New Tech from Cornwall Could Save UK Industry Billions – Here’s How

Busroot platform developed in Penzance shows 10–15% productivity gains without extra staff or consultants

A new smart manufacturing platform developed in Cornwall is already making waves across UK industry, with early adopters reporting significant productivity improvements and energy savings.

Output Industries, based in Penzance, has launched Busroot, a digital platform designed to reduce inefficiency in manufacturing – a problem estimated to cost the UK economy £150 billion each year.

The platform has been trialled by more than 20 small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMEs) across sectors including food and drink, medical equipment, and heavy industry, as part of a project funded by Innovate UK’s Smart Manufacturing Data Hub (SMDH).

Productivity up, energy use down

Since its deployment, Busroot has helped companies achieve productivity gains of 10–15% – without the need for additional staff, infrastructure, or outside consultants.

The technology works by creating a real-time, centralised view of factory operations, connecting machines, systems and shifts – regardless of age, brand or location – to highlight underperforming areas.

“A machine is only valuable when it’s doing what it should be doing,” said Mike Wright, CEO and Co-Founder of Output Industries. “Busroot shows manufacturers which machines aren’t delivering, why, and what to do about it. That’s how we help companies do more with the same – or less – and grow profitably.”

In addition to improving output, participating companies saw a 28% drop in energy costs and a 30% reduction in CO₂ emissions across 36 sectors, as revealed through the Manufacturing Data Exchange Platform (MDEP) – a collaboration between Output Industries and other SMEs, involving the sharing of anonymised data.

Backed by industry voices

Richard Greasley, Group Production Director at Adey Steel, said: “Using the insights we gain from Busroot, we have identified areas for improvement in efficiency and productivity. Our next step is to integrate energy monitoring, which will provide further insights into our production operations and assist us in achieving our net zero goals in 2025 and beyond.”

Cara Roberts, Business Development Manager at SMDH, added: “Output Industries has been a real success story. They have created a trusted environment where manufacturers share their data safely, adding value to their own businesses while supporting the UK manufacturing industry as a whole.”

Looking ahead

With strong industry traction and a growing user base, Output Industries now plans to scale Busroot across the UK and into Europe – aiming to help manufacturers stay competitive, profitable, and sustainable in an increasingly data-driven economy.