Made Smarter

Made Smarter has bolstered its North West team with four new specialist consultants.

They include Mike Richards-Brown, who has worked at AMRC North West in Samlesbury, and the North of England Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC) in Salford. He will be joined by another former NERIC employee, Tabs Khojani, and both will focus on helping SME manufacturers find practical ways to digitalise operations.

Complementing Tabs and Mike’s technical expertise will be Jane Duffy and Mike Connolly, who both have extensive HR, leadership and change management skills.

Duffy previously worked at the Business Growth Hub, supporting firms across Greater Manchester, while Connolly, himself a mechanical engineer, has spent more than three decades working across operations and HR at global manufacturer, Hubbell.

Their recruitment comes at a time when the manufacturing sector faces growing pressure to be more productive, overcome skills challenges, and keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies.

Donna Edwards, Programme Director for Made Smarter North West, said: “Technology can unlock huge gains in productivity, efficiency and competitiveness, but businesses need the right expertise and the right people to make it work. These four appointments bring an incredible breadth of experience and will help us meet that growing demand and support even more manufacturers to turn their ambitions into action.”

Tabs Khojani, Technology Adoption Specialist, said: “Technology can feel overwhelming, so my role is to help businesses understand where it can make a practical difference. It’s not about technology for technology’s sake; it’s about solving genuine business challenges and creating lasting value.”

The four new employees will work alongside Made Smarter’s existing team; helping companies to develop a digital roadmap and decide where and how to invest, including accessing match-funded grants of up to £20,000.

Launched in 2019, Made Smarter North West has engaged with 2,500 manufacturers, created 705 digital roadmaps and supported 451 technology projects.

You can find out more about the programme, and how to access its services, here.