Project Profile
Opportunities for improved e-Design
of Footwear through ICT (TRED)
Ref. No:
0119
Project Type:
Scoping Study
Project Web Site:
 
Project Team:
N/A

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Recipient Sector:
  UK Footwear Design and Manufacturing Sector
Donor Sector:
  UK Footwear Design and Manufacturing Sector
Technology:
  Virtual Materials Technology
Project Start Date:
  1st September 2003
Project End Date:
  29th February 2004
Duration:
  6 Months
     
Lead Organisation:
  SATRA Technology Centre
Contact Name:
  Tom Bayes
Mail To:
  TOMB@satra.co.uk
Tel No:
  01536 410 000
Address:
  SATRA House, Rockingham Road, Kettering, Northants, NN16 9JH

Project Summary:

The project is designed to look at the present and future use of ICT in the footwear sector. ICT will play a crucial role in the future of the footwear sector, it is important to access the current state of play as this has the potential to hinder future uptake of relevant technology in the future. The footwear sector as it is maintains it’s strengths through exploiting niches, one of which is in comfort. New technologies such as virtual materials have enormous potential to enhance the development of more comfortable and better fitting shoes.

Project Partners:
SATRA Technology Centre
Smith Institute
The National Centre for Product Design & Development Research

Need:

There is a need to plan the implementation of new technology into the footwear sector in a much more formal way. Technology is typically transferred from other sectors and this causes great complications. The footwear sector has a whole range of unique applications.

Solution:

The solution is to introduce the technology developers who are looking for applications directly with the end users, in this case, the footwear sector and involve the organisations who will eventually supply this technology at an early stage. Identifying new developments that will help the footwear sector at an early stage will allow the industry to work more closely with the researchers and provide custom solutions that can then be carried into other related sectors.

Benefits:

The benefits are two fold. Firstly, new technology can be developed in a more focused manner providing a faster track to the intended application. Secondly, the footwear sector can clearly benefit from the embryonic technologies currently being conceived. The developers and the sector though are at two ends of a spectrum and there is a need for the application to drive the development. This rarely happens, the footwear sector does not have the information or resources to hand despite it’s importance and tends to look for off the shelf solutions. In closing the loop, the footwear sector will be in a much better position to utilise tailored solutions that meet it’s needs.