FANUC UK’s MD Tom Bouchier has highlighted the importance of automation in ensuring the UK fully realises the value the manufacturing sector can bring to the economy.
Speaking on the first day of FANUC UK’s Open House event in Coventry, he said, “Despite our heritage as a leading manufacturing nation, we’ve slipped to 12th place in the global manufacturing league table. This is in part due to our reluctance to automate, which is in turn impacting productivity levels.
“Manufacturing already contributes so much to the UK – it directly accounts for 8% of our GDP, with its wider impact when looking down the supply chain driving up this figure to an impressive 23%. Yet we are well below the global average for automation uptake of 162 robots per 10,000 workers, at just 119 robots per 10,000 workers.
“Increasing automation levels will not only help manufacturers combat labour challenges and sustainability concerns, it will also increase our productivity levels and enable us to compete globally as a leading manufacturing nation, benefiting not only the sector but the country as a whole.”
FANUC UK’s annual open house event showcases industrial automation and features presentations, panel debates and case studies with hands-on robot demonstrations, an exhibition area, and the finals of the WorldSkills UK Industrial Robotics competition.
The opening of this year’s event was marked by visits from Richard Parker, mayor of the West Midlands, and Simon Ward, mayor of Rugby.
The morning’s first session was a presentation on unlocking the potential of industrial robotics by Airbus’ Marco Chacin and Oliver Selby, head of sales for FANUC UK and BARA chair.
Other Day One presentations included Steven Grace from Cummins, who outlined the successes and challenges of his company’s global automation project, and Henry Anson, MD of The Manufacturer, who revealed key manufacturing trends for 2025.
