Join Made Smarter at the Industry 4.0 Summit this week
9 April 2019
Visitors at the Industry 4.0 Summit in Manchester on 10-11 April will have extensive opportunities to learn about the new Made Smarter North West Pilot, which already has 300 manufacturers onboard.
Made Smarter is a new government-backed programme aiming to make the UK’s smaller manufacturers more efficient through the adoption of cutting-edge digital technologies such as 3D printing, virtual reality, robotics and artificial intelligence.
The £20 million North West Pilot, which went live in January, will support 3,000 SME manufacturers with fully-funded support and advice from experts, as well as up to 50 per cent match-funding for the implementation of advanced digital technologies.
Administered by GC Business Growth Hub and other partners, the Pilot already has around 300 North West manufacturers signed up and the first tranche of grant applications have been awarded.
Made Smarter will have a large presence at the Industry 4.0 Summit and Expo at Manchester Central, with programme director Donna Edwards speaking on the Industry Leaders’ Opening Panel and other experts on hand at round tables, technology demos and clinics throughout the two day event.
Expert advisors and further information will also be available at Made Smarter HQ (booth G18) in the main exhibition hall, alongside national partners Innovate UK, the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult.
As well as the opportunity to put their questions to experts, visitors will find a number of exciting technology demos at the stand, including a ‘smart helmet’, photogrammetry drone and a lathe machine retrofitted with a number of low cost, digital technologies.
Speaking aheafd of the event, Richard Hagan, managing director of Crystal Doors - a Rochdale manufacturer which already uses robotics, 3D modelling and connected technologies - said:
“The efficiencies [of industrial digital technologies] impact massively on our bottom line and I would encourage any Greater Manchester manufacturer, from any sector, to explore how an initiative like Made Smarter North West could change the way they work.”
For more information about the Made Smarter Pilot, visit www.madesmarter.uk.