Technology adoption programme expands team to support more North West manufacturers

The Made Smarter technology adoption programme has added four new specialists to its team to support more manufacturers in Stockport and across the North West invest in technology and skills.

Mike Richards-Brown and Tabs Khojani will help firms find practical ways to digitalise their operations, while Jane Duffy and Mike Connolly will help businesses prepare their people and develop the leadership needed to deliver change. Together they bring decades of experience from some of the region’s leading manufacturing, technology and business support organisations.

Their recruitment to the Government-backed adoption programme comes as manufacturers face growing pressure to become more productive, overcome skills challenges and keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies.

New registrations rose 49% last year, with a further 128 manufacturers coming forward in the first five months of 2026/27.

The new recruits will work alongside Made Smarter’s existing team to help companies develop a digital roadmap and decide where and how to invest, including accessing match-funded grants of up to £20,000.

They will also help businesses build the leadership and workforce skills needed to make those investments work, through the Leading Digital Transformation and Leading Change for Digital Champions programmes, and Digital Technology Internships.

Donna Edwards, Programme Director for Made Smarter North West, said:

“Manufacturers know they need to change, and the appetite to embrace digital transformation continues to grow.

“Technology can unlock huge gains in productivity, efficiency and competitiveness, but businesses need the right expertise and the right people to make it work. These four appointments bring an incredible breadth of experience and will help us meet that growing demand and support even more manufacturers to turn their ambitions into action.”

Tabs Khojani, Technology Adoption Specialist, said:

“I’m excited to join Made Smarter and work directly with manufacturers to help them unlock their potential. Technology can feel overwhelming, so my role is to help businesses understand where it can make a practical difference. It’s not about technology for technology’s sake, it’s about solving genuine business challenges and creating lasting value.”

Mike Connolly, Organisational Development and Skills Specialist, said:

“I’ve spent my career in manufacturing and experienced many of the challenges businesses face, from engineering and operations to skills and people development.

“Made Smarter gives me the opportunity to use that experience to help SME manufacturers develop their people, navigate change and build the skills and capability they need for the future.”

Photo: (L-R) Mike Connolly, Mike Richards-Brown, Jane Duffy and Tabs Khojani, of Made Smarter North West.