Impacts on Regional Growth and Policy Effectiveness: Addressing Barriers to Digital and Sustainable Adoption in West Midlands Manufacturing SMEs (FFTwo0012)

September 3, 2025

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The project report will be available soon

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Project overview

This project explores why manufacturing SMEs in the West Midlands are not fully embracing the ‘Triple Transition’—the combined shifts in business digitalisation, adoption of net-zero practices, and productivity upgrading—despite government incentives. It identifies barriers such as limited resources, skill shortages, and lack of awareness and examines how overcoming these challenges can drive innovation, productivity, and sustainability, ultimately boosting the region’s economic growth. Using secondary data, interviews with SME leaders, and focus groups with policymakers, the study highlights challenges and opportunities unique to the West Midlands. By comparing regional trends to national patterns and reviewing government strategies, it provides evidence-based recommendations to help SMEs navigate these transitions, secure a stronger industrial future, and enhance their contribution to the UK’s economy.

Project Team: read more about their work and experience via the links below

Associated outcomes

Project showcase

5 IRC projects were selected to capture their aims in a few bullet points which were then presented in a banner and showcased during the IRC event Place Matters: Unlocking Growth through Research and Innovation. An event which took place on October 9th, 2025, at The Shard, London.

Below is the banner created for this project.

Research video

This video introduces an IRC-funded research project examining how manufacturing SMEs in the West Midlands can better adopt digital and Net Zero practices, and what policy and support systems are needed to strengthen productivity, competitiveness and regional growth.

Click here to watch the video