UK-based clothing manufacturer, Creative Apparel, plans to set up a smart eco-factory in 2022  in Stockport, with the help of Made Smarter that helps UK manufacturers get the digital capabilities they need to enable sustainable growth.

With the help of Made Smarter, Creative Apparel is leveraging its data, systems integration, and artificial intelligence (AI) to become a change leader in the fashion industry.

The company's new eco-factory, which will be located one mile from the company's original headquarters in Stockport, UK. It is investing in complete industrial digitization, in which a central IT system controls and monitors smart machinery, connecting production to customers and the supply chain.

Rainwater harvesting, solar power, wind turbines, air-source heating, and eco fans are examples of renewable energy sources that will support the introduction of contemporary, high-tech gear to enable a more sustainable approach to production.

Creative Apparel has been awarded a GBP20,000 grant from Made Smarter, the government-led industry-backed technology adoption program, for a data and systems integration project that will automate and speed up the process of accepting orders all the way through to production management and dispatch.

Meanwhile, the company has received an additional GBP20,000 for a project that will utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to collect fashion data from social media influencers and other sources, allowing designers to respond to trends faster and more efficiently.

The company's continuous relationship with Made Smarter involves making use of the company's digital internship program, which pairs undergraduates, master's, and Ph.D. students with manufacturers to work on real-world projects.

Creative Apparel, which began as a two-person screen printing firm in 1988, today employs over 80 people and produces over 50,000 garments each week for the fast fashion sector, specializing in screen printing and embroidery.

Phil Millar, Managing director of Creative Apparel, said that due to the amount of waste generated during the manufacturing process and the throw-away nature of many of the items, the fast fashion industry has a reputation as one of the most environmentally harmful. By putting sustainability at the center of their production processes, they hope to contribute to this by becoming a leader for change in the industry. They aim to show that you can help save the world and save money by introducing digital technology and solutions that decrease waste and consume less energy. Using Made Smarter's assistance has allowed them to move closer to their goal.

Made Smarter's Adoption Programme in the North West has worked with over 1,200 businesses since its launch in 2019, including many in the textile industry, providing expert, unbiased technology advice, digital transformation workshops to help manufacturers take their first steps, a leadership program, and funded digital technology internships.

Over 200 technology projects have been sponsored under the program, which is expected to generate an additional GBP176 million in GVA for the North West economy over the next three years, create over 920 new employees, and upskill 1,764 existing positions.

Alain Dilworth, North West Adoption Programme Manager at Made Smarter, said that ss the COP26 United Nations climate change conference meets in Glasgow, the attention of the world is on how we can live more sustainably. The manufacturing industry, as one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the UK economy, plays a critical role in lowering emissions. Manufacturers may use digitalization to increase operational efficiencies, decarbonize heat and electricity, optimize design and materials, and improve logistics and transportation, all of which will benefit their business, their bottom line, and the environment.

Dilworth added that Creative Apparel is a fantastic example of a Made Smarter-supported firm that has achieved the sweet spot of sustainability between these economic, social, and environmental goals. Creative Apparel is eager to show what a future factory might look like, and the project's breadth and reach are visionary, offering inventive answers to common challenges.