The UK Manufacturing Review 2015/16 covers the key events, progress and challenges across the manufacturing sector during the last twelve months, whilst also forecasting some of the breaking trends for 2016.
Published by Stirling Media, the 256-page book features case studies and commentary from more than 270 organisations, ranging from innovative SMEs and multi-national manufacturing groups to R&D centres and trade associations.
Prominent topics such as productivity, Industry 4.0, servitisation (developing services around manufactured products) and engineering recruitment are all covered, as well as growth sectors including industrial sustainability, additive manufacturing and space.
Will Stirling, founder of Stirling Media says: “Manufacturing is critical to the British economy and is acknowledged as a creator of high value, highly-skilled jobs at home and crucial to trade with Europe, the US and emerging economies around the globe.
“Despite this, there has never been a high-quality annual publication produced that has been dedicated to engineering and written by people who are experts on each sector and subject. With the UK Manufacturing Review, we are changing that.”
The book contains a wealth of information on the EPSRC’s Centres for Innovative Manufacturing, which are spearheading cutting-edge research into high-value added engineering, from plastic electronics to personalised medical devices.
It also outlines the UK’s relationship with manufacturers in peer-group countries, such as the US, France, Germany, Japan and China.
The UK Manufacturing Review was launched as part of the Manufacturing Technologies Association annual general meeting in Birmingham.
The book has been made possible thanks to sponsors including Airbus, BAE Systems, Barclays Bank, BDO, Bosch, Cranfield University, High Value Manufacturing Catapult, Igus, the Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge, Renishaw and Technical Publicity.
Tom Lawton, Head of Manufacturing at BDO, concluded: “There is massive brain power in manufacturing at the moment, making it a really exciting time to be involved in the sector.
“This book is a fantastic reflection of all the interesting things going on in industry and importantly a great way of telling other countries exactly what we’ve got to offer.”
