A trailblazing programme that has backed East Lancashire manufacturers to adopt new digital technology and skills to create growth and jobs, has secured £6.1 million funding for the next three years.
Made Smarter, which provides digital manufacturing advice, has helped 2,500 small and medium-sized companies across the North West start their digital journey, by providing them with specialist support and a digital roadmap to help them select the right approach, level of investment and tools for their business.
More than 250 of these companies have since invested in new technology, ranging from software and sensors to robotics and extended reality, to become more efficient, build resilience, increase their productivity and grow sustainably.
As a result, these manufacturers are set to create 1,250 new jobs, upskill almost 2,300 existing roles, deliver an additional £176 million in gross value added to the region, and help the UK meet its net zero target by 2050.
Now, with a further £6.1m funding from the government, Made Smarter can accelerate its drive to support hundreds more SME manufacturers in East Lancashire to embrace the industry 4.0 movement.
Programme manager for the Made Smarter Adoption Programme in the North West, Alain Dilworth, said: “I am delighted that the Government has recognised the extraordinary impact that Made Smarter’s adoption programme is having on digitalisation of SME businesses and the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in the North West whilst continuing to fund our work for the next three years.
“While UK manufacturing navigated the pandemic and is working towards recovery, it is also bracing for further challenging times and economic bumps in the road ahead.
"Our rallying call to manufacturers is that digital technologies offer businesses opportunities to build resilience, innovate and transform.
"Digital tools can help manufacturers make marginal savings, set themselves apart from competitors in a volatile time, and make products quicker, affordable and more efficiently.
“This new funding means we can renew our ambition to reach out to the region’s SME manufacturers to connect them to the tools that will make an everyday difference to their businesses, build resilience and enable them to keep up with a fast-moving industry.”
As a result of the trailblazing work in the North West, the national roll out of the Made Smarter adoption programme has continued, and now includes the West of England and East Midlands. They join the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the West Midlands regions.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here