It’s the last episode of the year, and so naturally we take some time to reflect on 2025.
Overview
- We take a look back at our most memorable stories – from the Guinness shortage to the JLR cyber-attack
- Karen Betts, CEO of the Food & Drink Federation (FDF) gives her honest opinion on the perceptions of the food and drink industry
- Max Goodall gives us a positive outlook for the future of the UK steel industry
- Asif Moghul talks about approaches to technology that he has seen in 2025
We’ve got plenty of reflective content live on The Manufacturer website at the moment, as we take a look back over the year that was. Alongside our 2025 in Pictures feature, we’ve also pulled together a round-up of thoughts, opinions and observations from leaders across industry, offering a snapshot of how the past year has been viewed from different corners of manufacturing.
This podcast episode builds on that reflective theme, bringing together a range of voices to share their perspectives. We hear from Karen Betts OBE, CEO of the Food & Drink Federation (FDF), who gives her honest take on how the food and drink sector is perceived more broadly. She discusses the visibility of the industry and questions whether it receives the same level of attention and recognition as other sectors, despite its scale and importance.
Elsewhere, regular listeners will know that the challenges facing the UK’s steel industry have been a recurring topic on the podcast. In this episode, we hear from Max Goodall, Digital Lead – Operations at Sheffield Forgemasters, who brings a note of welcome optimism to the conversation. His reflections offer a different angle on how parts of the sector are approaching change and looking ahead.
We also catch up with Asif Moghal from Autodesk, who reflects on where AI and digital investment have made the biggest impact in manufacturing over the past year. He also shares some thoughts on what businesses should be considering as they think about digital readiness and future planning for 2026.
Finally, be sure to listen right through to the end, where we tackle an issue that seems to resurface every year around this time. Do we genuinely enjoy Christmas crackers, tinsel, mince pies and Christmas pudding? Or is Christmas, in fact, Made by a Moron?
Listen back to previous episodes of The Manufacturer Podcast
