Campaign aims to highlight the best of UK manufacturing
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Thirty major UK-based companies are backing a government campaign to highlight the best of British manufacturing at an exhibition during the Olympic Games.
The year-long campaign is aiming to change the perception of manufacturing and promote it as a possible career for the next generation by showcasing what Britain makes today.
UK business secretary Vince Cable and business minister Mark Prisk yesterday launched the ’Make it in Great Britain’ campaign, which aims to transform outdated views of UK manufacturing and dispel a perceived myth that Britain doesn’t make anything anymore.
Senior figures in the manufacturing industry, including Joe Greenwell from Ford of Britain, William Butler-Adams from Brompton Bicycles and Michael Ryan from Bombardier Aerospace, are behind the campaign. They will act as ‘industry champions’, taking formal roles as part of the campaign and supporting its work.
The exhibition at the Science Museum, between 24 July to 9 September 2012, will showcase 30 innovative pieces of manufacturing that have been produced in Britain.
Cable said: ‘Manufacturing is our most exportable sector and is at the heart of our long-term economic vision. We have outstanding manufacturing companies, both large and small and I want to call on them to join us in being part of the “Make it in Great Britain” campaign.’
Prisk also announced that the campaign will be looking to recruit 30 rising stars of manufacturing under the age of 30, to inspire young people with their own experiences and support the campaign.
He said: ‘Historic British innovations such as Stephenson’s Rocket have been inspiring young people to be engineers for generations. But we, along with industry, want to show off the best, most innovative examples of British manufacturing as it is today.’
Readers' comments (9)
S. Martin | 16 Nov 2011 4:43 pm
Such showcases are often expensive PR stunts as most engineers know what we produce, invent, and develop. Surely this money could be spent fully developing and marketing such products, with the long term benefits for the UK.
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Peter Langridge | 16 Nov 2011 6:48 pm
Isn't it interesting that the last long-term Conservative government was responsible for killing off UK manufacturing, and now the mainly Conservative coallition has realised what a mistake that was. In the meantime our country has been almost ruined. Governments need to THINK more, and perhaps even listen to REAL Engineers!! (Not washing machine repair technicians, sewer cleaners etc. who get referred to by the media as engineers).
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Bob Brookes | 17 Nov 2011 1:28 pm
It is no good showing kids gee-whiz engineering if schools continually fail to teach them the basic tools to become an Engineer. I visited a school which had an excellent Ofsted report and "Technology College Status" but only one metalwork lathe that none of the staff knew how to use.
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Anonymous | 17 Nov 2011 7:07 pm
Blimey - give them a break, at least they have a) realised the mistakes of the past b) are trying to do something about it. This is the first government in my life time that has made any sort of effort to promote engineering and manufacturing.
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Chris Wood | 18 Nov 2011 12:12 pm
"Isn't it interesting that the last long-term Conservative government was responsible for killing off UK manufacturing, and now the mainly Conservative coallition has realised what a mistake that was."
This is an absolutely ridiculous statement and seems to serve the poster getting an old grudge off their chest.
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Peter Langridge | 20 Nov 2011 4:14 pm
Chris Wood, Maybe you are too young to have seen it all happen - steel, shipbuilding, aircraft, the motor industry, and of course they also sold our assets like water, gas and electricity abroad. You think it's a ridiculous statement? Think again!!
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Chris Wood | 21 Nov 2011 1:12 pm
Maybe I am, but you cannot compare this government to one 30 years ago - the people are different, the make up and structure is different and they have been doing more for engineering than anyone else I can remember over the past year or so... Just look at Tech City in Shoreditch as one example...
I just think that the original statement is too negative in light of the recent work. Development is a two way thing - if we in industry and the public have attitudes like that then nothing they do will make a difference...
If in two years time nothing has moved on after both of us making the best effort we can (industry and the government) then I'll accept I was wrong.
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Peter Langridge | 21 Nov 2011 7:10 pm
Chris, nobody could be more pleased than I am that the present government is putting right the errors of the last long-term Tory one, and I didn't think I was comparing, but rather contrasting, the two. I am sorry that you perceived my comment as negative. Clearly we are on the same side of the argument. My worry is that it will take a long time to get back to where we were 35 years ago.
I am very pleased to hear that the government has seen that exporting is vital to our economy, though disappointed that it was not so obvious that it didn't even need saying. We will never pay off the National Debt without selling more than we buy.
I was e-mailing my MP (Michael Gove) frequently, long before he was in Government, pleading for support for engineering and technical education. I don't for one moment believe that I had a great deal of influence, but what is happening is just what I wanted!
I think my only 'crime' is being patriotic!
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Adrian Jones | 24 Nov 2011 5:40 am
Looks like another epic failure in the making to me: The website contains nothing but PR guff and lacks even a contact email address. How on earth do they expect to engage with anyone on that basis?
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