PWW are excited to reveal their latest work for GlaxoSmithKline. Immersive Intelligent Manufacturing is GSK’s first research and development facility designed to test new technology and bring the future of manufacturing to life. PWW designed the facility to demonstrate how state-of-the-art systems and technologies can be combined in a manufacturing line and environment.

In this manufacturing “smart space”, the focus is on the discovery and development of real time electronic data visualisation for senior stakeholders, engineers and technicians, streamlining their situational awareness and exposure during the manufacturing process.

The facility is set within a 7500sq ft industrial space and is made up from a number of environments that connect together to form internal and external spaces. The ‘sandpit’ area includes the workshops, manufacturing, and collaboration areas and is designed to include interconnected spaces to support the user journey.

Each space uses the most advanced technology to improve all areas of the research and development business, including features such as the changing room, which is designed with augmented reality lab attire instruction and compliance – indicating if the user is gowned correctly.

Also, the collaboration space includes remote working capability by using technology that help to control and visualise the manufacturing data.

A new design direction provides a recognisable identity, where colour is used in an impactful and functional way to identify different areas within the facility and assist in the all-encompassing design language for the environment, signage, graphics and user interfaces.

The space also allows flexibility over the lifecycle of the research facility, allowing for constant evolution and testing of science and technology. The need for flexibility is essential due to the variety of outputs and diverse range of research.

Describing the future of pharmaceutical manufacturing, Patrick Hyett, head of GSK’s IIM digitisation project said, “We wanted to build a facility we can point to and show the art of the possible.”

The IIM facility is now being used to accelerate technology adoption within GSK.