The North West technology adoption pilot is working with small and medium-sized manufacturers to help them introduce digital tools and technologies to help boost productivity and growth, as well as navigate the impact of Covid-19.
Almost 950 SME manufacturers have secured support, including specialised advice and £2.5M of funding, since the launch of Made Smarter 18 months ago.
This support includes expert, impartial technology advice, digital roadmapping workshops to help manufacturers take their first steps to transform their business, leadership development programme developed in partnership with Lancaster University, and funded digital technology internships.
104 of the businesses have now secured matched funding for 115 projects and are forecast to deliver an additional £100M in gross value added (GVA) for the North West economy over the next three years.
The latest Lancashire SMEs to secure funding include: Fuse Contract Furniture (Blackburn); Cookson & Clegg (Blackburn); Merc Aerospace (Nelson); Addison Projects (Thornton-Cleveleys); IoT Horizon (Blackburn); Lansdale Nurseries (Ormskirk); Pendle Doors (Blackburn); Pendle Engineering (Nelson); Integral Surface Design (Skelmersdale); RapidIT (Burnley); J Wareing and Sons (Preston); Woven Art (Clitheroe); Alphatek Hyperformance Coatings (Stubbins); Xavier Engineering (Burnley); Flavourfresh Salads (Banks).
Patrick Grant, Managing Director of Cookson & Clegg, a Blackburn based clothing manufacturer, said: “With the support and advice of Made Smarter we have been able to pursue our ambitions of improving both productivity and cost control across our operations by adopting digital technology. Capturing data from the shop floor and being able to monitor it in real time is an exciting first step on our digital transformation journey.”
Deyrick Allen, Managing Director of IoT Horizon, a Blackburn-based engineering and technology business, said: “IoT Horizon is passionate about the potential of Industry 4.0 and wants to develop our own commercially viable Internet of Things (IoT) platform and be the ‘Go To’ company for IoT in the North West and beyond. Made Smarter support is helping us accelerate our ambitions.”
Meanwhile, three SMEs DA Techs (Chorley), NIS (Chorley) and Nutree Life (Preston) have already experienced the benefits of Made Smarter support, and are now taking the next step in their digitalisation journey.
Nutree Life, a food manufacturer based in Preston, was able to cope with unprecedented demand for its products during the coronavirus crisis after adopting state-of-the-art automation and control technologies. After doubling its workforce and forecasting to almost quadruple its turnover, the business has secured match funding to upgrade a second production line with the same advanced technology and linking the entire system to harness more data to improve performance.
Patrick Mroczak, co-owner, said: “I never imagined that we’d achieve so much so fast. Made Smarter made us think bigger and smarter, encouraging us to capture manufacturing data as a way of improving the accuracy and consistency of the product. It has given us the platform and the confidence to take that next step.”
Some manufacturers are developing projects using technologies which enable them to integrate systems, capture and analyse data, and even create simulations of their plants and processes. Others are using 3D-printing, automation, and robotics to solve business challenges and meet increased demand.
By adopting cutting-edge technologies, these businesses are benefitting from improved productivity and revenue, increased exports and job creation, an upskilled workforce, lower energy bills, and a reduced carbon footprint.
Donna Edwards, Programme Director for the Made Smarter North West pilot, said: “Reaching 104 business and 115 funded projects is a fantastic achievement – and there is much more to come.
“Over the last 18 months the Made Smarter team has engaged with hundreds of makers from every corner of the region offering specialist advice about the benefits to adopting new digital technology.
“I am thrilled that so many firms of all sizes have tapped into our expertise to help them select the right approach for their business, how much to invest and which technologies will bring the greatest benefits.
“The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on manufacturing and resulted in widespread repercussions for the economy. Manufacturers have reacted and adapted to the different circumstances they find their businesses facing and technology has been at the heart of that response.
“While there is uncertainty, what is clear is that Made Smarter is needed more than ever to help SMEs maintain their competitive edge using technology to come back smarter and navigate the future.”
Lancashire businesses previously revealed to have secured funding include: EnviroSystems (Preston); Graham Engineering (Nelson); Len Wright Salads (Tarleton); T & R Precision Engineering (Colne); Hope Technology (Barnoldswick); Panaz (Burnley); Basically Trade (Burnley); Allspeeds (Accrington); Pendle Polymer Engineering (Colne); The Protein Lab (Blackpool); Spiroflow UK (Clitheroe); My Fish Company (Fleetwood); Edward Taylor Textiles (Blackburn); Inscape Interiors (Chorley); Dewlay Cheesemakers (Garstang); S.W. Watson & Son Limited (Preston); Motion Graphix (Skelmersdale); and Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses (Preston).
