Duo UK, a manufacturer of packaging products based in Manchester, is using a grant to support technology investment. This means Made Smarter has now reached a major milestone - backing North West companies to invest £25m in new technologies.
Duo UK
330 Businesses have now secured £7.1m matched funding from the government-funded, industry-backed initiative over the last six years, installing technologies as diverse as sensors, robotics, 3D printing and artificial intelligence (AI).
They have put £18m of private sector investment towards 379 technology projects which are forecast to create over 1,700 new jobs - an average of five each, and upskill 3,200 existing roles - almost 10 per business. The investments in technology and people are set to add £267m to the economy over the next three years.
Duo UK has invested in a cloud-based software solution which captures shop floor data from machinery via sensors and displays it in real time on a web app.
Commenting on the latest milestone and grant awards, Donna Edwards, Director of the Made Smarter Adoption Programme in the North West, said: “These technology projects will have a tremendous impact on individuals, businesses, the sector and society. They will boost efficiency, productivity and growth, creating new jobs and upskilling existing roles, all while shifting the dial on creating a more sustainable approach to manufacturing. I welcome these 23 companies into the Made Smarter family. Alongside the hundreds who have already reaped the rewards of the adoption programme, we have now invested over £25m into the digital transformation of the sector."
As well as grants, Made Smarter offers SME manufacturers access to funded support including digital transformation workshops to create a digital roadmap, impartial and expert technology advice, and leadership and skills training.
