Can UK manufacturing lead without innovation?
The Manufacturer
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Hi Reader,
You've got to take the good with the bad, right? Today’s news shines a spotlight on the UK’s manufacturing sector, its strengths and its struggles.
In our top story, UK manufacturing has cemented its role as the nation’s leading export driver, with over 28,000 firms, 22% of the sector, trading internationally. Goods exports have surged from £59.5bn in 2015 to £304.2bn in 2025, underscoring the industry’s resilience.
Yet, in our second story, the sector is falling behind global rivals, ranking low in automation and lagging in the adoption of robotics, AI and digital skills.
So here’s the question for you: can UK manufacturing remain the nation’s top export engine while trailing competitors in innovation?
As you think that over, dive into the rest of today’s news below…⬇️
Molly Cooper, Features Editor, The Manufacturer
LATEST NEWS
Manufacturing emerges as the powerhouse of Britain’s overseas trade
Manufacturing has consolidated its position as the UK’s leading export engine, with new analysis showing it tops all industries for the share of firms trading internationally.
British industry is lagging behind global robotics and AI leaders – report
British manufacturing companies have been lagging behind international competitors over the last two decades, with manufacturers falling dramatically down the global automation tables.
THE MANUFACTURER PARTNER NEWS
Construction for advanced manufacturing: Collaborative working to solve complex equipment installation
The advanced manufacturing sector is booming, with the UK government suggesting that the sector currently accounts for a quarter of all business R&D. As manufacturers look to maximise efficiency and enhance production lines with new technologies, this sector is growing exponentially, not least when you factor in the rise in ‘reshoring’ as global manufacturers look to create local manufacturing bases to future proof their businesses against increasing geopolitical uncertainty.
LATEST ARTICLES
Op-ed: An increase in U.S. manufacturing is coming
In this exclusive op-ed for The Manufacturer, Invest Buffalo Niagara 's Thomas A. Kucharski looks at how the U.S. manufacturing resurgence faces a critical skills gap and highlights Buffalo’s collaborative, industry-aligned workforce training model as a scalable solution for preparing a diverse labour force to sustain industrial growth.
Accelerating net zero steel in the UK
A new study supported by the InterAct programme has developed a strategic digital roadmap to fast-track the UK steel sector’s transition to net zero. Developed by a team of academics from the University of Warwick, the research identifies the most pressing barriers to adopting industrial digital technologies.
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