Made Smarter Innovation: manufacturing sustainability accelerator

We know the advancement and adoption of AI holds huge potential to deliver sustainability impact for manufacturers and the industrial sector, but understand it can feel like a lengthy and costly process. Made Smarter Sustainability Accelerator is a national acceleration programme, set to fast forward and shape the UK's technology solutions that deliver resource & energy efficiency directly into industry. The programme is designed for industry and made real by innovators: As a community of manufacturers and innovators, the programme will speed up the understanding of digital technology innovation and unlock the known sustainability benefits technology adoption has for the UK economy. It provides you with a direct opportunity to join the UK's largest industry-focused acceleration programme. Together we will help to drive innovation and digitalisation of the sector whilst gaining a competitive edge. As part of the national Made Smarter movement, we'll work with both leading UK manufacturers and industrial companies along with the UK's pioneering digital technology innovation community to develop cutting-edge technology prototypes and solutions to address sustainability challenges set by the UK manufacturing community. **Setting real-world challenges:** Made Smarter Sustainability Accelerator is a match-funded programme for medium and large industrial companies who will be part of a select group at the forefront of digital innovation. This group of leading manufacturers will help to define the scope of resource & energy efficiency challenges and be directly involved in the programme, the outputs of which will generate a direct impact on achieving a competitive edge for business. **Developing pivotal prototypes:** The UK's technology and digital startup ecosystem is the strongest in Europe, with London being one of the leading global tech hubs in the world. The Made Smarter Sustainability Accelerator programme is made real by these UK technology startups. We'll provide up to 10 teams with up to £75,000 funding and a platform to grow, as we develop prototypes that will pivot some of the UK's most relevant manufacturing and industrial challenges. **Pilot development:** On successful completion of phase one and the development of prototypes, the programme will select at least five teams for further funding, offering £150,000 each to develop their solution into industrial scale pilots. These solutions will be presented and pitched at the final Showcase, currently scheduled for the end of 2024\.