The UK must embrace ‘Industry 4.0’ to stay globally competitive, says report

07.11.2016

A new report has suggested that the UK must embrace the technology at the heart of the future of manufacturing in order to stay competitive in the world marketplace.

A new report has suggested that the UK must embrace the technology at the heart of the future of manufacturing in order to stay competitive in the world marketplace.



In the report, entitled ‘The UK in 2030 - Key trends for Manufacturing,” authors from Pinset Masons and Business in the Community outline the changes that technology, resources, demography, politics and climate change will impact upon manufacturing as we know it, and crucially, how these changes should be embraced.

“What will be important is how manufacturers and policy makers respond to these changes. In particular, in a globalised and competitive world, where governments are already investing heavily in what is known as ‘Industry 4.0’, the UK will need to make sure that it is not left behind,” said David Isaac Partner, Head of Advanced Manufacturing and Technology at Pinset Masons.

“Companies and organisations will need to maximise benefit from connections between people, information and objects to take advantage of tangible commercial opportunities. With rapid advancements in technology, there will inevitably be an impact on the workforce. Increased automation need not represent a negative scenario, as it could also bring opportunities for augmentation, new skills and the training required to make the most out of process and product improvement.”

The report suggests that investing in smart factories could boost British manufacturing productivity by up to 30 percent, with 3D printing and additive technologies and cloud-based manufacturing solutions also providing increased opportunities, efficiencies and cost savings.

This technology, the report suggests, will be a source of competitive advantage to both companies and countries, with the US, Germany and the emerging economies of Asia all investing in the fourth industrial revolution. “In a globalised world, the UK needs to keep up,” it says, stating that “now more than ever, the winners will be those that understand and embrace the changes technology is bringing and apply them across everything they do.”