23 www.drivesncontrols.com April 2026 UK MANUFACTURING n introduced advanced tools, such as computer vision systems and camera-based inspection tools, to enable real-time identification of defects, to improve product quality and to reduce waste and costs. I also found that generative AI technologies are starting to be integrated across wider manufacturing operations to streamline supply chains, and for predictive maintenance and training content. Many early adopters of generative AI have experienced great success with this technology, and around 15% state that it has delivered the highest return-on-investment of any innovation that they have implemented. Looking into the future, many UK manufacturers are going to move beyond generative AI to incorporate more advanced AI systems to enhance their factory operations. 2. Cutting risks with digital twins: test before you invest! Digital twin technologies are playing a key role in enabling manufacturers to create virtual representations of physical objects. In one instance, a UK manufacturer has been able to design, test and validate a new production line with digital twin modelling before successfully integrating it onto the factory floor. But what are the payoffs? By using real-time data, the digital twin models can allow manufacturers to reflect physical object activities, behaviours and conditions accurately in a virtual environment. This can help them to reduce risks when integrating new assets onto their factory floors, cut project lead times, and help to guide their investment decisions. 3. Predictive maintenance: from reactive repairs to proactive prevention Unexpected equipment downtime is thought to have cost manufacturers in the UK and Europe more than £80bn in 2025. But those manufacturers who embraced predictive maintenance saw a halving in unplanned downtime, a 25% reduction in maintenance costs, and a 10-12% rise in OEE (overall equipment effectiveness). By linking equipment to IoT sensors, predictive maintenance can gather and analyse vibrations, sound and temperature data to detect patterns and predict when equipment failures might occur. Going forward, innovative uses of predictive maintenance will be key to ensuring that the factory floor is as productive as possible and that machine downtime is reduced. 4. The next-gen factory floor: optimising the assembly-to-market pipeline Across the UK, manufacturers are using autonomous tools to eliminate errors and to improve product assembly processes – whether that be barcode scanning to help with product tracking, weigh-scale validation to ensure product consistency and compliance, or quality sensors to provide inprocess checks or to identify defects. But some of the UK manufacturers that I visited have taken the use of autonomous tools one step further and have started to laser-scan product components directly into 3D printing workflows to decrease productto-market times by accelerating development cycles, increasing precision and reducing traditional manufacturing constraints. By combining the use of automation and digital innovations, manufacturers are achieving more streamlined design and production, allowing their workforces to focus on other value-added tasks. 5. People are the power behind the manufacturing revolution: protect them! It has been widely reported that one of the biggest challenges that manufacturers face when integrating and scaling AI is the lack of suitable talents and skills within their workforces. But the focus of UK manufacturers is now shifting. According to recent reports, 38% of UK manufacturing organisations are planning to upskill their existing talents. Of the factories I visited, many are planning to integrate employee learning platforms to help enhance their workforce’s digital skills, and to balance digital innovation with peoplecentric values. This is crucial for manufacturers to protect themselves from industry's skills shortages in the long-term. Across factory floors, teams of data scientists, developers and AI specialists are being set up to drive internal transformation. By building these specialist teams, manufacturers can design purpose-built IT/OT platforms, shopfloor applications and PLM (product lifecycle management) systems to enhance their operations. 6. Top-notch cybersecurity is non-negotiable Following the major cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover (which saw their computer networks shut down and cost the business more than £196m in cyber-related costs), cybersecurity was a hot topic in the factories I visited. As the manufacturing industry continues on its digital revolution, the level of cybervulnerability is increasing, and as a result, the need for robust cybersecurity measures has never been greater. Many of the manufacturers I visited recognise how factories can reduce the risk of cyberattacks while still progressing their journeys of digital innovation. Manufacturers cannot just delegate these cyber-issues to their SOC (security operation centre) teams. It takes a company-wide effort, starting with awareness of accountability by top management, and appropriate measures then being put in place at every operational stage in the business. The manufacturing sector is immersed in a digital revolution. Over the course of the past two years, it has progressed from experimentation to integrating mature digital innovations. UK manufacturers are now not only embracing digital technologies, but these are becoming a core part of their businesses, with many manufacturers scaling them, embedding them, and introducing many innovations that are actively shaping the future of UK industry. And here’s my footnote to this smarter future. The manufacturers that will prosper in the next digital chapter of manufacturing will be those who keep cybersecurity and people at the forefront of their decisions when choosing to adopt and scale these innovative technologies. n By combining automation with digital innovations, manufacturers are allowing their workforces to focus on other value-added tasks
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