IDS-INDATA’s latest research revealed that ageing machinery, outdated operational technology (OT), and cyber threats are among the top contributors to downtime.
The Automotive industry alone could see projected losses of up to £12 billion in 2025, while the highly regulated Pharmaceutical industry faces between £500 million and £1 billion in losses due to extended shutdowns, the research has shown.
According to IDS-INDATA, the findings – drawing on data from the past five years (2020–2024) across the UK and wider European manufacturing sectors – highlight the urgent need for industries to adopt predictive maintenance and digital transformation strategies to combat ageing infrastructure, cyber vulnerabilities and supply chain disruption.
“Manufacturers are grappling with ageing infrastructure that not only leads to mechanical failures but also increases vulnerability to cyber attacks,” commented Ryan Cooke, Chief Information Security Officer at IDS-INDATA. “Without a proactive approach to predictive maintenance and digital resilience, these disruptions will continue to escalate.”
What’s driving downtime across key sectors?
- Ageing machinery and infrastructure: Sectors such as Food Processing, Textiles, and Packaging rely on legacy equipment prone to mechanical failures, hygiene risks, and inefficiency.
- Cybersecurity risks: Highlight integrated industries like Automotive and Electronics depend on just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing and interconnected systems, making them prime targets for cyber threats and supply chain crises.
- Regulatory and compliance bottlenecks: Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals face extended shutdowns due to stringent safety and compliance protocols, which often delay restarts.
- Labour shortages and skills gaps: Across all sectors, workforce shortages contribute to slower response times for maintenance and issue resolution.
Which sectors are impacted the most?
While Automotive manufacturers see the highest frequency of downtime (20–25 incidents per month), Electronics firms are extremely vulnerable due to precision-dependent processes, where even minor faults can lead to full production stoppages.
Food manufacturers experience multiple minor stoppages weekly, resulting in around 442 hours of downtime annually. In contrast, Pharmaceutical companies suffer fewer but longer-lasting outages (225–400 hours per year), with each incident significantly costlier.
Continuous processing in the Chemicals sector results in high downtime figures (400–600 hours annually), whereas Aerospace, with its highly controlled production lines, faces fewer major events but significant delays due to compliance bottlenecks and long-lead maintenance windows.
“These figures highlight the critical need for manufacturers to invest in predictive maintenance and digital resilience. Downtime is not just an inconvenience – it’s a multi-billion-pound problem impacting supply chains, production efficiency, and profitability," Cooke added.
"Sectors that rely on highly integrated systems, such as Automotive and Pharmaceuticals, must prioritise real-time monitoring and contingency planning to mitigate these costly disruptions.
"By embracing digital transformation, manufacturers can anticipate failures before they happen, protect against cyber threats, and ensure operational efficiency.”
The research, The Real Cost of Downtime in Manufacturing: Sector-by-Sector Breakdown and 2025 Forecasting, can be read in full here.
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