The North West’s manufacturing sector is one of the country’s biggest – worth £28.5 billion annually – and the UK has the fourth biggest manufacturing output globally.
And yet, our productivity isn’t as high as it could be. The national Made Smarter initiative was founded following a review of the country’s manufacturing industry which found just how much of an impact digital technology could have on the UK’s producers. It found there was a need for leadership, rapid adoption, and innovation across the board.
The Made Smarter review was released in 2017, and its pilot scheme to provide the support, funding and advice needed for manufacturers of all sizes to adopt the right kinds of tech, was launched in January 2019. The North West, heart of the UK’s manufacturing industry, was chosen as the place to launch it.
