British Made Awards 2026/ 10 A recap of the UK’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan Published last year, the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan details four ways which collectively will aim to increase annual business investment in advanced manufacturing across the UK from around £21 billion currently to £39 billion by 2035. These steps include reforming the business environment for long-term stability and certainty and prioritising six manufacturing sub-sectors, which researchers believe have the highest potential for growth over the next ten years: 1. Advanced materials 2. Aerospace 3. Agri-tech 4. Automotive 5. Batteries 6. Space It should be no surprise to see the spotlight being put on the UK’s advanced manufacturing sector in such a positive way. This industry already directly supports an estimated 760,000 jobs and boosts the nation’s economy by over £82 billion gross value added (GVA) every year. Productivity in the sector has also increased by 202% between 1997 and 2024. The rise of the UK’s AI sector As has been the case with many industries in recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) can boost advanced manufacturing practices by improving adaptability, efficiency and precision. The UK’s AI sector already looks to be in a strong place. According to a statement released by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, £2.9 billion was invested in British AI companies in 2024 alone. NVIDIA Founder, President and CEO Jensen Huang also recently acknowledged to BBC News that “the UK will be an AI superpower”. His comments were made as a £31 billion “Tech Prosperity Deal” was agreed between several US tech firms and the UK government. However, an interesting note has been made in the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan. A 2024 Make UK report was referenced within the document, which found that only eight per cent of UK manufacturers had implemented AI and machine learning practices into their operations successfully. Just seven per cent of the manufacturers involved in the research said that they were well-versed in AI applications too. Fortunately, the AI Opportunities Action Plan aims to ramp up the adoption of AI technology and practices in the UK, especially with the creation of dedicated AI Growth Zones to accelerate the build out of AI infrastructure throughout the nation. When setting out the UK government’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan last summer, Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Industry, stated ambitions for the UK to be recognised as the best place to start, grow and invest in advanced manufacturing anywhere across the globe by 2035. There are plenty of steps being put in place which should help to make this vision a reality, with Portakabin, the UK’s leading modular building provider, on hand to explain how modular buildings can also help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt advanced manufacturing practices quickly. The UK Manufacturing Boom and the Race to Find Flexible Facilities
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUyMDQwMA==