The UKTI and MAS have joined forces to launch a new service that aims to help companies bring production back to the UK. Called Reshore UK will provide a matching and location service, access to advice and support and a named individual to help each company.
In a previous poll nearly 50% of our readers felt that the UK goverment was doing nothing to help British manufacturing. Do you now have to eat your words or is this still a little too late? Have your say….
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Remember… you can add your comments below. Mr Cable may even read them, so keep it clean!
I am pleased something is being done now. But I was very sad when for example, I heard that the British wind farm manufacturer was not suppoerted to sustain it through tricky times and that the trains bought by the Govt. are being manufactured in Germany. Not all countries do this. Many proudly and rigourously support their own industry eeven if it requires a little more outlay. Ultimately, it makes good economic and social sense.
I couldn’t quite believe my ears when I heard this on Radio 4 this morning. I think we have to remain positive (although my thoughts about it are on my blog http://www.kimwetu.com/blog) but just a little wary until we see what is really going to be done. I think we should all keep in mind those examples (as Rosa mentions above) where the government haven’t supported UK manufacturing. I also think it’s not just about re-shoring, after all in many cases we have lost all the skills needed to keep the manufacturing in the UK anyway. It’s also about re-balancing and choosing UK-made before off-shore made (whether it’s a UK company or not).
Would love to believe that this could help but as there is no information on what these organizations are proposing to do to enable the return of manufacturing it is hard to say what affect it will have.
How do these actions sit with EU regulations?
Any support provided will more certainly will have to meet EU criteria!
I have been somewhat dubious about the Government saying one thing and doing another. New build Nuclear Power stations being the most recent example. But I have to say this is quite a step for them to take and in this case I am very encouraged.
Amazing news.If this ‘actually happens’ Britain could be turning a corner for supporting what could be the backbone of growing good UK manufacturing.Optimistic, cautious and fingers crossed!
It needs to be promoted and marketed sufficiently, and in all kinds of media. If people don’t know about the service it will not succeed.
As a Quality Engineer in Automotive, I see constantly that UK companies suffer from poor investment and lack of drive and capability. Many of them seem to be giving up. These are the places which need business development support. Additionally the govt doesn’t need to be going “cap-in-hand” to foreign countries to ask for inward investment, London should be encouraged to invest in it’s own host country.
Any large contracts obtained by this country have to be put out for tender to all EU countries so we have many foreign firms here and hiring their own workers. We could manage to entice more businesses back if our banks lent more money to them ..
Too little too late perhaps? Only time will tell. Yes, I’m sceptical. I’d like to think it would help but so many government ideas/plans/initiatives (or whatever they’re being called this month) see to have little connection to the real world or get dropped because they’ve been ill considered before they’re announced that I worry that this could be another example. I’d be delighted to be proved wrong. Go on Mr Cable, surprise me!
the biggest problem facing UK manufacturers is the UK buyers. We manufacture int he UK and some of the biggest companies and charities in the UK come to us for quotes and despite how much better quality our product is, how great the service is the fact that we were a mere half a pence more expensive than China we lost out. For obvious reasons i am won’t name them but it would definitely shock most people. Even the Olympics came to the UK and yet still the big orders for promotional items such as badges etc went overseas! Only after public outrage did some of the late corporate orders come back to Britain but by then all the large orders were well catered for and finished. Companies with the buying power couldn’t care less about the state of the UK or the businesses that operate within it, all importance is placed on profits. Until there is a change in attitude of the big companies then UK manufacturing will continue to slowly crawl its way back to what it could be. On the plus slide we seem to get more and more people specifically looking for British manufacturers which is always good to hear. Once we can get our own people to start looking at suppliers closer to home we can then look at expanding our horizons to the international market which I don’t think anywhere near enough UK business try to break into.