The UK manufacturing industry is still navigating the challenges of Covid19 and complexities of Brexit. The disruption of the last 18 months has exacerbated global supply chain delays across the industry, including the challenges faced by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), increasing cost and delivery, geopolitics, and economics nationalism.
However, OEMs are beginning to explore new ways of doing business and exiting new opportunities lie ahead for local Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) companies to capitalise on the changing dynamic of the industry.
Pivoting to the new normal
Electronics manufacturing in the UK remained open throughout the pandemic, developing flexible and responsive business models to minimise the impact to customers or costs. This included reorganisation of factory floors and implementing ‘social distancing’, and reducing the use of shared surfaces, equipment, and product.
The global supply chain
Working closely with customers at the initial product design stage to ensure the use of readily available components to alleviate the pressure of the current shortage of specialist components.
Onshoring and localisation
Increasing opportunities for UK manufacturers to work with local partners, with benefits such as increased flexibility, reduced risk, and significantly shorter delivery times.
Looking to the future
UK is home to several vibrant sectors, including the space industry which is forecasted to value more than £4 billion by 2030 in Scotland. The use of sensing technology in condition monitoring and industrial control is another growth area.
Read the full article, written by John Cameron, and published in Electronic Specifier, here.
