Digital roadmap planned for industry

Under this project, a review of digitalisation across UK industry is to be carried out and this will be published later this year.

It will look at what UK industry needs to do to drive productivity, secure high-skilled jobs and lay the groundwork for post-Brexit success – all in the face of massive advances in technology that will change the shape of work and industry.

Areas such as the use of artificial intelligence, robotics, augmented reality, automation technology, blockchain (distributed databases) and data analytics, will be covered, together with key policy interventions that will be needed to encourage advanced manufacturing and broader industry investment in new technologies.

The review is chaired by Juergen Maier, chief executive of Siemens UK and Ireland, and will assess how the UK can benefit from the accelerated adoption of digital technology across advanced manufacturing.

Accelerated adoption of digital technology​

The review is backed by the newly formed Productivity Leadership Council, which received support from the government in the November Autumn Statement.

Representatives from business include: John Lewis (owner of Waitrose) chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield; Phil Smith, chairman, Cisco UK & Ireland; Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the Confederation of British Industry; David Stokes chief executive for UK & Ireland with IBM; Oliver Benzecry, chief executive of Accenture UK; Roger Connor, head of global manufacturing with Glaxo SmithKline; and Nigel Stein, chief executive of GKN.

They will be joined by Nick Hurd MP, minister at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (DBEIS) who, alongside the DBEIS secretary Greg Clarke, will receive the outputs of the review.

The team will engage with large and small businesses alongside academics to see how digital technologies can drive increased national productivity.

Blueprint for a ‘sector deal’​

When completed, it is expected to lead to a blueprint for a ‘sector deal’ for UK manufacturing, where government and business partners increase the take-up of new technologies.

They will address the challenges and obstacles to driving productivity improvement, boosting skills and the number of high value, high productivity jobs.

Their remit will also cover promoting competition and innovation; facilitating long-term investment between suppliers and large companies; and identifying where the greatest value can be gained from new technology.

Lastly, the work will involve examining what is needed to develop and grow the strengths of particular clusters; increase exports – looking at trade and investment deals; and commercialise research.

“Our review is about defining how the UK can best adopt radical new technologies that will boost productivity and create new high tech jobs across manufacturing and industry,”​ said Maier.