Collection

Future of manufacturing

Foresight project looking at the long-term picture for the UK manufacturing sector between now and 2050.

The manufacturing sector makes significant contributions to the economy, accounting for over 10% of the UK’s gross value and employing around 2.5 million people. It accounts for more than half of the UK’s exports (53%) and around 3 quarters of business research and development (72%).

This project looked at the long-term picture for the UK manufacturing sector up to 2050, investigating global trends and drivers of change. It explored how the UK could maximise these opportunities and developed an evidence base to help policy-makers prepare for the challenges ahead.

Future of manufacturing

Watch more videos about the manufacturing project

The project involved some 300 industry and academic experts, business leaders and stakeholders, from 25 countries. It was guided by a multi-disciplinary lead expert group and a high-level stakeholder group to ensure it included the most relevant evidence and its findings were of a high technical and scientific standard.

The project was sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Project report

Supporting evidence

  1. Future manufacturing: international perspectives

    • Research and analysis
  2. Future manufacturing: impact of government policies since 1945

    • Research and analysis
  3. Future manufacturing: competitiveness and evolving geography

    • Research and analysis
  4. Future manufacturing: international industrial policy - lessons for the UK

    • Research and analysis
  5. Future manufacturing: legal framework

    • Research and analysis
  6. Future manufacturing: technology trends

    • Research and analysis
  7. Future manufacturing: foreign direct investment trends

    • Research and analysis
  8. Future manufacturing: capital investment trends

    • Research and analysis
  9. Future manufacturing: high-value manufacturing - implications for employment

    • Research and analysis
  10. Future manufacturing: new and advanced materials

    • Research and analysis
  11. Future manufacturing: role of energy

    • Research and analysis
  12. Future manufacturing: importance of intellectual property

    • Research and analysis
  13. Future manufacturing: German manufacturing sector - overview

    • Research and analysis
  14. Future manufacturing: macro-economic trends

    • Research and analysis
  15. Future manufacturing: role of leadership

    • Research and analysis
  16. Future manufacturing: investment in innovation

    • Research and analysis
  17. Future manufacturing: constraints on UK exporters

    • Research and analysis
  18. Future manufacturing: knowledge sources

    • Research and analysis
  19. Future manufacturing: public image of manufacturing in the UK

    • Research and analysis
  20. Future manufacturing: infrastructure

    • Research and analysis
  21. Future manufacturing: best practice and UK productivity

    • Research and analysis
  22. Future manufacturing: implications of an ageing society

    • Research and analysis
  23. Future manufacturing: micro-economic trends

    • Research and analysis
  24. Future manufacturing: role of government procurement

    • Research and analysis
  25. Future manufacturing: winning markets for UK exports

    • Research and analysis
  26. Future manufacturing: international analyses

    • Research and analysis
  27. Future manufacturing: materials security

    • Research and analysis
  28. Future manufacturing: contribution to UK resilience

    • Research and analysis
  29. Future manufacturing: factory of the future

    • Research and analysis
  30. Future manufacturing: UK balance of payments - update

    • Research and analysis
  31. Future manufacturing: de-industrialisation and the balance of payments

    • Research and analysis
  32. Future manufacturing: re-industrialisation

    • Research and analysis
  33. Future manufacturing: business models for emerging sectors

    • Research and analysis
  34. Future manufacturing: role of BRIC countries

    • Research and analysis
  35. Future manufacturing: sustainability

    • Research and analysis
  36. Future manufacturing: UK workforce needs

    • Research and analysis
  37. Future manufacturing: industrial policy

    • Research and analysis

Announcements

Published 30 October 2013
Last updated 11 April 2014 + show all updates
  1. 'Future manufacturing: role of leadership' added to supporting evidence.
  2. First published.