Advanced Engineering, the UK’s annual trade show for the engineering and manufacturing sectors, which took place last week, has just released an industry report addressing the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing engineers and manufacturers around the UK.
The report demonstrates that the future of the British engineering sector hinges on how effectively we can address the growing skills shortages, invest in supercomputing facilities, integrate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and adapt to supply chain disruptions. In fact, it warns that the UK risks lagging behind international competitors if critical investments are delayed. The data provided in the report also explain how engineering and manufacturing are changing in the UK, covering everything from skills shortages and supply chain issues to the latest technological advancements — including AI.
Such insights have been built on contributions from industry leaders and top voices in UK engineering, such as Scott Wilkins from City & Guilds, Simon Farnfield, event director at
Advanced Engineering, and Dr Mark-Paul Buckingham, managing director of Xi Engineering Consultants. ChatGPT-4 also contributed a section on AI’s future in engineering. A major theme of the report is the urgent need to close the skills gap in UK engineering. With nearly half of engineering companies struggling to find skilled workers, the industry faces significant challenges in replacing a retiring workforce.
Scott Wilkins from City & Guilds, said: “While we have seen increased efforts to encourage young people into engineering, the availability of work placements remains a challenge. Engineering companies need support to create opportunities, whether through placement initiatives or by offering assessments in education facilities.”
The report calls on policymakers to work closely with industry and educational institutions, recommending a flexible approach to apprenticeship funding and the establishment of grants that encourage businesses to support skills development. Another focus of the report is the influential role of AI in UK engineering, with data accessibility and regulatory concerns remaining as barriers to widespread AI adoption. The report suggests that Government collaboration with industry could facilitate the responsible sharing of data while ensuring regulatory frameworks address safety, transparency and ethical considerations.
Unpredictable disruptionsFurthermore, with supply chain resilience becoming an increasing concern, the report also addresses the UK’s shift from a ‘just in time’ to a ‘just in case’ inventory model. In the wake of Covid-19, Brexit and geopolitical tensions, manufacturers face rising costs and unpredictable disruptions.
Simon Farnfield, event director at
Advanced Engineering, added: “Manufacturers are being forced to rethink inventory strategies as global uncertainties impact lead times and costs. The Labour Government’s plan to strengthen supply chains in critical sectors could provide much-needed stability, especially in areas like energy, construction, and medicine.”
The Labour Party’s proposed taskforce to assess and address supply chain vulnerabilities highlights the need for proactive strategies to anticipate disruptions and ensure reliable access to critical resources.
Finally, the report concludes with a call for renewed investment in the UK’s technology infrastructure. With advancements in high-power computing and digital manufacturing, there is a growing need to maintain cutting-edge capabilities. However, recent decisions to withdraw funding from supercomputing projects have put the UK at a disadvantage in the global technology race.
Dr Mark-Paul Buckingham of Xi Engineering concluded: “The UK risks falling behind without essential investments in technology and a skilled workforce to operate advanced systems. We need strategic investment in STEM education and facilities to keep up with rapid technological change.”
A copy of the entire report can be downloaded from the
Advanced Engineering website
here.