Let’s Talk: Advanced manufacturing
What needs to happen Now is the moment for the government, private sector and academic institutions to work together to cement the UK’s world leading position in advanced manufacturing. This unique window of opportunity won’t last forever - the UK has already been surpassed in the manufacturing of key innovations, such as semiconductors. But in areas of advanced manufacturing like additive metals, there is still potential to be world leading. One area where the government can act decisively is strategic procurement. The ‘significant’ increase in Ministry of Defence investment in novel technologies, including dual-use, was an encouraging takeaway from March’s Spring Statement. And the fact that the Department’s first ever advanced manufacturing strategy followed days afterwards is a sign that the government is starting to understand its potential. More commitments like this will be important for creating demand, de-risking innovation, and supporting the scaling of cutting- edge manufacturing. Seizing this moment for the UK’s advanced manufacturing sector will require bold investments in R&D, infrastructure, and talent. As well as this, it’s vital that partnerships between industry and academia continue to be supported to ensure that the next generation of engineers is both trained in the latest technologies and also empowered to push the boundaries of innovation. n www.alloyed.com “Seizing this moment for the UK’s advanced manufacturing sector will require bold investments in R&D, infrastructure, and talent.”
international trading environment - where tariffs on exported goods can be introduced almost at a moment’s notice - the ability to be able to build world-leading innovations domestically is invaluable. Not only this, but material waste and transportation emissions are reduced, production costs are lowered, and highly customisable and complex designs can be developed in a much shorter time frame. The UK’s unique advantage With the UK’s rich heritage of engineering excellence and its highly skilled workforce, the foundations for the development of world- leading advanced manufacturing are already in place. A strong focus on high-value sectors such as aerospace, automotive, and pharmaceuticals, means that the UK’s engineering talent is already adept in the environments where advanced manufacturing techniques can offer a competitive edge through greater efficiency, customisation, and sustainability. The UK’s world-leading research institutions also strengthen its position in this field. Investment into university spinouts has grown 240% in 10 years, with world class engineering departments at the likes of the University of Oxford leading groundbreaking research in areas such as additive manufacturing, robotics, and materials science, often in collaboration with industry partners. Indeed, the focus of Oxford and other leading institutions on bridging academic excellence with industrial application means that the UK is well stocked with a steady pipeline of highly qualified engineers equipped with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to drive forwards innovation in additive manufacturing.
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