SME manufacturers have invested £22m in technology, backed by Made Smarter’s adoption programme in the northwest. Some 300 businesses have now secured £6.5m matched funding from the government-funded, industry-backed initiative, adopting technologies as diverse as robotics, 3D printing and artificial intelligence (AI).These 350 technology projects, supported by £16m private sector investment over the past five years, are forecasting the creation of almost 1600 new jobs and over 2850 upskilled roles. They are set to add £242m to the economy over the next three years.

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