Industry Focus: Made in Britain – building on an industrial past to an advanced future.

“Put simply, where things are made, and who makes them, matters.” 

Rachel Reeves has been unequivocal about the importance of domestic advanced manufacturing, putting it at the heart of government plans for growth and the delivery of national economic security. 

The UK’s rich industrial history, rooted in the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, laid the foundation for modern manufacturing through groundbreaking innovations and a legacy of engineering excellence.

As global supply chains shift, new technologies emerge, and the demand for sustainable production intensifies, the UK stands at a critical crossroads.

The main challenge in an economy that is continuing to deindustrialise at pace will be to what degree it can pivot back in the right direction. 

Some will say at this stage it's simply not possible.

The reality may be much brighter. The sector plan launched alongside the Industrial Strategy identifies six “frontier industries” that the government is aiming to prioritise, including automotive, batteries, aerospace, space, advanced materials and agri-tech.

These blend a mix of sectors where the UK either has long-established supply chains and a history of developing pioneering technology or is well resourced to invest in R&D and take a global lead. 

Yet while Labour is betting on these playing a key role shaping the future of manufacturing, it should also not lose sight of the ‘foundational’ sectors – the likes of construction, materials and logistics – that underpin the day-to-day economy and are critical to the delivery of the wider strategy. 

Making the UK more competitive will also be vital for the UK’s traditional industrial heartlands – with 84 per cent of manufacturing jobs currently located outside of London and the South East. 

Nowhere will feel this more keenly than the West Midlands, the historic nucleus of our domestic automotive industry.  Here, the significant impacts of Trump’s trade tariffs and the recent production-line shutdown caused by cyber security attacks have sharpened the focus on how heavily reliant the regional economy is on Jaguar Land Rover and its supply chain. 

If “where things are made and who makes them” matters, the future of the UK's advanced manufacturing sector will not only define how the nation builds, but be vital to unlocking its potential to compete on the global stage.