Innovation Studio : RNLI International

In 2018, AUB Innovation were approached by RNLI International to develop manufacturing files for high-volume throw-line production in Bangladesh. This consultancy project delivered by AUB Fashion, used our specialist software programme Lectra™, a professional design tool understood by soft goods manufacturers worldwide. Working alongside the RNLI, our technical team created a set of tools for production: a step-by-step video manual, manufacturing production sheets and a comprehensive manual instruction book. The result of this project is a set of deployable tools that RNLI can deliver to partner organisations in Bangladesh, enabling them to manage the procurement of ISO standard throw-lines and build regional capabilities for innovation.

The second phase of this project focused on community-managed public rescue devices; namely, two types of throw-line which could be produced at a local level in low-resource environments. Building on our learning from the Bangladesh project, our technical team delivered a set of video maker manuals to be used by community tailors for low-volume throw-line production.

This work was put forward for a Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and awarded support for a research trip to Zanzibar in September 2019. The project, led by Lucy Devall and Fran Conrad explores the question ‘how do makers use and interpret manuals for the production of public rescue throw-lines?’.

This ongoing research aims to investigate the interpretation of manual tools at a local level. We continue to work with the RNLI to improve understanding of production for safety-critical throw-lines.