Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

MADE Smarter and technology demonstrator MTC Liverpool have joined forces to demystify digital transformation with a new white paper.

'Made Smarter technologies - powering the digital transformation of SME manufacturers' is a practical guide from the government-backed and industry led technology adoption programme in the North West.

The free to download document aims to inform and inspire Liverpool based manufacturers in exploring existing technologies such as software, industrial IoT, automation and robotics, 3D printing, and cyber security while showcasing emerging digital tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and digital twins.

The white paper is backed by industry leading institutions who work with Made Smarter to demonstrate technology in action to SME manufacturers, including:- The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Liverpool, part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

The MTC provides a high quality environment for the development and demonstration of new technologies on an industrial scale, supporting skills, productivity and growth across the UK manufacturing industry.

Mark Sutherberry, Senior Business Development Manager, said:- "We share Made Smarter's belief that SMEs are the beating heart of UK Manufacturing. Our SME support team has been formed to work directly with a business, whether a budding entrepreneur or start-up, going through scale-up pains or maturing into a larger established SME. Together we can draw on the extensive resources of the MTC to address your practical, technical, and strategic manufacturing challenges."

Other tech demonstrators featured in the white paper include:- the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) North West, based in Samlesbury, Lancashire; the Hartree Centre at Sci Tech Daresbury, Cheshire; the North of England Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC), the University of Salford's state of the art for automation and robotics; and PrintCity, Manchester Metropolitan University's 3D printing facility.

Donna Edwards, Director of Made Smarter's North West Adoption Programme, said:- "Made Smarter's adoption programme is helping SME manufacturers catch up with the wealth of digital tools and technologies currently available, for them to be ready to fully embrace the next great technological leap. Over the last 5 years technology has shown its true colours in the form of growth, investment, employment, productivity, and a competitive advantage. The race is now on to fully capitalise on the opportunities that exist, as well as those on the horizon. Business leaders therefore need the skills, knowledge, and experience to respond to this rapid change. Demonstrating these technologies in action is vital to Made Smarter's success. We are enabling people to get their hands on these technologies by connecting SME manufacturers with each other and building relationships with leading technology institutes. This way we can ensure we keep a finger on the pulse of emerging technologies to help the sector thrive and be competitive. This new white paper brings all those elements together into a useful and simple to understand guide which business leaders and digital champions can download and share with their teams. We hope it is the starting point for further conversations with the Made Smarter team.”

Since 2019, Made Smarter has helped 300 manufacturers invest £22.5m in a range of IDTs and reap a raft of rewards including:- 1,600 new jobs, 2,850 upskilled roles, all while boosting the economy by £242m.

For more information about Made Smarter and to download the white paper visit:- MadeSmarter.UK.