UK manufacturers set for multi-million pound tech boost through innovation funding

Manufacturers across the UK are set to benefit from a multi-million pound boost to support digital adoption across the sector.

Investment Minister Lord Grimstone today announced £53m of new government funding to drive the development of the latest digital manufacturing technologies.

The funding has been awarded though the national Made Smarter programme, a collaboration between UK Government and industry designed to support the development and increase use of emerging technologies such as AI, robotics and blockchain.

Five new research centres, a new digital supply chain innovation hub, and 37 individual projects will benefit from new funding to help digitalise and transform manufacturing supply chains across the UK.

Minister for Investment, Lord Grimstone, commented: “As we embark on a digital manufacturing revolution, we want to make sure our manufacturers are bolstered by the latest cutting-edge technology as we all work to build back better from the pandemic.

“Improving productivity and becoming more competitive is not just about sophisticated manufacturing, but also about smarter manufacturing, and we want to make it as easy as possible for companies large and small to make the changes needed to take full advantage of the innovative technology being developed.”

Made Smarter innovation challenge director of UKRI, Chris Courtney, added: “Digital technologies have the power to radically transform how we manufacture and deliver the products and services of today and the future delivering a productive, sustainable and flexible manufacturing sector and enhancing the future of work within it.

“There are enormous opportunities to innovate in this area, we have world leading industries, a powerful scientific and research community and a vibrant technology sector. It is vital we form a vibrant connected ecosystem from applied research to industrialisation in order to fully capitalise on that potential.

“We have seen tremendous demand for this area across all sectors, company sizes and locations, and real evidence of the vibrant community of innovators in the areas of digital manufacturing and supply chains. I’m excited to see how this powerful coalition transforms the future of manufacturing and its supply chains.”

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