea of what’s coming next, building a bridge between a new generation of innovators and the evolving global manufacturing industry. We spoke with Senior Product Managers, René Cabos and Sashank Ganti from Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence to get their take on how manufacturing is changing and explore what the industry’s future might look like. What does Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence (HMI) do in a nutshell? Sashank: We’re trying to tie the whole manufacturing process together with one, holistic digital thread. We’re harnessing digital reality to optimise end-to-end processes and bridging the gap between design and production. I specifically focus on using advanced visualisation technologies – e.g., digital, virtual, extended, and augmented realities – to help customers visualise their business, enhance optimisation, and boost collaboration. René: We build solutions that support manufacturers along the entire process lifecycle; from the first idea to the last quality measurement – as well as everything else in between. I drive the artificial intelligence (AI) vision and strategy for this, exploring how emerging technologies can be leveraged to help build our portfolio and make this vision a reality. Which technologies is HMI currently focusing on? René: Against the backdrop of a decline in engineers and workers, there’s an ever-growing need for automation. We need to fill the gap with systems that can do the work of humans. We're looking into all matters AI – from 'traditional' machine learning to more sophisticated generative AI and knowledge graphs – as these tools can help us take advantage of automation to make manufacturing and its workers more sustainable and efficient. Filling that gap is also about capturing more expertise within companies. When people leave a business there’s a lot of tacit knowledge exiting with them. We need to think about how technology can be utilised to capture that vital insight while they’re still in post. Sashank: Facility digitalization and creating virtual environments of physical factories is an area of particular interest. With manufacturers wanting to validate their end-to-end process virtually – before anything is even made – reality capture is becoming increasingly applicable in the industry. It can help customers plan assembly layouts virtually, whilst keeping it within the context of the physical facility; reducing rework, waste, and friction between planning and production. Another focus area is using computer vision to augment the inspection process. Traditionally, Hexagon has been focused on high precision validation of parts as they're being made, but we’re also exploring how AI-trained models can help identify defects in production and get early process validation. How do you see the manufacturing landscape evolving? How does Hexagon stay agile to what's coming next? And which
Scale with Sixth Sense: Top Takeaways From our Fireside Chats
Discover the top insights from Sixth Sense’s latest fireside chats, where industry leaders and innovators share game-changing wisdom with our program delivery partner, and founder of H-Catalyst, Richard Heggie. Here are some of the key takeaways: Sustainability’s next big win Eva Carranza and Marion Rouzeaud, Hexagon’s Head of ESG & Sustainability and Global Sustainability Director, pointed out the emerging business opportunity to develop full sustainability solutions; that means not only measuring emissions and impact but also helping with reduction planning and decarbonisation. Leadership lessons from Cobra Beer Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, shared his leadership philosophy: being a leader is about intuition, building a diverse and loyal team, and having an entrepreneurial ‘playing to win’ attitude. Utility trumps novelty Lee Sankey, founder of Door, explored what makes a scalable, game-changing new product: utility over novelty. Products or services should solve specific pain points, address needs, or even create them to connect with customers. The power of an introduction Elaine Warburton OBE, serial entrepreneur and founder, shared tips on securing investment: an introduction is one of the most successful ways to secure funds because it shows that someone else believes in you – leverage your networks. Innovation: luck or skill? Martin McCourt, NED at Tharsus and former Dyson CEO, spoke about how much innovation is about luck: it’s about being prepared for opportunities, fostering an innovative environment, and generating a flood of ideas – but also having a system to decide which are the great ideas to run with. Economic optimism: A new angle Will Hobbs, Barclays’ Chief Investment Officer, offered a new outlook on the economy and the numerous forecasts of doom or boom: treat it as “innocent until proven guilty,” because people are always innovating and growth is the norm, not the exception. Redefining victory Olympic rower, Cath Bishop, discussed her book “The Long Win,” which puts forward a new definition of success: it’s about purpose over winning, growth over reward, and collaboration over competition. Shaping the future of our ecosystem These insights from our fireside chats are helping to shape the future of manufacturing, driving innovation and success within the Sixth Sense ecosystem. Thank you to all participants for your invaluable contributions.
Harnessing the Power of PR for Startups
In the race to secure funding, track down the best talent, and stand out on a limited budget, dedicating precious energy and resources to public relations might not top the startup to-do list. But what if we told you this is a rookie error? That a PR and content strategy should be a priority, with the power to move the dial on the above and more? With no legacy to lean on, PR and content marketing can help to raise your startup’s profile and establish a competitive edge; shaping how people see your brand, making them care about your mission and vision, attracting top employees and investors, and building trust and credibility with customers. But where to begin? Whether you’re already in the know or just getting started, we’ve put together a few tips and tricks to help you get the ball rolling with PR and content marketing for your startup. FAQs What is a press release? A press release is a written communication that shares newsworthy company statements or updates with the media. The ingredients: a snappy headline, concise and compelling copy, a clear message, and engaging quotes. What is a press kit? This is an essential tool to help stakeholders better understand your company. A good press kit includes a range of assets that share more about your mission, product/services, team, coverage, social media, and much more. What is a pitch note? In order to secure press coverage, you’ve first got to grab journalists’ attention – this is where a punchy media pitch comes in, laying out: What’s the proposed story? What points would it cover? Why is it of interest? And why now? What is an op-ed? This is a 600–800-word piece that shares your point of view on a newsworthy topic which relates to your company’s mission, vision, or values. It should be opinionated, informative, evidence-backed, and not overly self-promotional. What are trade publications? And which should we target? These are niche publications that share sector-specific news for a target audience of industry stakeholders. Focus on the outlets that your specific stakeholders read and those that publish similar stories to the one you’re pitching. Guiding principles It’s all about the narrative When you’ve spent years developing a product, it’s easy to get stuck in the weeds of technical details when trying to engage stakeholders. Though important, these complexities aren’t going to resonate with a broad audience. To cut through the noise and grab attention, you need to develop an authentic and engaging narrative that communicates your unique values, mission, and vision. Next, you need to weave this messaging through everything from your press kit to your pitch notes to help your startup stand out. Diversity and consistency are key Beyond your origin story, it’s important to garner a following around your startup’s evolving story. So, once you’ve nailed your narrative, you want to get your company’s offering in front of as many eyes as possible – generating buzz, maximising visibility, and reaching new audiences. This can
The Innovation Funding Landscape: Is the ‘VC Winter’ Set to Thaw?
Last year saw a sharp drop in global venture capital funding for startups, with Crunchbase finding a five-year low in VC activity in 2023. Manufacturing was one of the higher performing industries in terms of investment, seeing less than a 20% drop, but the sector still experienced a year-on-year fall in funding. Is this the new normal? How can manufacturing startups maintain a competitive edge to secure funding? What are the technologies and innovations that will bring investors back? These are some of the pressing questions we explored at the Sixth Sense Summit in London earlier this year, including during a roundtable session on how to fundraise in a challenging climate. Participants in that discussion included Jean-Laurent Pelissier, Managing Director, Head of Enterprise Software at HSBC Innovation Banking UK – a subsidiary of HSBC which supports the innovation economy, providing commercial banking services, expertise and insights to the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity and venture capital industries. We spoke to him to find out more about what the future fundraising landscape may hold. What was behind the worldwide drop in VC funding across all industries last year? What impact did this have on the innovation economy? Jean-Laurent Pelissier: I think 2023 was a reset year for the VC industry and the innovation ecosystem. People had to get comfortable with new valuations and new ways of operating, with a much greater focus on efficiency. When the markets took a dive in 2022, we saw a lot of companies pause and rethink how to manage their business and boost efficiency. We also saw investors re-evaluate how to value companies and become cautious about deploying funding, focusing equity on existing portfolios instead. However, I think this has now stabilised. Are you optimistic about the future of startup fundraising? Can we expect 2024 to see a marked improvement or are we in a ‘new normal’? Jean-Laurent Pelissier: I don’t think last year is where we're going to be forever. From an economic perspective there's more stability (at least in Europe and the US) with more bullishness from investors to deploy funds and some early green shoots of positivity in the public market [IPO markets reportedly showed early signs of recovery at the end of Q1 this year]. So from what we're seeing on the market, I am cautiously optimistic for 2024 – I expect to see more activity. In terms of the new normal, I think companies are coming to terms with embracing valuation resets. We saw companies listing in the public markets demonstrate this approach, which I think reflects the broader ecosystem’s new reality. When this trickles through I think we’ll see more funding rounds. Forbes recently listed 3D printing, smart factories, sustainability, advanced materials, AI and blockchain as the top six innovative opportunities for manufacturing startups. Do you agree this is what investors are looking for? Jean-Laurent Pelissier: Against the backdrop of companies needing to become leaner and more efficient, I think AI is going to become increasingly important. Many
One Plus One Equals Three: Reflections on Sixth Sense’s Third Cohort
Sixth Sense is all about looking to the horizon and around corners, exploring the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. But that’s not to say we don’t also recognise the need to look back from time to time to reflect on what we’ve achieved so far. No different from the learning journey of our Sixth Sense startups, each cohort teaches us something new, serving as a vital jumping-off point to iterate, optimise, and evolve — taking the programme to the next level. So as our third challenge focused on sustainability and digital reality in manufacturing draws to a close, let’s take a moment to reflect on our third cohort – Zaptic, Flexxbotics, Acerta, Launchpad, RVmagnetics, TOffeeX, Dessia, and Rafinex – as well as the dynamic Sixth Sense Summit in London this year. We sat down with Milan Kocic, the head of Sixth Sense, to get his take on the key learnings, reflections, and insights from our third pioneering programme and what’s in store for the next chapter. What are your main reflections from the third cohort? Milan: At Sixth Sense, we use this “one plus one equals three” expression to underline how we help Hexagon and startups join forces to create more value for both companies and for customers. Our third cohort exemplified this approach more than ever, with many of the startups embracing the programme’s core purpose: connecting the dots between Hexagon and their transformative solutions—building a joint idea. Sandy Reid, Zaptic’s CEO and co-founder, underscored this at the Sixth Sense Summit, highlighting how Sixth Sense opened doors to explore synergies between Zaptic’s technology and Hexagon’s manufacturing solutions. We’re now looking for ways to lay the foundations for these strong connections from day one; hosting a pre-cohort pitch day to get to know cohort members better, as well as improving post-cohort efforts to create better value for both Hexagon and startups afterwards. What kind of impact has Sixth Sense had over the last few years? Milan: I think the best ratification of Sixth Sense’s impact is the fact that many different divisions within Hexagon are now asking to launch their own cohorts. There's also a great deal of interest from inside the organisation about many of our start-ups and where there might be opportunities for collaboration. This has been exemplified by the number of partnerships our finalists from across the cohorts are forging between Hexagon and other industry leaders. One of note is the landmark partnership between Hexagon and the winner of our second cohort, GelSight. Another is that of ETQ – a part of Hexagon and the leader in enterprise quality management solutions – and Augmentir, also from our second cohort. Interest in our cohort members’ technology shows in other ways, too, with cohort two members Threedy securing $10.4 million in a recent Series A investment round and CASTOR landing a grant from the Israel Innovation Authority. What makes Sixth Sense different from other accelerator programmes? Milan: I think Sixth Sense’s point of
From Bias to Balance: Empowering Women in Manufacturing
Despite progress made in recent years, women are still underrepresented in the manufacturing industry. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2023, published by the World Economic Forum, women account for around 32% of the global manufacturing workforce. The proportion is even lower in engineering roles, as found in the 2021 UNESCO Science report, especially in fields driving the fourth industrial revolution, such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing, and more. As a result, women are missing out on well-paid jobs of the future, and the manufacturing industry is struggling to keep pace with the substantial demand for STEM talent. This issue was discussed at a roundtable held at the recent Sixth Sense Summit titled Improving Female Representation in Manufacturing. It brought together experts from the field of manufacturing and technology – Russ Shaw CBE, Founder of Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates, Marion Rouzeaud, Global Sustainability Director at Hexagon, Madlen Nicolaus, Chief Marketing Officer at Hexagon AB, Melan Kocic, Head of Sixth Sense, Hanadi Jabado, Managing Partner at Sana Capital, Kate Willsher, COO at IFM Engage, Zoi Roupakia, Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, Elizabeth Donnolly, Chief Executive Officer at Women's Engineering Society, Neo (Mkwebane) Chatyoka, Founder at Uhuru Botanicals, Eleanor Baker, Women Entrepreneurs Programme Lead at Inclusive Business by Lloyds Banking Group, Anne Marieke Ezendam, Co-Founder and CEO at SigniGene, Suki Fuller, Co-Lead at Tech London Advocates Women in Tech and Natalia Campanero, Entrepreneur in Residence Programme Manager at the Royal Society. In this article, we have shared some of the insights we gathered on why the gender gap in manufacturing and technology persists and consider the strategies that could bridge this gap by empowering women and fostering inclusivity. Navigating the challenges: roadblocks to diversity Attracting diverse talent in manufacturing has been a longstanding challenge. Outdated stereotypes of production – often associated with manual labour rather than advanced technology – have proved persistent, and the industry has not always catered to graduates, particularly women. Modern manufacturing is nonetheless entering a new industrial revolution driven by cutting-edge digital technology. It requires highly skilled workers to operate state-of-the-art machines and design innovative products that keep up with rapid technological advancement. One reason for the lack of awareness of this positive shift is the failure to communicate the value of opportunities in the industry to a wide audience. According to the Advancing Women in Manufacturing report by the Institute of Women’s Policy Research, more than half of women who applied for jobs in manufacturing learned about the job from their family and friends. Word of mouth may be an effective type of recruitment, but it often replicates the primarily male profile of the current workforce. A lack of female role models has also acted as a deterrent, particularly among engineers. Try a simple test – search for “engineer” pictures online, and you will mostly see images of men. Public perception of the job still holds on to outdated notions, limiting diversity and hampering the industry's