Made Smarter programme expands to all English regions

Made Smarter, a programme helping SME manufacturers access technology and digital skills, is to be rolled out nationally.

The government has committed to expanding the Made Smarter Adoption Programme to all nine English regions in 2025-26 before working with Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland from 2026-27.

The announcement by HM Treasury means hundreds of thousands more SME manufacturers will get access to technology advice, leadership, and skills training, as well as grant funding for digital internships and technology projects.

The commitment, alongside plans for £4.5bn in funding for British manufacturing, will also boost productivity, growth, and decarbonisation for SME manufacturers across the country.

Launched in the North West in 2019, the Made Smarter has engaged with 2,500 manufacturers and funded 334 technology projects, which are forecast to create 1,550 jobs and upskill 2,772 existing roles.

The successful blueprint has since inspired Made Smarter adoption programmes in the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands, East Midlands, and West of England.

Brian Holliday, co-chair of the Made Smarter Commission and MD of Siemens Digital Industries, said: "This announcement by the Treasury clearly demonstrates that UK manufacturing matters. It represents a tremendous investment boost for our makers that will enable the confidence to invest in innovation, productivity, and sustainability.

"Key sectors benefit but so does the long tail of small and medium firms which is really important to directly address our recent challenges of weak overall productivity and investment. 

"I believe the business benefits of digitalisation are now clear, while being an enabler for industrial decarbonisation too - the package of measures announced in bolstering Made Smarter, targeted regulatory reform and sector support, along with our world-class Catapults and Universities now makes the UK one of the best countries on the planet to sustainably design, make and export goods."

Paul McLaren, chair of Made Smarter North West’s Steering Group and Production Director for BAE Systems, said: “Made Smarter has demonstrated that targeted support can be a catalyst for growth and a real enabler for change.

“UK manufacturing is moving into a phase where resilience is as important as it has ever been. Made Smarter is helping SMEs create robust plans to deliver impactful results.”

Made Smarter
www.madesmarter.uk