A Northwich manufacturer has become the 300th business to secure backing from Made Smarter’s trailblazing adoption programme in the North West.
Weaver Dane, a bespoke kitchen and bedroom furniture manufacturer has secured grant funding to invest in new software.
It is among 27 businesses who have secured £578,000 of grant funding to invest a total of £1.4m into technology as diverse as sensors, robotics, 3D printing and artificial intelligence (AI). £6.5m of this is from Made Smarter, the government-funded, industry-backed initiative.
Collectively, these investments are forecast to create almost 100 new jobs and upskill over 220 existing roles. They will also grow Cheshire’s economy by over £15m.
Paul Dodd, Managing Director of Weaver Dane Ltd, said: “Digital transformation and investing in new technologies can be challenging, but from the very first meeting, Made Smarter has made it simple.
“They helped us identify future objectives and create a digital roadmap. The grant funding enabled us to fast track our investment in a 3D furniture design solution by 18 months. This technology has made us more efficient, productive and no doubt will result in being more profitable. It has allowed us also to venture into new locations, which in return will create new jobs and our existing workforce has definitely been upskilled."
Weaver Dane joins other manufacturers in the county who have benefited from Made Smarter support including: Derek Rose, Esl Fuels, Harten Frameworks, Precision Card Services, Qualkem and Wireco.
Since 2019, SME manufacturers across the North West have invested £22m in new technologies,
forecasting the creation of almost 1,600 new jobs, over 2,850 upskilled roles, and adding £242m to the economy over the next three years.
With the Government committing to continue the North West adoption programme as part of a UK roll out, manufacturers are being urged to connect with Made Smarter to access the funded support on offer. This includes digital transformation workshops to create a digital roadmap, impartial and expert technology advice, leadership and skills training, as well as grant funding for digital internships and technology projects.
Donna Edwards, Director of the Made Smarter Adoption Programme in the North West, said: "I am incredibly proud of what the Made Smarter team has achieved over the last five years. These milestones are simultaneously a moment to celebrate, as well as a reminder that our work is by no means done.
“Our mission is to engage with the thousands of manufacturers out there who we are certain could benefit from our support. As such we are redoubling our efforts to reach more businesses, and to inspire and inform them about the benefits of technology adoption.
"For many this may be helping them take the first step to digitise manual and paper-based systems or using sensors to capture vital production data. But for others with a digital infrastructure in place, they may be ready for more sophisticated, boundary-pushing technologies such as analytics, machine learning and AI, which are evolving at unprecedented speed.
"Digital isn’t coming – it’s arrived. Adopting technologies at the right time and in the right way is the key to unlocking real benefits for industry, society and the planet."
For more information, visit www.madesmarter.uk