If you can keep your head…
Published: 09 August, 2016
Well what a month! I think most of us are still trying to absorb the fast paced changes that are taking place. I have to admit I’m ever so slightly relieved we have avoided a long drawn out Conservative leadership contest, and we now have in place a new Prime Minister and government to lead us through the difficult Brexit negotiations.
Although Manufacturers’ confidence in the UK economy has been knocked by the vote to leave, as things begin to calm down and the negotiations start to take shape, we mustn’t lose sight of the new opportunities that will undoubtedly emerge or we will end up in a self prophesising recession. Without sounding too Churchillian we have to be ready for this new era and look upon it with pragmatism and optimism. To quote Rudyard Kipling ‘If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs …” pretty much sums up for me how we should approach the next few months.
Irrespective of the final Brexit deal with the EU there are many opportunities that British industry can exploit and control directly. For example Industry 4.0 and The Industrial Internet of Things, presents huge opportunities for British manufacturing over the next decade and in light of Britain’s decision to leave the EU, it is arguably more important than ever to transform as a priority the UK to a smart manufacturing era to gain a real competitive edge.
British businesses need and have begun to see the significant advantages that can be realised through smart manufacturing, and are actively investing and beginning to adapt to this new vision so that they can get their products to market the quickest and hence stay ahead of our EU competition.
Irrespective of your views on Brexit, we now have to make a success out of the opportunities that will inevitably present themselves and I am optimistic that there will be many, but that will rely heavily on transforming British manufacturing into the era of the Industrial Internet of Things, only then will this give the UK the necessary advantage to adapt and flourish.
