Pictured above: (l-r) Dr Martin Ziarati and Prof Reza Ziarati, from C4FF, with Angela Childs, UWSP

A Coventry-based organisation could be set to revolutionise business after developing software known as intelliFor which uses artificial intelligence to predict the future.

Centre for Factories of the Future (C4FF), which is based at the University of Warwick Science Park's Venture Centre in Sir William Lyons Road, has been part of an expert consortium which has successfully created state-of-the-art demand and forecasting software.

The project, the brainchild of Dr Martin Ziarati, was one of just a handful to receive the support of the Government-funded Technology Strategy Board and has resulted in software which uses artificial intelligence to combine past data, statistical analysis and web content, such as news stories, to produce forecasts in relation to future demand for a product or service.

Dr Ziarati said: "intelliFor provides decision makers at organisations with a valuable insight into future market conditions and allows them to plan ahead more effectively and carry out activity in a much more efficient manner.

"The software can be applied across a range of industries and can result in time and financial savings as well as providing businesses with a valuable edge over competitors."

C4FF is headed up by chairman, Professor Reza Ziarati, and director Dr Martin Ziarati.

Professor Ziarati said: "Development of intelligent pull systems has been at the heart of the Factories of the Future programme and with the C4FF's newly developed forecasting software such systems can now be installed in any company producing a product or providing a service."

Professor Ziarati established the business in early 1980s and the Centre originally focused on the manufacturing and automotive industry. It quickly formed strong links with the Rover car company and was responsible for devising the company's internal logistics and manufacturing systems.

Following its success in manufacturing, C4FF based itself at the Venture Centre around ten years ago and has since diversified into areas including high technology manufacturing, education and training, hybrid vehicle development, artificial intelligence and custom software, 

The organisation now has over 200 members, runs undergraduate and postgraduate courses, has links with universities in the UK and overseas and has bases across Europe in countries such as Poland, Finland and Slovenia.

The company is held in such high esteem it was invited to become a member of both the UKtecnet and Eurotecnet projects which aim to guide the UK Government and the European Union on innovation in the field of vocational training resulting from technological change in the European Community.

It is now also an active member of the Leonardo programme which funds opportunities for EU member states vocational education and training organisations, staff and learners.

Angela Childs, from the University of Warwick Science Park, said: "We are delighted to have an organisation as innovative and diverse as C4FF based here at the University of Warwick Science Park.

"We have supported the company from its very early days and we are pleased to see how far they have come since that time."