March 2026 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 THE VALUE OF THE UK’S MANUFACTURING output increased by £21bn in 2025, despite a workforce reduction of more than 36,000 people and 2,500 fewer manufacturers, according to an analysis of ONS data by FourJaw Manufacturing Analytics. It reports that 2025 marked the fifth consecutive year of growth in output and productivity for UK manufacturing. The total value of factory production in 2025 (£55bn) was 27.8% higher in real terms than it was in 2020. According to FourJaw’s analysis, factory output grew by 3.4% to nearly £639bn last year, driven by output and productivity gains in aerospace (£6.7bn), chemicals and pharmaceuticals (£4.2bn), metals and machinery (£2.6bn), and computers and electrical products (£1.9bn). After adjusting for inflation, FourJaw estimates that UK manufacturing productivity was £8.9bn (1.4%) higher in 2025 than in 2024. The average output per manufacturing employee rose by 2.9% (around £7,000) in real terms year-on-year. Automotive manufacturing, including motor vehicles and trailers, declined by nearly £5.4bn (7%) in 2025. The industry faced challenges including reduced domestic demand, export tariffs, trade uncertainty and disruption of Jaguar Land Rover’s operations by a major cyberattack. “UK manufacturing is proving that resilience and innovation are winning the day,”comments Chris Iveson, CEO of FourJaw Manufacturing Analytics. “To deliver £21bn more in output is a phenomenal achievement given current workforce challenges and points to a sector successfully embracing continuous improvement and productivity-enhancing technology. “The resurgence of UK manufacturing is down to smart, efficient production and maximising the output of every machine and every employee,” he adds. p Optimism among UK manufacturers hit a 17-month high in January, as output, new orders and exports all accelerated, according to the latest S&P Purchasing Managers’ Index analysis. The PMI rose to 51.8 (up from 50.6 in December). Production climbed for the fourth month in a row, and at its joint-quickest rate since September 2024. The expansion was driven mainly by larger manufacturers, with SME output falling for the third month in a row. Employment levels in the sector also fell. Some 58% of UK manufacturers expect their output to rise in the next 12 months. p PCE Automation is reported to be making up to to 60 redundances at its Beccles headquarters in Suffolk. The cutbacks follow the closure of its Lutterworth, Leicestershire, branch in January. PCE also has operations in Lincolnshire and Ireland. p Germany’s Hoerbiger group is acquiring the precision motion and positioning technologies business Physik Instrumente (PI) for an undisclosed sum. PI will form the basis for a new positioning division in Hoerbiger, and will operate as a standalone business, keeping its name. Previously familyowned, PI has 1,900 employees and nine production sites worldwide. Its portfolio includes piezoelectric drives, linear actuators and rotary tables. p An initiative to accelerate digital transformation for manufacturing SMEs across the island of Ireland has been launched, backed by the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (Amic) at Queens University Belfast and Irish Manufacturing Research. The cross-border initiative, called Datum, will provide a practical path to help SME manufacturers to move from digital readiness to real implementation. https://datumdigital.org p The US motion control specialist Aerotech is expanding operations at its Fürth site in Germany. In addition to a previously announced laser laboratory, it also plans to assemble control components there, focussing initially on its XA4 series servodrives and motion controls. The aim is to achieve greater production flexibility, help stabilise supply chains, and increase product availability in Europe. Aerotech has a longterm strategy to develop its European operations. p DigiKey, the global distributor of electronic and automation products, added more than 108,000 new in-stock products for same-day shipping in 2025. In total, it added more than 1.6 million new items to its system, as well as 364 new suppliers. In the fourth quarter alone, DigiKey added 25,653 new stocking parts and 89 suppliers. NEWS BRIEFS The UK manufacturing sector raised its output and productivity for the fifth consecutive year in 2025, despite fewer workers (Source: Office for National Statistics and FourJaw Manufacturing Analytics) n NEWS UK manufacturing output soared by £21bn in 2025 despite industry cutbacks SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC HAS appointed David Hall as president of its UK and Ireland (UK&I) region, succeeding Kelly Becker who has held the position for the past five years. Hall will spearhead the strategic growth in a region that Schneider regards as being pivotal to its ambitions in Europe. He will report to Laurent Bataille, executive vicepresident of Europe operations. Hall and Becker will work together to ensure a smooth transition. Schneider is announcing Becker’s next role separately. “Kelly leaves a lasting legacy of transformational impact across the UK and Ireland and more widely across Europe, and we are deeply grateful,” says Bataille. Hall, an electrical and electronics engineer, has held senior positions at Schneider Electric for nine years, most recently as global senior vice-president for industrial automation strategic accounts. Before this, he led the UK&I Power Systems business, overseeing the shift to renewable generation, EVs, electric rail and shore-to-ship electric charging. Before joining Schneider, Hall held senior roles in energy and utility companies including Engie, SSE, E.ON, Severn Trent Water, AES and RWE npower. Schneider names David Hall as president of UK & I
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