One of the first companies to sign up to the MadeSmarter programme to improve the digital capabilities of smaller businesses has officially opened its new company headquarters and factory in Sandwell, thanks to the help they received from WMG at the University of Warwick.

Made Smarter has launched a £1.9 million digital adoption push to drive growth in West Midlands manufacturing and engineering SMEs and help them boost productivity.

The programme delivered by the SME Group at WMG, University of Warwick has been a major success in the West Midlands over the last 2 years, helping over 100 companies, develop 71 new products and processes, from automation and productivity plans through to the zero emission technologies of tomorrow. The team have been awarded a further £6m from to take them through to March 2023, meaning the team has gone from a 2 year £5m programme, to an £11m 5 ½ year programme. This extension will enable the team to operate from Wolverhampton and Worcestershire in the West, to Loughborough and Luton in the East Midlands.

Small and medium-sized enterprises or charities looking for someone to run a short term project or business idea can now apply to this year’s University of Warwick Summer Internship programme (WSI).

The future of Biomedical Engineering (BME) was the focus in Brussels today by the European Parliament Interest Group (EPIG) - looking at the future of medical equipment and how to regulate hospitals in Africa.