[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":388},["ShallowReactive",2],{"/news/2026-04-28-peerless-plastics-event":3,"/news/2026-04-28-peerless-plastics-event-recents":115,"surroundWhat Does AI Actually Look Like in a Manufacturing Business? Cambridge Kinetics at Peerless Plastics Conference":385},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"date":93,"description":94,"extension":95,"meta":96,"navigation":104,"path":105,"seo":106,"sitemap":107,"stem":108,"tags":109,"__hash__":114},"news/news/2026-04-28-peerless-plastics-event.md","What Does AI Actually Look Like in a Manufacturing Business? Cambridge Kinetics at Peerless Plastics Conference",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":85},"minimark",[9,13,18,21,24,28,31,34,40,51,55,58,61,65,68,71],[10,11,12],"p",{},"On 15 April 2026, Cambridge Kinetics founder Jason Mashinchi joined a room of manufacturers, engineers, and industry leaders at the Peerless Plastics & Engineered Surfaces conference to answer a question that many SME owners are grappling with: where do you actually start with AI?",[14,15,17],"h2",{"id":16},"a-day-built-around-the-future-of-manufacturing","A Day Built Around the Future of Manufacturing",[10,19,20],{},"The event, hosted at The English Distillery in Norfolk, brought together speakers and delegates from across the manufacturing value chain. Organised by Peerless Plastics and Coatings, it was designed to spark honest conversation about the pressures and opportunities facing UK manufacturing today.",[10,22,23],{},"Sessions covered skills and workforce development, global pressures on UK and European plastics manufacturing, collaboration across the supply chain, and the role of AI and data in driving operational change. A factory tour at the Peerless Plastics facility rounded out the afternoon, giving attendees a hands-on look at the innovations being embedded on the production floor.",[14,25,27],{"id":26},"cutting-through-the-ai-noise","Cutting Through the AI Noise",[10,29,30],{},"Jason’s session focused on something often missing from conversations about AI in manufacturing: the practical reality of getting started. Rather than presenting AI as a futuristic concept reserved for large enterprises, his talk explored how SME manufacturers can analyse the data they already hold, identify the processes causing friction, and take confident first steps into digitisation, keeping up with or even ahead of competitors who have yet to adopt AI in their businesses.",[10,32,33],{},"The response in the room reflected just how much this issue has resonated with the audience. Attendees had questions about where AI fits into their existing workflows, what realistic integration looks like without large IT teams, and how to avoid the common trap of investing in technology that doesn’t connect to real business outcomes. It was a conversation that went well beyond the allotted session time.",[35,36,37],"blockquote",{},[10,38,39],{},"For manufacturers who are ready to move beyond the buzzwords, the opportunity to digitise and harness their own data has never been more accessible.",[10,41,42,43,50],{},"The session sat alongside contributions from Will Bridgman of Warren on apprenticeships and workforce strategy, highlighting the importance of promoting from within, giving people a chance, but also knowing when to make those difficult decisions. James Williamson from Made Smarter East of England also spoke on the funding and support available to help SME manufacturers adopt digital tools, including mentioning our current offering of workshops with manufacturers on the journey of digital transformation with Made Smarter support. Rounded off by Peter, who talked about ",[44,45,49],"a",{"href":46,"rel":47},"https://www.peerless-coatings.co.uk/",[48],"nofollow","Peerless Plastics & Coatings",", the importance of coating plastics, and that they are a regular in everyday life, including a demonstration of how coated plastics cannot be easily scratched. Together, the four talks painted a picture of an industry in transition, and one that is actively looking for practical guidance rather than theory.",[14,52,54],{"id":53},"ai-in-manufacturing-the-momentum-is-building","AI in Manufacturing: The Momentum Is Building",[10,56,57],{},"Events like this matter because they create space for conversations that rarely happen on the production floor. Manufacturers are under real pressure from global competition, rising costs, and a tightening skills market. AI and digitisation are not a silver bullet, but for businesses that understand their own data, they represent a genuine lever for efficiency, resilience, and growth.",[10,59,60],{},"Cambridge Kinetics works with growing SMEs across manufacturing, construction, professional services, and other sectors through implementing Kinabase, an AI-powered data management and automation platform built to make data actionable for businesses that don’t have enterprise-level resources. The interest generated at events like Peerless Plastics’ conference reinforces what the team hears regularly: manufacturers know that they need to move, they just want a clear starting point.",[14,62,64],{"id":63},"bring-ai-expertise-to-your-event","Bring AI Expertise to Your Event",[10,66,67],{},"If you are organising a conference, industry event, or workshop and want to give your audience a grounded, engaging perspective on AI and digital transformation in manufacturing, Jason is available for speaking engagements.",[10,69,70],{},"His sessions are tailored to the audience, practical in focus, and designed to leave delegates with something they can act on. Topics include AI adoption for SME manufacturers, making sense of business data, and building a digitisation strategy that fits the scale and pace of your organisation.",[10,72,73,74,78,79,84],{},"Get in touch with Millie Martin at ",[44,75,77],{"href":76},"mailto:events@kinabase.com","events@kinabase.com"," to discuss a speaking slot or visit our ",[44,80,83],{"href":81,"rel":82},"https://www.kinabase.com/solutions/industries/manufacturing",[48],"industry pages"," to find out more about how Kinabase is helping manufacturers to work smarter, not harder.",{"title":86,"searchDepth":87,"depth":87,"links":88},"",2,[89,90,91,92],{"id":16,"depth":87,"text":17},{"id":26,"depth":87,"text":27},{"id":53,"depth":87,"text":54},{"id":63,"depth":87,"text":64},"2026-04-28T00:00:00.000Z","Cambridge Kinetics founder Jason Mashinchi joined manufacturers, engineers and industry leaders at the Peerless Plastics & Engineered Surfaces conference to explore where SMEs can actually start with AI.","md",{"img":97,"featureImg":97,"imgPos":98,"readingTime":99},"/news/2026-04-28-peerless-plastics-event.png","50% 50%",{"text":100,"minutes":101,"time":102,"words":103},"4 min read",3.445,206700,689,true,"/news/2026-04-28-peerless-plastics-event",{"title":5,"description":94},{"loc":105},"news/2026-04-28-peerless-plastics-event",[110,111,112,113],"News","AI","Event","Manufacturing","LK0EOmI5vbvEHcmRz22vXwy007oPrRXbx_suIbEEX48",[116,202],{"id":117,"title":118,"body":119,"date":186,"description":187,"extension":95,"meta":188,"navigation":104,"path":195,"seo":196,"sitemap":197,"stem":198,"tags":199,"__hash__":201},"news/news/2026-03-10-welcome-alena.md","New Addition to Kinabase Team: Meet our Systems Consultant",{"type":7,"value":120,"toc":182},[121,124,127,131,134,149,152,155,159,162,174],[10,122,123],{},"We are pleased to welcome Alena Gorb to Kinabase as a Systems Consultant. Alena joins the team at an important stage as we continue helping organisations design, improve and scale the operational systems that support effective work.",[10,125,126],{},"Her role strengthens our ability to support clients not only in configuring the Kinabase platform, but in ensuring it fits coherently within their wider operational systems and ways of working.",[14,128,130],{"id":129},"combining-ai-and-systems-thinking","Combining AI and Systems Thinking",[10,132,133],{},"Kinabase is designed to bring clarity and control to complex operational environments, particularly where data, workflows and AI capabilities intersect. Alena brings a systems thinking approach that focuses on understanding how teams actually work, how information moves through an organisation and where structured improvements can reduce friction.",[35,135,136,143],{},[10,137,138,139,138],{},"\"",[140,141,142],"em",{},"Well-structured data is the backbone of any organisation. From the outset, I've been impressed by how the team at Kinabase approaches the challenge of data management and pragmatic AI integration across a variety of sectors. I look forward to working with the team to help our clients apply Kinabase capabilities within their operational systems.",[10,144,145],{},[146,147,148],"cite",{}," – Alena",[10,150,151],{},"Systems design centres on mapping processes and ensuring that platform implementation supports real operational goals. This includes helping clients transition from fragmented or manual workflows to more reliable and repeatable processes supported by Kinabase's AI-powered capabilities.",[10,153,154],{},"Grounding implementation in a clear understanding of operational context helps ensure improvements are sustainable and aligned with broader organisational objectives.",[14,156,158],{"id":157},"strengthening-kinabase-delivery","Strengthening Kinabase Delivery",[10,160,161],{},"Jason Mashinchi, our Managing Director and Founder, highlighted that Alena's appointment strengthens Kinabase's capacity to deliver thoughtful system design, structured platform implementation and long-term client support.",[35,163,164,169],{},[10,165,166],{},[140,167,168],{},"\"As more organisations look to improve how data flows across teams and how AI can support operational decision-making, systems thinking is central to ensuring that change is practical and well integrated. We're excited to have Alena onboard to help our clients navigate operational complexity and change.\"",[10,170,171],{},[146,172,173],{}," – Jason",[10,175,176,177,181],{},"We are delighted to welcome Alena to the team and look forward to the contributions she will make across projects and partnerships. If you are exploring how to improve workflows, strengthen data management or apply AI within a structured operational framework, please ",[44,178,180],{"href":179},"/contact","get in touch"," with the team today.",{"title":86,"searchDepth":87,"depth":87,"links":183},[184,185],{"id":129,"depth":87,"text":130},{"id":157,"depth":87,"text":158},"2026-03-10T00:00:00.000Z","We are pleased to welcome Alena Gorb to Kinabase as a Systems Consultant, strengthening our ability to support clients in designing, improving and scaling operational systems.",{"img":189,"featureImg":189,"imgPos":98,"readingTime":190},"/news/2026-03-10-welcome-alena-photo.png",{"text":191,"minutes":192,"time":193,"words":194},"2 min read",1.735,104100,347,"/news/2026-03-10-welcome-alena",{"title":118,"description":187},{"loc":195},"news/2026-03-10-welcome-alena",[110,200],"Team","LcWJm_8dBBFrUwmiQlRSa0kYY1J8Lo-ZDkKrCV_yoW8",{"id":203,"title":204,"body":205,"date":366,"description":367,"extension":95,"meta":368,"navigation":104,"path":376,"seo":377,"sitemap":378,"stem":382,"tags":383,"__hash__":384},"news/news/2025-07-22-AI-adoption-as-SME.md","Cambridge Kinetics joined “Your Journey to AI Adoption as an SME”",{"type":7,"value":206,"toc":360},[207,210,213,217,220,243,246,273,282,286,289,311,315,318,336,341,345,348,351,354],[10,208,209],{},"On Tuesday 8th July, our founder Jason Mashinchi and Head of Operations, Mike Lewzey, spoke at “Your Journey to AI Adoption as an SME” event at West Hub in Cambridge. Hosted by Cambridge Network, the discussion was around AI and how this can impact businesses, both the positives and negatives.",[10,211,212],{},"Each speaker had 15 minutes, and yet together they all delivered a clear road map for any small or medium sized business ready to move towards adopting AI within their business.",[14,214,216],{"id":215},"cambridge-kinetics-making-ai-work-with-your-data","Cambridge Kinetics – Making AI work with your data",[10,218,219],{},"Jason and Mike concentrate on using AI to work smarter, not harder. There is a lot of opportunity with regards to AI, including:",[221,222,223,231,237],"ul",{},[224,225,226,230],"li",{},[227,228,229],"strong",{},"1)"," Every industry is undergoing a digital transformation – AI is at its forefront.",[224,232,233,236],{},[227,234,235],{},"2)"," AI offers huge potential to boost efficiency, improve quality and cut costs.",[224,238,239,242],{},[227,240,241],{},"3)"," It’s not just for tech giants, small and mid-sized firms are leveraging AI today.",[10,244,245],{},"Key next steps:",[221,247,248,254,260,267],{},[224,249,250,253],{},[227,251,252],{},"Act Now",", Start Small as the worst thing to do is nothing. Identify one area and take the first step, even a tiny pilot.",[224,255,256,259],{},[227,257,258],{},"Leverage Help",", tap into grants, university programs, or partner with tech companies.",[224,261,262,263,266],{},"Building a ",[227,264,265],{},"Learning Culture"," and encourage your team to experiment and learn AI Tools.",[224,268,269,272],{},[227,270,271],{},"Stay Informed"," as technology moves fast so keep an eye on new AI tools.",[274,275],"nuxt-img",{"src":276,"alt":277,"className":278,"style":280,"width":281},"news/2025-07-22-jason-and-mike-talking.png","Jason and Mike talking at the event",[279],"img-fluid","max-width: 75%; height: auto;",700,[14,283,285],{"id":284},"cyberscale-keeping-security-centre-stage","CyberScale – Keeping security centre stage",[10,287,288],{},"Darren Chapman followed with a straight talking view on cybersecurity in an AI-driven world.",[221,290,291,298,304],{},[224,292,293,294,297],{},"To be ",[227,295,296],{},"vigilant"," and put in place due diligence, vet access and log activity with everything when it comes to AI, making sure that measures are in place to keep data secure.",[224,299,300,303],{},[227,301,302],{},"Limit data exposure"," with clear user roles and multi-factor authentication.",[224,305,306,307,310],{},"Build a ",[227,308,309],{},"response plan"," now; when something unusual happens, you act not panic.",[14,312,314],{"id":313},"one-broker-group-insurance-as-the-last-safety-net","One Broker Group – insurance as the last safety net",[10,316,317],{},"Ed George wrapped up by explaining how specialist insurance supports rather than replaces good practice.",[221,319,320,323,330],{},[224,321,322],{},"Policies today can cover data loss, downtime and even AI-triggered liability claims.",[224,324,325,326,329],{},"Premiums fall when insurers see ",[227,327,328],{},"strong controls",", which were outlined by CyberScale, are already in place.",[224,331,332,335],{},[227,333,334],{},"Early conversations"," with brokers save money and surprises later on.",[274,337],{"src":338,"alt":339,"className":340,"style":280,"width":281},"news/2025-07-22-full-panel.png","Jason and Mike along with Darren Chapman and Ed George",[279],[14,342,344],{"id":343},"continuing-the-conversation","Continuing the conversation",[10,346,347],{},"Events like this one hosted by Cambridge Network demonstrate the progressive mindset that defines Cambridge’s technology ecosystem. At Cambridge Kinetics, we’re energised by the potential of AI to democratise sophisticated business management tools, making them accessible to organisations of every size.",[10,349,350],{},"Jason emphasised a more grounded perspective, placing humans at the centre of AI strategy, underpinned by strong data governance, and can yield transformative results. Rather than replacing people, AI can relieve them of repetitive administrative work, allowing for greater focus on strategic thinking, relationship building and creative innovation.",[10,352,353],{},"We were delighted that so many people joined us on the day. Your questions, comments and post event chats made the morning a real collaboration. A big thank you to Cambridge Network for organising such a thought provoking discussion. We’re proud that Jason, Mike and Cambridge Kinetics could be a part of the conversation, and we look forward to continuing to support our partners, clients and the wider tech community.",[10,355,356,357,359],{},"If you’d like to learn more about how we’re helping organisations adopt AI tools and workflows, feel free to ",[44,358,180],{"href":179},".",{"title":86,"searchDepth":87,"depth":87,"links":361},[362,363,364,365],{"id":215,"depth":87,"text":216},{"id":284,"depth":87,"text":285},{"id":313,"depth":87,"text":314},{"id":343,"depth":87,"text":344},"2025-07-22T00:00:00.000Z","Cambridge Kinetics spoke at the event “Your Journey to AI Adoption as an SME”, hosted by Cambridge Network.",{"img":369,"imgPos":370,"readingTime":371},"/news/2025-07-22-AI-adoption-as-SME.png","50% 0%",{"text":372,"minutes":373,"time":374,"words":375},"3 min read",2.59,155400,518,"/news/2025-07-22-ai-adoption-as-sme",{"title":204,"description":367},{"loc":376,"images":379},[380,381],{"loc":276},{"loc":338},"news/2025-07-22-AI-adoption-as-SME",[110,111,112],"kXdj6YdBsWC5KlTbjUKUbmPXS3ygwAAbWqh3anabmB8",[386,387],{"title":118,"path":195,"stem":198,"children":-1},null,1777390246963]