Made Smarter Innovation Network

How we will support you

• Research Centres

  Made Smarter Research Centres are a key component of the UK’s approach to the commercialisation of emerging technologies through creating early-stage, transformative innovation ideas, covering both technological and societal aspects.

  So we’re creating a number of specific, targeted research centres to drive growth, focus and engagement across innovation. Find more information on our Made Smarter Research Centres.

• Innovation Hubs

  Made Smarter Innovation Hubs are fully funded test beds, living labs and other development environments. Their purpose is to drive innovation by enabling the testing of digital solutions.

  The Digital Supply-Chain Innovation Hub (DSCIH) will establish and nurture an ecosystem that connects expertise from supply-chain experts in many of the UKs most important manufacturing industries with technology providers, research organisations and academics to improve their competitiveness, resilience, productivity, and sustainability. It will combine >£10m in private co-investment with £10m in public funding over 4 years to accelerate commercial integration of industrial digital technologies by a wide range of UK manufacturing supply-chains.

  The Smart Manufacturing Data Hub (SMDH) supports small and medium-sized manufacturers to become more competitive by harnessing the power of data. Digital solutions, expert guidance and funding are available to companies through the hub, allowing them to explore and evaluate their processes, make operational savings, de-risk investments and become more digital savvy.

• Digital Accelerators

  Technology Accelerator

  Sustainability Accelerator

  The Made Smarter Technology Accelerator is a national programme, set to shape the technology innovation for the manufacturing sector.

  Working with both manufacturers and innovative UK startups and scaleups, the programme will see leading innovators develop technology prototypes that will pivot some of the UK’s most prevalent manufacturing challenges.

  Learn more about Technology Accelerator success stories.

  The Made Smarter Innovation Sustainability Accelerator is a national programme, designed to enable UK manufacturers to fast forward their adoption of digital solutions that deliver resource efficiency and energy efficiency (REEE).

  Funded by the Made Smarter Innovation Challenge and Innovate UK, the programme is led and delivered by Digital Catapult, designed to accelerate sustainable manufacturing and leverage cutting-edge technologies to drive environmental impact.

  As part of the programme, leading UK manufacturers will work alongside the UK’s pioneering ecosystem of technology innovators to deliver solutions that provide real world benefits to UK manufacturing, speeding up our route to achieving net zero.

  By joining this programme, participants will get the opportunity to be at the forefront of driving digital innovation and helping to transform the UK manufacturing industry into a sustainable powerhouse.

  Learn more about the Made Smarter Innovation Sustainability Accelerator.

• Collaborative R&D

  This is a series of funding calls that invites and encourages powerful collaborations to submit funding applications for joint project work.

  These can unite partners of all sizes, with various skill sets. For instance, they can span technology development organisations working in the likes of additive manufacturing and machine learning, and manufacturing businesses in sectors such as pharmaceutical, food production, aerospace, and textiles.

  Read more information about those who have been awarded collaborative R&D projects.

• Global

  Cross-sector collaboration opportunities spur creativity and are necessary to find solutions to problems.

  So we’re building them by bringing together stakeholders, industry and partners within the Made Smarter Innovation Network.

  This will form a vibrant, cohesive and growing community of industrial digital technology (IDT) providers, developers and users to connect the UK manufacturing ecosystem.