Manufacturing plays a pivotal role within the UK economy, employing more than 2.6 million people. It is also the most productive sector, outstripping the productivity growth of the much-flaunted services sector. Demand is strong too, with the majority (58%) of the British public preferring to purchase UK-made products over imported alternatives, according to Made in Britain research.
Technological innovation is central to the sector’s progress and growth. Automation, in particular, has been revolutionary, unlocking the potential for more efficient and accurate production processes. Repetitive operations that were once prone to errors can now be fully automated, reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
Today, amid the rise of robotics and artificial intelligence, particularly GenAI, we are in the midst of a technological revolution set to reshape the manufacturing sector in highly significant ways.
Likewise Group PLC (LON:LIKE) is a distributor of floorcoverings and matting and has the opportunity to consolidate the domestic and commercial floorcovering markets to become one of the UK’s largest distributors in this sector.