A leading business support organisation in Coventry and Warwickshire is driving a new consortium to strengthen and diversify supply chains, helping SMEs recover from recent disruptions, including the cyber-attacks affecting regional OEMs.
The West Midlands Investment Zone – Supply Chain Transition Programme, from the West Midlands Combined Authority, the Mayor of the West Midlands and Business Growth West Midlands, aims to support hundreds of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout the region to tap into emerging markets at a time when many suppliers, including to the automotive and aerospace sectors, are facing an uncertain time.
C&W Business Solutions, part of CW Growth Hub Group, is leading the Supply Smarter West Midlands Consortium, a partnership including the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), WMG at the University of Warwick, and the West Midlands Combined Universities which comprises Coventry University, Birmingham City University, and the University of Wolverhampton.
The £12.5m investment from the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Investment Zone Supply Chains Transition Programme aims to future-proof the region’s manufacturing base by helping hundreds of SMEs pivot into six high-growth clusters.
These fast-growing clusters are aerospace, manufacturing of electrical light vehicles and associated battery storage devices, manufacturing of future housing and other green industries, med-tech and health-tech, smart energy systems and underpinning digital capabilities.
Growth in these sectors is already building momentum and will be turbocharged by the Investment Zone’s three key sites in Coventry and Warwick, Birmingham and Wolverhampton, the Mayor’s West Midlands Growth Plan and the government’s Industrial Strategy.
The programme will deliver a high-impact support package that includes providing eligible manufacturing SMEs based in the region with an audit to assess their existing capacity and capability, intensive one-to-one technical advice and guidance, access to research and development grants worth up to £200,000, and leadership and management training.
Craig Humphrey, CEO of C&W Business Solutions, said the programme is timely with many SMEs facing cashflow problems as Jaguar Land Rover has resumed production following September’s cyber attack.
“This programme is being launched at a vital time for many SMEs facing challenges in traditional manufacturing which have been highlighted by the shutdown at Jaguar Land Rover, but this is not just for the Jaguar Land Rover supply chain, this is to keep the region at the cutting-edge of manufacturing as it enters a new era,” he said.
“We’re taking an industry-first approach by bringing together world-class expertise to de-risk innovation and investment for SMEs.
“This is about real, practical support that helps companies across the West Midlands win work, grow, and create high-value jobs to support the region’s Growth Plan ambitions.
“Our region’s SMEs already have the skills. This programme will give them the roadmap, the tools, and the backing to diversify, innovate, and succeed in future-focused sectors.
“By harnessing the region’s advanced manufacturing strengths and innovation infrastructure, the Supply Chain Transition initiative is set to deliver sustainable and inclusive economic transformation – making the region a national leader in next-generation supply chains.”
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Manufacturing is still the beating heart of the West Midlands economy, it’s in our DNA. But we’re ever evolving as technology transforms what we make and how we make it.
“It’s essential to modernise production, upskill our workforce, and support business leaders with the training, funding, and guidance they need to be at the cutting-edge of 21st century clean and high-tech industries.
“Opportunities are coming in this new era for manufacturing. And we’re making sure businesses and local people are ready to seize the moment so we can protect and create more high-quality jobs. This is a chance to reclaim our status as the workshop of the world.”
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