UK Manufacturing Day: The Experts Weigh In

Recently we did a deep dive into the UK’s drop from the top ten manufacturing nations, exploring the key reasons why and how the nation can reclaim its spot. 

From policy and investment to Brexit to energy costs to global competition, it was clear that UK manufacturing has a battle ahead. However, it was also clear that the country’s manufacturing sector is full of staggering innovation, hardworking talent and extensive opportunity. 

Today it's UK National Manufacturing Day- making it the perfect time to reflect on the state of the sector and how it can be revitalised through various strategies.

We're excited here at Manufacturing Digital to share the following insights from influential manufacturing and technology leaders on how the UK can forge a powerful manufacturing comeback.

Modernisation is essential

Consulting Head for Manufacturing, Logistics, Energy and Utilities, UK&I at Cognizant, Prasanth Thomas says that National Manufacturing Day is an opportunity to celebrate UK manufacturer's progress in adopting transformative new technologies.

“In 2024, smart technologies – powered by the innovative capabilities of automation, big data analytics and computerised controls – are providing manufacturers the opportunity to improve productivity, agility and speed on a scale never seen before.” 

Indeed, advanced technologies are having a transformative impact in the industry- helping to streamline and automate multiple processes- but the nation has been outpaced.

We noted in our deep dive how nations like Germany, the US and China have adopted Industry 4.0 at a far greater pace, gaining a competitive edge. 

Simon Raynard, Managing Director for Nordics, UK and Ireland at Orange Business, agrees, arguing that enhancing the UK’s digital infrastructure and overcoming outdated systems is the path forward.

"For UK manufacturing, staying competitive in today’s global market hinges on one thing: modernisation,” he says.

“While the UK’s digital infrastructure is improving, we’re still catching up to European leaders like Germany and the Nordics, where high-speed connectivity and automation are driving greater efficiency.

“Many UK manufacturers are constrained by outdated systems that limit flexibility and hinder productivity. Manufacturers need to integrate IoT, AI, and data analytics—and ensure robust collaboration between IT and OT systems.

“IT manages data and applications, while OT controls physical processes and equipment, with more collaboration, businesses can unlock smarter connectivity, streamline operations and optimise their supply chains.”

But Simon notes this transformation goes beyond efficiency, benefiting the manufacturing sector in numerous, forward-thinking ways.

“New technology can build greater resilience, enhance security and pave the way for sustainability and innovation,” he says.

“Manufacturers must adopt future-proof, secure infrastructure that’s not only agile and data-driven but also built to support the demands of an increasingly digital and connected world."

Strategic uses of robotics & AI 

The UK has a promising foundation to work with towards this adoption. The nation has a strong tech sector and clear enthusiasm from manufacturers about emerging technologies like AI, robotics and automation. 

Rockwell Automation’s ‘State of Smart Manufacturing’ Report, which surveys manufacturers from across the globe, revealed that 73% of UK companies invest 21–50% of their operating budget in technology – the highest level in Europe.

A strategic, measured approach must accompany this technological adoption, according to Andrei Danescu, CEO and Co-Founder at Dexory.

“It’s important to step back sometimes and reflect on the industry and the challenges it faces, but also to look ahead at the innovations that will help to overcome these challenges,” he says.

“Looking ahead, innovation is needed to get the UK industry back on track. Advanced technology, like robotics, AI and alternative automation, represent a great opportunity for the UK to showcase its manufacturing prowess.”

Andrei specifically emphasised the need for approaches that go beyond research and development, particularly in the sphere of robotics.

“However, it is important the sector is focused on robotics technologies that provide real-world ROI to end-user organisations, instead of focusing on just pure innovation or complex, deep RD incentives.” 

Anders Billesø Beck, Vice President for Strategy & Innovation at Universal Robots agrees, arguing in addition to this that technology providers have a critical role to play in helping UK manufacturers overcome difficult roadblocks.

“While ROI takes the lead as a number one concern when considering technology investments in our recent survey (32%), it doesn’t stand alone,” he says.

“Other concerns are nearly as common, including usability, a lack of in-house expertise, safety and potential disruptions to existing operations. These ‘roadblocks’ were mentioned by around 20% of correspondents. So, how can technology providers address these issues for manufacturers today?”

Anders advocates for a two-pronged approach in robotics, that both pushes the boundaries of existing solutions and generates new ones to tackle the sector's current challenges.

“Firstly, we must continue to push the frontiers for what tasks automation, digitisation, and AI can solve,” he says.

“Alongside this, we must create solutions that are even more intuitive and user-friendly, while providing the training needed to empower the current workforce. Despite rapid advancements in robotics and AI, the human element will always be essential.” 

Another area of Industry 4.0 innovation where the human element will always be essential is in AI. Rockwell Automation’s report found in fact that 94% of UK manufacturers - the highest percentage of any country surveyed - expect to use AI and machine learning (ML) in advanced analytics. 

And yet, caution towards this emerging technology remains, with James Fisher, Chief Strategy Officer at Qlik explaining why and how it can be overcome.

“The manufacturing industry to date has been cautious to implement AI,” he says.

"In part, this has been due to a lack of accessible data for AI to learn from and work with – because a lot of the data in the industry is often unstructured and siloed. It’s common for data in the manufacturing industry to be localised to a specific production line or team and held within legacy IT systems. 

“At the same time, there are huge potential benefits for the manufacturing industry if it does embrace AI – it can help to monitor and improve production line efficiency, boost quality control and make more informed decisions, like planning for increased staffing during busy times. 

“The manufacturers who do embrace AI stand to gain a competitive advantage, as they can speed up processes, power customer interactions through AI assistants, help interpret and summarise findings, and more.” 

Shoring up the supply chain through semiconductors

What’s prominent from these insights is that the UK manufacturing sector must go beyond speeding up its adoption of industry 4.0 technology. Alongside this acceleration, a shift in perspective, implementation and strategy is needed.

These technologies have the capacity to holistically revolutionise how manufacturers achieve their business goals, run their factories, collaborate with partners and suppliers and pursue sustainability. 

These benefits also extend to the broader supply chain, which as Shane Geary, SVP of Manufacturing & Operations at Pragmatic notes has been hit in recent years by significant disruption.

“Recent years have underscored just how fragile global supply chains really are,” he says.

“The manufacturing industry has been hit the hardest, with material shortages and logistical bottlenecks bringing production lines around the globe to a halt. 

“Global semiconductor shortages have contributed to these bottlenecks, with the impact rippling across industries and sectors. It’s imperative that manufacturers expand on existing strategies and adopt innovative solutions to build more resilient, adaptable supply chains.”

Therefore according to Shane, investing in semiconductor technology is another critical part of creating a stronger manufacturing sector in the UK, building greater supply chain resiliency.

“Advanced semiconductor manufacturing is unlocking the potential for low-cost connectivity at scale, enabling real-time, item-level monitoring of goods to help manufacturers respond swiftly to disruptions and shortages. 

“These new materials don’t rely on silicon, and enjoy low-temperature production processes – using significantly less energy and water, and fewer harmful chemicals – that drive down cost and vastly reduce carbon impact. 

“This makes low-cost, sustainable, item-level intelligence a reality. With shorter fabrication times and single-site production, these novel chips can provide localised, high-volume supply, agile, ‘just-in-time’ chip production to meet fluctuating demand and create a more resilient manufacturing supply chain.”

Ultimately to establish the UK once more as a manufacturing leader, there needs to be a faster and more strategic adoption of advanced technology and a broader, more holistic focus on how these technologies can be utilised.

Support from the government, in terms of both resources and investment, will significantly aid both of these transformations. 

Modernising the industry and ensuring it remains adaptable in the face of disruption will be crucial, helping to create a more agile supply chain and ensuring the UK is on the path to regaining its place in the top ten manufacturing nations.

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