Government backs Make it in Great Britain

The Business Secretary is backing calls for the manufacturing sector to Make it in Great Britain. Vince Cable was speaking at the Siemens Answers for Industry conference, where he addressed an audience of leading figures from industry.

He said: “The key to a sustainable and balanced economy is investing in manufacturing technology, R&D and skills, so that we have the right talent to make the most of the recovery. Working with business, we are taking steps to strengthen the UK’s manufacturing capability, ensuring a better business environment that will address barriers to growth, encourage innovation, exports and inward investment, and build UK supply chains.”

Mr Cable’s speech to leading manufacturers and industry figure-heads followed the release of the Siemens Industry UK Impulse report, which revealed a lack of consensus on the economic climate, the appetite to invest and the need for greater Government support for the sector. Respondents placed UK industry just behind China and India when it comes to manufacturing innovation, but 51% did not think that the UK is as advanced as it could be in industrial automation.

Juergen Maier, managing director of Siemens Industry, added: “In order to have a sustainable recovery in the manufacturing sector, it is vital that we have a long-term investment strategy, where Government works in conjunction with businesses across the supply chain.

“Investment in skills alongside R&D and manufacturing technologies is critical, and we are working hard in these areas, but we need to work harder at convincing the whole sector that, by preparing for the upturn now, we will create jobs and growth for the future. At the moment, the sector’s attitude towards investing — especially in manufacturing plant and automation — is not preparing us well enough in that regard.”