Manufacturing Technology Centre in Liverpool joins forces with Made Smarter to offer a guide for Merseyside manufacturers looking to adopt digital technologies. Tony McDonough reports

Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Liverpool and Made Smarter have joined forces to help manufacturers demystify the process of adopting digital technology.

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.

This 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.

It also looks to showcase emerging digital tools such as 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  MTC in Liverpool.

Working under the umbrella of the UK Government’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult, MTC employs around 1,000 people, the bulk of whom are engineers. Its Liverpool team, established in 2015, is now 100-strong.

It 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, the Hartree Centre at Sci-Tech Daresbury and the North of England Robotics Innovation Centre.

Donna Edwards, director of Made Smarter’s North West adoption programme, added: “Made Smarter’s adoption programme is helping SME manufacturers catch up with the wealth of digital tools and technologies currently available.

“Over the last five years technology has shown its true colours in the form of growth, investment, employment, productivity, and a competitive advantage.

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“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.

Click here for more information on Made Smarter or to download the white paper.