UK competitiveness, energy security and efficiency all featured at March edition of the First Friday Press Club industrial media briefing
The First Friday Press Club, the UK’s only regular industrial media briefing, held its March event at Make UK’s head offices in London. The event brought senior insight from Make UK, GAMBICA, igus, and WEG to a group of 17 trade media journalists. The session examined how UK manufacturing is responding to policy change, fiscal pressure, regulatory scrutiny, the energy transition and global competition. It also provided a forum for Beckhoff Automation’s compact automation platform, WEG’s role in supporting the integration of renewables and igus’s advanced polymer coatings for boosting production efficiency.
Faye Skelton, Head of Policy at Make UK shared exclusive findings from the Make UK report – The Shape of British Industry – The Future. She called for the acceleration of digital transformation in line with the Government’s Industrial Strategy she said: “The UK is currently placed as the world’s 11th largest manufacturing nation, behind European competitors such as France, Italy, and Germany. Our report highlights the UK’s competitive position and areas for improvement, providing clear, evidence‑based policy recommendations to strengthen investment, boost productivity, enhance workforce capabilities.”
Adding further insight on the UK governments priorities, Nikesh Mistry, Sector Head for Industrial Automation at GAMBICA shared his views on upcoming legislation and how manufacturers can boost productivity and counteract the growing skills gap, through digital transformation and AI.
First Friday press Club is the UK’s leading face to face media briefings for the industrial, engineering, and STEM sectors, connecting the top industry journalists with key innovators. If you’d like to showcase your innovation and expertise, engage with the media, and contribute to the conversations shaping the sector
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