Wirral manufacturers gain new Made Smarter specialists, Liverpool 2026

Key Points

• Made Smarter North West has hired four new experts that will be helping the manufacturers in the region of Wirral.
• While Mike Richards-Brown and Tabs Khojani will be concentrating on technology implementation and digitisation of processes, Jane Duffy and Mike Connolly will be working on organisational development, skilling and leadership.
• These new hires have been made following an increase in demand for their services, with a 49% increase in the registration of manufacturers last year, followed by another 128 companies coming onboard since January of 2026/27.
• These experts will be able to help SMEs create digital strategies, provide match-funded grants of up to £20,000 and also help develop workforce capabilities using leadership courses and digital internships.
• Since 2019, Made Smarter North West has been supporting 2,500 manufacturers, 451 technology projects and has also been providing £8.3m worth of funding.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) September 04, 2026 – Made Smarter North West has expanded its regional team with four new specialists to help manufacturers across the Wirral and the wider North West accelerate investment in digital technology and skills, as demand for support rises sharply among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Who are the new Made Smarter specialists for Wirral manufacturers?

The four appointees bring decades of combined experience from leading manufacturing, technology and business support organisations in the region. Mike Richards-Brown and Tabs Khojani will work as technology adoption specialists, helping firms identify practical ways to digitalise operations and adopt advanced technologies. Jane Duffy and Mike Connolly will serve as organisational development and skills specialists, supporting businesses to prepare their people and develop the leadership required to deliver change.

Richards-Brown joins after roles at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre North West (AMRC NW) and the North of England Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC), where he supported SMEs in additive manufacturing, robotics and automation. Khojani brings 20 years of experience in Greater Manchester’s innovation and business support sector and also joins from NERIC at the University of Salford. Duffy previously supported businesses through the Business Growth Hub across Greater Manchester, while Connolly, a mechanical engineer, spent more than three decades with global manufacturer Hubbell across engineering, quality, operations and human resources.

Why is Made Smarter expanding its North West team now?

The recruitment drive responds to intensifying pressure on manufacturers to improve productivity, address skills shortages and keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies. New registrations with Made Smarter North West rose by 49% last year, with a further 128 manufacturers coming forward in the first five months of the 2026/27 period. Donna Edwards, programme director for Made Smarter North West, said manufacturers recognise the need to change and that appetite for digital transformation continues to grow.

“Technology can unlock huge gains in productivity, efficiency and competitiveness, but businesses need the right expertise and the right people to make it work,” Edwards said, as reported by Birkenhead News and Machinery Market. She added that the four appointments bring “an incredible breadth of experience” and will help the programme meet growing demand and support more manufacturers to turn ambitions into action.

What support will Wirral manufacturers receive from Made Smarter?

The new specialists will work alongside Made Smarter’s existing team to help companies develop bespoke digital roadmaps and decide where and how to invest, including accessing match-funded grants of up to £20,000. They will also help businesses build the leadership and workforce skills needed to make those investments work, through the Leading Digital Transformation and Leading Change for Digital Champions programmes, as well as Digital Technology Internships.

Tabs Khojani, technology adoption specialist, said her role is to help businesses understand where technology can make a practical difference rather than pursuing “technology for technology’s sake”. “It’s about solving genuine business challenges and creating lasting value,” Khojani said, according to coverage by Birkenhead News and Machinery Market. Mike Connolly, organisational development and skills specialist, said he aims to help SME manufacturers develop their people, navigate change and build the skills and capability they need for the future.

How has Made Smarter North West performed since 2019?

Launched in 2019, Made Smarter North West has engaged with 2,500 manufacturers, created 705 digital roadmaps and supported 451 technology projects. The programme has provided £8.3m in funding, helping unlock £28m of investment from manufacturers, while 282 businesses have received skills or leadership training and 105 digital interns have been placed with businesses.

Technology projects supported by the programme are forecast to generate £336m in additional gross value added (GVA), create 2,231 new jobs and upskill 4,036 roles, delivering an estimated £8 return for every £1 of government investment, according to programme data cited by Birkenhead News and Machinery Market. The scale of impact underscores the rationale for expanding the team as more SMEs seek structured support to adopt digital tools and strengthen workforce capability.

Background of the development

Made Smarter is a government-backed adoption programme designed to help UK manufacturers, particularly SMEs, adopt digital technologies and improve productivity through expert advice, match funding and skills support. The North West hub, established in 2019, operates as part of a wider national initiative to accelerate digital transformation across manufacturing supply chains. Recent case studies illustrate the programme’s reach: Manchester-based sustainable fashion firm WAWWA invested £120,000 in automated fabric cutting with £60,000 in grants from Made Smarter North West, tripling turnover and workforce while creating 20 new jobs. Other firms, such as Penta Precision, have used Made Smarter to create digital roadmaps linking technology investment to growth targets. The latest team expansion builds on this track record as registration rates climb and manufacturers seek help to navigate technology choices, funding routes and workforce development.

Prediction: how this expansion could affect Wirral manufacturers

For Wirral manufacturers, the enlarged Made Smarter team is likely to shorten the time between identifying a productivity challenge and implementing a funded, workforce-ready solution. With two specialists focused on technology adoption and two on skills and leadership, SMEs can expect more tailored digital roadmaps that pair equipment or software investments with training, internships and change-management support. In practical terms, this could mean faster access to match-funded grants of up to £20,000, clearer prioritisation of automation or data projects, and reduced risk of underutilised technology due to skills gaps. Over the next 12–24 months, firms that engage early may see measurable gains in output per hour, waste reduction and order fulfilment speed, while also building internal capability to sustain improvements beyond the initial project cycle.