North West business leaders are now armed with the vision and skills to pursue smarter manufacturing, after completing Made Smarter’s innovative leadership programme.

The 10 leaders of SME manufacturers based in Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and the
Liverpool City Region are the first to graduate from a programme run in collaboration with Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) and Made Smarter — the industry and Government partnership driving manufacturing productivity and growth through digital technology.

Angus Laing, dean of LUMS, said: “The feedback from the first cohort of the Made Smarter leadership programme has been incredibly positive, reinforcing Lancaster’s outstanding reputation for devising and delivering world-class business leadership development.

"Via a mixture of workshops and site visits to companies, including Veka, Hosokawa Micron and Senator, where delegates were able to see advanced technology in practice, participants have been empowered to transform their businesses.”

Donna Edwards, North West Made Smarter pilot director (www.madesmarter.uk), said: “I’m delighted that the Made Smarter Leadership programme has made such a positive impact on the first cohort of business leaders in the North West.

This pioneering group of leaders has been able to create a digitalisation strategy to explore how technology can improve business performance, as well as the leadership skills needed to manage operational change and employee expectations.”

Applications for the next Leadership Programme are now open.

The residential induction of the eight-month programme starts on 25 February.

For more information, visit the LUMS Web site (www.lancaster.ac.uk/lums/madesmarter).