UK manufacturers demonstrate adaptability despite major disruptions

Published by Protolabs and the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), the report - How Five Years Shaped the Future of UK Manufacturing - is based on annual surveys of over 700 UK manufacturing executives and IMechE members over five years covering the period before, during and after the global pandemic and Brexit.

It shows that confidence has increased among businesses, particularly around their readiness to adopt Industry 4.0 practices and digital processes.

When asked how prepared they were for the Industry 4.0 era and the rise of digital processes, 65 per cent now say that they are ‘very prepared’ or ‘prepared’, which represents a three-fold increase compared to the answers participants gave in 2019.

The study also found UK manufacturers now have greater belief in their own ability to resolve the digital skills gap by training their own people. In response to the question, “what is the greatest challenge UK companies face when adopting digital manufacturing techniques”, almost 70 per cent said “a lack of expertise” in 2019. That number has now fallen to 33 per cent.

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Participants previously said their labour force lacked the right skills and that not enough new talent was entering the manufacturing industry, prompting businesses to resolve this challenge. In 2023, “greater focus and investment in STEM talent” rose to become the top priorities listed by participants for the first time.

In a statement, Bjoern Klass, managing director & vice president EMEA, Protolabs said: “When we set out in 2019 to conduct an annual survey of engineers for five years, we had no idea how much our world would change in that time. This period has stress-tested UK manufacturing but the sector has shown amazing adaptability. Under extreme pressure, businesses have worked hard to secure their future, for example recognising the need to upskill their existing workforce rather than waiting for the people with relevant STEM qualifications to become available.

“This resilience is now paying off. Research from Make UK has shown that UK manufacturing is moving the right direction. We are climbing the global league table – up from 9^th to 8^th place.”