Driving Innovation Through Culture and Collaboration

Innovation in manufacturing is often talked about in terms of tools and technologies – automation, AI, data analytics. But at Vishay in Newport, our experience tells us that successful innovation doesn’t start with a piece of software or a machine. It starts with people.

Our site is one of the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the UK – and the biggest. The fabrication area is already highly automated, with robots moving wafers between tools and data from every step of the process logged, stored and ready to be analysed. But digital infrastructure alone isn’t enough. What we’ve learned over the years is that it’s how you use that infrastructure – and who you involve – that really drives progress.

The people closest to the process are the ones best placed to improve it. That mindset underpins the work we’re doing across the site to make digital tools practical and relevant. Operators on the shop floor aren’t just end users of new systems – they’re helping to build them. Teams are now developing custom webpages and interfaces designed to make their daily tasks easier and more efficient. Many of those improvements come from their own ideas, based on their experience of how work actually happens.

That kind of involvement isn’t new to us. We’ve worked with Toyota for more than 15 years, adapting lean manufacturing principles to suit our environment. What’s made that effective is the same thing that makes our digital transformation effective: it’s driven from the ground up. Operators identify where the challenges are. They tell us what needs to change. Our role as leaders is to listen and remove the obstacles.

The digital tools themselves are evolving fast. We’re now exploring how to use AI to analyse the vast amount of data we’ve collected over the years, data that’s often been underused. The potential there is significant. Spotting patterns, predicting issues, identifying areas for quality or efficiency gains – all of this becomes faster and more precise with the right systems in place. And crucially, it supports people in their roles rather than replacing them. Technology doesn’t get tired or distracted. When it’s used well, it can help maintain standards and momentum, even when things get busy.

But while internal innovation is important, we also see collaboration as essential. We don’t work in isolation; we’re part of a wider cluster of semiconductor manufacturers in South Wales, and we make a point of connecting with others across the region. Whether that’s SPTS, KLA or the researchers at local universities, we’re all learning from each other. There’s huge value in sharing what works, particularly when it comes to applying new technologies. The sector moves too fast and the opportunities are too big for us to move forward alone.

That spirit of collaboration also extends to how we think about workforce development. We openly encourage staff to pursue further education through apprenticeships, college courses, or university qualifications. Many have progressed from operator roles to engineering and leadership positions. When people grow in confidence and capability, they bring others with them. Creating those opportunities is how we build a workforce that’s not just ready for change, but able to lead it.

It’s this dual approach – putting people first, and working together – that makes digital innovation work in practice. The tools are important, of course. But without a strong culture around them, they won’t deliver the results businesses need. At Vishay, we’ve seen how progress happens when people are given the chance to shape it and when businesses are willing to share what they’re learning along the way.

Sinead Inson talks about this and more in the Wales Tech Week podcast episode Making It Smarter: Innovation in Manufacturing. Listen to the podcast here.

Wales Tech Week takes place at ICC Wales, Newport from November 24 to November 26 2025. Find out more here:  https://www.walestechweek.com/