Even though the British manufacturing sector is the ninth-largest in the world, Brexit has already had an impact and it could get even worse. Factories in Britain have suffered a sixth consecutive month in October showing fewer new orders thanks to the ongoing Brexit uncertainty. The industry is facing a tough future with weakened global demand for UK manufactured goods and employment issues.
According to an industry survey, Brexit has not only affected demand but also an increase in job losses. The survey was conducted before the announcement of the election which reflects two months of preparations for leaving the EU on 31 October. Of course, we all know what happened with that story.
With only a few days until the 2019 Subcon Show at NEC Birmingham, many exhibitors are gearing up for another exciting event. PRV Engineering will once again be in attendance and exhibiting the best of UK Manufacturing at stand E17. The success of previous years have attracted many of UK’s finest making this a must-attend event (June 4-6).
While Industry 4.0 is all about automation and digitisation, the future of manufacturing is in personalisation. Manufacturing 5-0, or the Fifth Industrial Revolution, will focus on the co-operation between humans and robots. Although the focus remains on automation and advanced manufacturing, the human element is more important than ever. We’ll take a closer look at what this means for manufacturing but first, let’s recap our journey up to now.
The annual manufacturing report compiled from survey data in August and September 2016 and covers areas such as the economy, connectivity, automation and recruitment.
It comes as no surprise that uncertainty factors in a range of responses, especially when talking about the economy and in general. Whilst things have remained reasonably stable in the light of Brexit, it is clear that the unknowns of the next few years are having an impact on the decision making in many companies. For some this uncertainty is translating into delays in investment and commencement of new projects.
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