News 08 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk October/November 2026 Shaping manufacturing’s future: why we need to talk about what comes next UK manufacturing is at an important moment. The sector is facing significant challenges, but alongside them are opportunities that could reshape the future of British industry. From AI and advanced technologies to the transition to a lowercarbon energy system, changing global trade patterns and growing demand for defence and infrastructure, the direction of travel is clear. The question is whether we can move quickly enough to capture these opportunities, and whether the UK has the right conditions, skills and investment to do so. That is why bringing the manufacturing community together matters. Businesses are navigating rising costs, skills shortages, rapid technological change and an increasingly uncertain global environment. At the same time, decisions on industrial strategy, energy, trade, skills and regulation will have consequences for manufacturers for years to come. We need a conversation that connects all of these issues. That is the thinking behind Make UK’s National Manufacturing Conference 2027, taking place at the QEII Centre in London on 23 February. It will bring together manufacturers, policymakers and industry leaders to look beyond the immediate pressures facing businesses and focus on what comes next. The agenda reflects the breadth of the opportunities and challenges ahead: from technology adoption and AI; energy and workforce resilience; to trade, defence and the UK’s industrial capacity. But the conference is not simply about hearing from policymakers and industry leaders. It is an opportunity for manufacturers themselves to shape the conversation. Manufacturing cannot afford to be a spectator in the decisions that will define its future. We need to be clear about the support businesses need, while also being ambitious about what the sector can deliver for the UK economy. The next few years could be transformative for British manufacturing. Whether that transformation strengthens our industrial base, creates highvalue jobs and attracts investment will depend on the choices we make now. Our National Manufacturing Conference is about bringing the sector together to debate these questions, challenge assumptions and help shape what comes next. I hope to see the manufacturing community there. Stephen Phipson CBE Chief Executive, Make UK * Find out more and book your place: makeuk.org/nationalmanufacturing-conference By MAKE UK chief executive, Stephen Phipson MAKE uk - the manufacturers’ organisation monthly news comment engineering are more likely to see themselves as strong problemsolvers and confident with numeracy, at 68% and 47% respectively, compared with 59% and 35% of their peers. Engineering-minded students are also more likely to engage with employers, attend careers events and visit universities, with 37% doing so compared with 24% of non-engineering students. And they are significantly less interested in fame or prestige than students studying different subjects, at 12% compared with nearly a quarter (20%) of other students. Instead, they place greater value on practical experience, employer engagement and understanding their future career opportunities. Matthew Rooney, Head of Engineering Policy and Impact at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: “Engineering is changing, and young people are changing with it. The stereotype that engineering is only about engines, factories and hard hats is disappearing. “Today’s engineers are designing life-saving medical devices, developing artificial intelligence, transforming healthcare and tackling some of society’s biggest challenges. It’s encouraging to see more girls recognising that engineering offers exciting careers where they can make a real difference. “While there is still much more to do to close the overall gender gap, these findings show the future of engineering is becoming broader, more diverse and more appealing than ever before.” The report highlights biomedical engineering as one of the fastestgrowing disciplines, driven by an ageing population, healthcare innovation and advances in medical tchnology – creating opportunities for more women to help tackle engineering’s wider skills gap. Interest in engineering is consistent across socioeconomic backgrounds, challenging the idea that it mainly appeals to particular groups or areas. However, traditional disciplines such as civil engineering remain less popular, despite their vital role in housing, infrastructure, climate resilience and Net Zero, creating a future skills risk. Based on anonymised Unifrog data from thousands of 14 to 16year-olds, the report reveals not just what subjects interest young people, but how they approach careers – with aspiring engineers actively seeking information, employer engagement and real-world experience.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=