UK manufacturing has had an eventful year. We have seen a change in government, further advancements in technology and commitments to net-zero, and as always, it has been a year where UK manufacturers have been rightly rewarded and recognised for their invaluable contributions. Here, we look at some of the biggest stories to hit the headlines in 2024.
January: Tata Steel’s blast furnace closures
Tata Steel announced that it will close blast furnaces at its Port Talbot steelworks, putting nearly 3,000 jobs at risk. The Indian-owned steel manufacturer rejected a trade union plan designed to keep its blast furnaces running. The company told workers’ representatives that it could no longer afford to continue production at the plant in South Wales, which was making a loss, and would hamper the completion of a four-year transition plan to greener production.
February: Industry contracts as Red Sea crisis hits supply chains
The downturn in the UK manufacturing sector continued at the start of 2024 with a decline of output and new orders. This also led to additional job losses and cutbacks in purchasing and stock holdings. Manufacturers experienced rising supply chain difficulties, as the Red Sea crisis led to the re-routing of deliveries away from the Suez Canal.
March: Manufacturers accelerate ESG strategies
The UK saw a 48% increase in the number of manufacturing firms setting ESG targets for their business, with around two-thirds (62%) now doing so (since 2021), according to a report from Make UK and Lloyds Bank.
April: New UK Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence launched
The University of Wolverhampton and 3D printing global leaders EOS, and AMCM, announced they have joined forces to launch a new UK Centre of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing (AM).
May: Manufacturers among King’s Awards winners
The winners of the 2024 King’s Awards for Enterprise were announced and some of the UK’s best manufacturers were among those who were recognised. Previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, the awards are for outstanding achievement by UK businesses across four categories: innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.
June: The Harrington Review on Foreign Direct Investment
The Harrington Review on Foreign Direct Investment, published last year, looks at how the UK can better attract foreign direct investment into key growth sectors to ensure the UK is the most attractive destination in Europe for internationally mobile investment. The Manufacturer caught up with its author, Lord Richard Harrington, to find out more.
Smart Manufacturing & Engineering Week: The Manufacturer Top 100 2024 announced
The Manufacturer Top 100 2024 was announced at an exclusive ceremony as part of Smart Manufacturing & Engineering Week at Birmingham’s NEC. The Manufacturer Top 100 scours the length and breadth of the nation to find the 100 most dynamic leaders and innovators in manufacturing, nominated by The Manufacturer’s audience, the industrial community and judged by a panel of industry leaders, academics and manufacturing associations.
July: Historic win for Labour – reaction and comment from the manufacturing sector
Despite many predicting a Labour victory in July’s general election, the scale of the swing from the Conservative party may have surprised some, with a number of high profile Tory MPs losing their seat. The manufacturing sector asked what the future may hold under a Labour government. Here, we look at the reaction from industry.
August: New £12m applied shipbuilding academy opens in Glasgow
A new £12m state-of-the-art training facility opened in Glasgow to ensure Scottish shipbuilding has a thriving workforce for generations to come. The Applied Shipbuilding Academy at BAE Systems’ Scotstoun shipyard is designed to develop the entire workforce, from new starters to senior leaders. The academy will be a key training facility for all the apprentices and graduates in the company’s Naval Ships business as well as provide life-long learning and skills development activities for around 4,500 employees.
September: Manufacturers open their doors for National Manufacturing Day 2024
National Manufacturing Day 2024 was a celebration of the sector and an opportunity for manufacturing organisations to open their doors to the public, so people can see what goes on inside the country’s makers. As well as seeing and learning more about the amazing equipment and technology most modern manufacturers rely on, visitors also were able to find out more about the highly-skilled career opportunities that are available in the UK’s wonderfully diverse manufacturing sector.
October: Industry reacts to new government’s first Budget
October’s first Labour Budget since 2010 was an opportunity for the government to build on the initial proposals in the Industrial Strategy green paper to bolster the UK’s manufacturing industry and stimulate economic growth in line with decarbonisation. The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, promised that the only way to ensure economic growth was to “Invest, invest, invest”.
November: The Manufacturer MX Awards 2024 winners – the best of British manufacturing industry announced
The winners of The Manufacturer MX Awards 2024 were announced at a black tie ceremony and gala dinner in Liverpool, the culminating event of The Manufacturer Live.
December: Industry set to increase investment in AI
Britain’s manufacturers are set to step up their level of investment in AI in the next 12 months, according to a Make UK report published in collaboration with Autodesk. The ‘Future Factories powered by AI’ report examines the opportunities and challenges for UK manufacturers and proposes how government initiatives and regulation can support the sectors adoption of new technologies.
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