Manufacturing and Engineering Magazine Volume 425 - January 2016 | Page 43

BEST OF BRITISH

MANUFACTURING
AT ITS BEST
Despite the renown dip in manufacturing since the 1970s, where UK
manufacturing contributed approximately 25% of GDP, the UK still
ranks second globally in the aerospace arena and has seen great prosperity in
the automotive and pharmaceutical industries. Manufacturing has always been something that the UK excels at, and this isn't likely to change any time soon.
With manufacturing currently account for
only a tenth of the British economy, one might
think it a bleak picture for the UK manufacturing sector, however reports suggest that British
factories are in fact in the midst of a resurgence. In a recent survey it was shown that the
balance of manufacturers reporting a rise in
domestic sales rose during the second quarter
of the year to the highest degree since records
actually began in 1989, showing great signs for
the future of the industry.
It is not, however simply an increase in the
number of sales, but an overall change in the
economic landscape for the UK manufacturing
sector whereupon new markets and new arenas have been located by ingenious manufacturing companies. China, Russia and India have
increasingly become more important in the UK
exports market, with a great deal of work
brought back home from some of the world's
most prominent industrial emerging market
powers such as China – something that has
greatly assisted in supporting the market.
So why is there a sudden surge in the mar-

4

ket? Sources suggest that it is the British reputation for productivity, efficiency and quality
which has been opening up new opportunities in
the market for reputable manufacturers such as
for Future Advanced Manufacture, one of the
companies spearheading Britain's manufacturing revival. Craig Peterson, Managing Director of
Future AM commented: "We're getting
enquiries all the time. Even though we're a little
bit more expensive, with the cost of shipping
(from China), lead time problems and the quality
issues, we're seeing a lot work coming back now.”
Toughened by the difficult economic times
of late, manufacturers have now begun to claw
back lost output and succeed once more. In
addition, exports have also improved marginally for the sector and signs of this picking up
even further have been recognised, with British
manufacturing export order growth outpacing
the world average for the 15th month on a row
– an unmatched record since global records
officially began in 1998.
For the automotive industry, there are a
number of “Made in Britain” household names
which are all equally known for incredible quality, durability and reliability, including: MINI,
Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Lotus, Aston Martin,
Bentley, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Land Rover, MG
and Vauxhall. Although many of these brands
are indeed foreign-owned, there is a reason
they are manufactured within the UK, one of
the most reputable countries in the world for
its solid design, production and quality assessment procedures.

MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING MAGAZINE

41