Small and
Medium-sized enterprises are focused on returning manufacturing operations to the United
Kingdom, according to research published by the Manufacturing
Advisory Service.
Manufacturing in the UK is experiencing a rebirth, with
demand for locally manufactured products increasing over the last few years as
UK businesses look to support local suppliers of components and systems which
have been manufactured in the UK.
Reshoring UK is a unique collaboration of leading
industrial engineering associations to assist manufacturers to connect with
trusted, accredited suppliers capable of delivering products and services that
match their requirements.
This structured approach supports OEMs and Tier 1
companies who need to fill gaps in their supply chains or to support the
creation of new ones. This facility supports the high value and technical
requirements of industries such as aerospace, automotive, rail, marine, energy
and medical from conceptual design to complete product delivery for companies
searching for UK-based support for their businesses.
Brett
Longden, Redline Manufacturing
and Operations Recruitment Consultant reviews factors which are driving
businesses to return their manufacturing operations back to the UK.
“According to the Guardian, the UK
economic growth picked up as stockpiling bolstered manufacturing.
Manufacturing output was up 2.2% - the strongest quarterly performance since
1988, according to figures from the Office
of National Statistics. With the economy growing for nine consecutive
years, the decline in debt, employment reaching a record high and wages on the
rise at the fastest pace in over a decade, the UK’s Manufacturing industry has
the potential for significant growth in many sectors.”
Brett continues: “A great example of the opportunities that
the UK has is in the space sector. The UK has the potential to become a
world-class sustainable space industry leader if the Government and UK businesses
work together to grasp the opportunities presented by the growth in the global
and UK space arena.”
International leaders speaking at a two-day space conference
at the Coventry-based Manufacturing Technology Centre underlined that the
global space industry is booming and is forecasted to be worth £400 billion by
2030.
The MTC's
Made for Space conference, aimed at encouraging UK
businesses and SMEs to take advantage of space sector growth, featured
leading international experts including representatives from NASA, the European
Space Agency and the UK Space Agency. They explained the opportunities for UK
manufacturers. The MTC already works with NASA and the European Space Agency on
a variety of projects.
"Space technology is mostly resourced by the US, China,
India and Russia, however, some areas of the space sector including satellite
infrastructure, global positioning and automated intelligence is where the UK's
expertise lie. With plans for a national space skills initiative to deliver the
right professional people with the right skills, the UK has the potential to
develop new capabilities such as in-space robotics. Also, advanced
manufacturing technologies, in particular, additive manufacturing, presents
further opportunities for UK companies.”
What
types of manufacturing jobs will be in demand if the UK’s manufacturing
companies take advantage of opportunities in the space sector?
The UK’s engineering
and manufacturing sector are one of the broadest sectors, with 124,000 specialist
workers required between now and 2024 to support industry segments such as space,
nuclear, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, automation and robotics.
The UK’s space sector
is comprised of public and private sector manufacturers involved in the production
of goods and services via the exploration, understanding and utilisation of
space. It has two main parts: the ‘upstream’ consists of organisations that
manufacture (parts of) satellites; the downstream companies use satellites to
provide telecommunications and broadcasting, weather-forecasting, and location
and navigational services.
It is predicted that there will be a demand for skilled
engineers in roles such as Systems Engineers, R&D Engineers, Software Engineer jobs
and Software Support Engineers.
Manufacturing or Production
Engineers jobs will also be in demand as the industry adopts new materials,
manufacturing processes and automation. Manufacturing engineers in the space
sector often work closely with design engineering teams to decide which
components and modules can actually be built for space projects.
Manufacturing engineering jobs with Redline
If you’re a qualified manufacturing engineer or production
engineer looking to elevate your career, apply to a variety of manufacturing
jobs with Redline recruitment.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for talented professionals,
register a vacancy or contact the team including Brett Longden on 01582
878841.