Hussein Ibrahim
Director, Centre national intégré du manufacturier intelligent (CNIMI)
A partnership of Université du Québec à Trois-Rivière and Cégep de Drummondville, CNIMI provides companies with the tools to develop innovative technologies and processes.
Manufacturing companies are facing a shift in the way they operate. While production efficiency, cost control and product quality are still vital for success, Industry 4.0 and the rise of smart technologies mean successful digital transformation is a must.
“This is an urgent and vital issue,” says Hussein Ibrahim, director, Centre national intégré du manufacturier intelligent (CNIMI). “With the rapid proliferation of digital technologies, such as big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, the Internet of Things and blockchain, modes of production and operation have been profoundly transformed. By embracing intelligent manufacturing technologies, manufacturing companies can make their production processes smarter, improving production efficiency and product quality.”
Digital transformation can also help companies improve management efficiency and responsiveness, better forecast market demands and optimize product quality and production processes so they can adapt to market changes and enhance competitiveness.
Companies can face challenges on their digital transformation journey
But manufacturing companies face challenges along their digital transformation journey, such as resistance to change, lack of expertise, a large initial capital investment, outdated systems, privacy concerns and lack of an overall digitalization strategy.
CNIMI was created to help companies overcome these challenges. A partnership of Université du Québec à Trois-Rivière and Cégep de Drummondville, CNIMI brings together the technical and scientific expertise of both institutions in engineering and management.
Digital transformation is essential so that the Canadian manufacturing industry can continue to excel and remain competitive.
“CNIMI is a centre of innovation, excellence, training and industrial research whose mission is to support companies, particularly manufacturing companies, by offering them high-quality, local, neutral, avant-garde, technical and scientific services that above all, are adapted to their needs,” Ibrahim says.
The centre is home to applied research projects to develop and test innovative solutions, with a technological showcase to be able to compare the operation of a smart factory with that of a traditional factory. It also provides companies with services such as an Industry 4.0 audit and digital transformation plan, establishment of a strategic vision, testing and validation of new technologies, development of specialized tools, workshops, customized training, networking and co-development.
Matching those looking for solutions with those who offer solutions
Ibrahim notes that a key focus of the centre is to match those looking for solutions with those who offer solutions and to bring researchers from industrial and higher education sectors together under one roof. “My dream is that CNIMI will become the first intelligent, connected, autonomous factory-laboratory,” he says. “The secret is in the first ‘I’ of the word ‘Intégré’ of CNIMI.”
Ibrahim says the centre provides a vital service to the Canadian manufacturing industry. “Digital transformation is essential so that the Canadian manufacturing industry can continue to excel and remain competitive,” he says. “The manufacturing industry is a pillar of the national economy and a primary field for innovation-driven development. “Enhancing the competitiveness of manufacturing companies is a crucial focal point for promoting high-quality economic development. This not only contributes to economic sustainability, but is also of paramount importance to maintaining the global leadership position of the manufacturing industry.”
Learn more at cnimi.ca.
