North-west economy set for £242 million boost from manufacturing tech adoption programme

A programme to boost tech adoption and digitalisation within the manufacturing sector in the North-west is forecast to add £242 million to the local economy and create over 1,500 jobs in the region.

New analysis of the Made Smarter programme has found that the 334 projects already delivered with businesses in the region will bring an increase to the North-west’s GVA of £242 million, create 1,500 new jobs, and upskill a further 2,772 existing workers.

The new figures were revealed at the Made Smarter Impact 4.0 Showcase, hosted by Siemens’ smart factory in Congleton, which brought together industry leaders, stakeholders and SME manufacturers from the region to explore the success of the government-backed scheme, and its plans for the future.

Paul McLaren, Production Director for BAE Systems, and new Chair of Made Smarter North West’s Steering Group, praised the impact of the programme, commenting:

“Made Smarter has demonstrated that targeted support can be a catalyst for growth and a real enabler for change.

“UK manufacturing is moving into a phase where resilience is as important as it has ever been. Made Smarter is helping SMEs create robust plans to deliver impactful results.”

Also speaking at the event, Donna Edwards, Made Smarter North West Adoption Programme Director, said:

“Made Smarter has been on an incredible journey over the last four years helping businesses navigate the Pandemic and recover, negotiate supply chain disruption, and labour shortages, as well as focus on solutions to mitigate the energy crisis.

“It is fantastic to bring together so many of the programme’s partners and stakeholders to say thank you, to celebrate our achievements, and to share the message that we have plenty more to do to increase the adoption of digital technologies to improve productivity.”