Business & Industry
Future of Manufacturing 2026
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Why SME manufacturers are essential to the success of the new UK Industrial Strategy
With advanced manufacturing named a key growth sector in the Government’s strategy, steps are needed to ensure small and medium-sized manufacturers get support to make their growth a reality. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of UK manufacturing, making up over 99% of the sector. They lead on innovation, form the basis of...
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Why hydrogen could power a cleaner, greener manufacturing era
Hydrogen is one of the cleanest forms of energy available. A plentiful supply would present manufacturers with a viable fuel alternative, helping them survive and thrive. If the British manufacturing sector wants to thrive — not just survive — it’s going to need hydrogen power, insists Dr Angela Needle, Director of Strategy at Cadent, the...
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Clean energy is a UK strength — it’s time we made more of it ourselves
To maximise the benefits of clean energy, we must first build the infrastructure, which includes the right facilities, skills and engineering capability. The UK is rightly proud of its offshore wind record. We’ve led the world in deployment, built global expertise in turbine design and set ambitious targets for clean, secure energy. But to turn...
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Closing manufacturing’s execution gap
Digital transformation in manufacturing is accelerating, but operational impact often lags. Closing the gap between strategy and execution is becoming critical. Manufacturers are operating in an increasingly complex environment. Supply chain volatility, rising energy costs and persistent labour shortages are placing growing pressure on productivity and margins across the sector. The execution gap Digital transformation...
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AI’s hidden risk: building value, not technical debt
Artificial intelligence (AI) promises major transformation for the manufacturing sector. From accelerating design and engineering to improving production efficiency, AI has the potential to reshape how products are developed and delivered. However, without strong data foundations in place, organisations risk creating technical debt rather than gaining a competitive advantage, according to industry specialist David Hughes....
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Why smart use of metrology is a measurement of manufacturing success
Most manufacturers struggle to use data as a live, actionable part of their production strategies. Yet when implemented properly, the benefits can be revolutionary. The UK is home to world class manufacturing companies,” says Darren Talbot. “The problem is, some of them are working as though it’s still the 1980s.” The result? Their operations aren’t...
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From automation to autonomy: building trust in the next era of industrial AI
Artificial intelligence has quietly powered factories for the past decade, inspecting parts, safeguarding quality and keeping production humming in the background. But that era is about to look tame. Manufacturing is transforming: AI doesn’t just analyse what’s happening on the shop floor, but actively decides what should happen next. This is the leap from automation...
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Britain’s factories matter again — and this time the strategy could stick
For years, industrial strategy in Britain felt like a reluctant afterthought: invoked during crises, quietly abandoned when politics shifted, but that’s beginning to change. The Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, backed by the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, marks a return to long-term thinking about how the UK makes things, earns its living and competes in a...
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Future-proofing Britain’s manufacturing sector
An upcoming event aims to connect manufacturers and encourage collaboration to address challenges the sector is facing. The UK manufacturing industry plays a significant role in the UK economy’s success. With over 325,000 small and medium-sized UK manufacturing and engineering enterprises, it contributes £224bn to GVA, provides 2.6 million jobs and delivers nearly half of...
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Industrial strategy: time to deliver
For years, the UK has debated the need to ‘rebalance’ its economy. Now, with a long-term strategy in place, the conversation must shift decisively from ambition to execution. Manufacturing today is smaller than in previous eras, but it remains foundational. It underpins 15%2 of UK value added when supply chains are included, generates the vast...