As the UK’s manufacturing sector moves ever further away from the
typical hard manufacturing of the 20th century, so does the requirements
and locations of the spaces it occupies. Manufacturing is no longer just
about production; it is a much wider set of activities that create value for
the UK and benefits for wider society. Manufacturing includes significant
innovation; it creates jobs that are both highly skilled and well paid. It
also contributes to the rebalancing of the economy, with its strong role
on exports and import substitutions. Its importance in a Brexit Britain
could not be more relevant.
The changing spaces
The spaces in which our manufacturers’ operate
need now to be capable of rapid adaptation of their
physical and intellectual infrastructure to exploit changes
in technology as manufacturing becomes faster, more
advanced and more susceptible to customer behaviours.
Manufacturing in 2050 will almost certainly look different
from today and will be virtually unrecognisable from that
of 50 years ago. There is no better example of this than the
Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) Factory
2050 in Sheffield as recently promulgated by Theresa May.
The AMRC Factory 2050 is the UK’s first fully
reconfigurable assembly and component manufacturing
facility, which is capable of rapidly switching production
between different high-value components and one-off
parts. Part of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation
District, which started from humble beginnings in 2001
from a collaboration between Boeing and the University
of Sheffield, the AMRC now boasts over 90 industrial
partners including: Rolls-Royce; Airbus; BAE Systems; and McLaren Automotive.
This innovative approach to creating a
manufacturing space, the concentration
of highly skilled workers, and grouping
of technologically advanced companies
is ostensibly a huge factor in the continued
investment into the Innovation District. Supply chains
are magnetised towards such innovation; innovation
and intellectual property attracts further like-minded
organisations; and within short order new environments are
created.
Location
Manufacturing spaces of old peppered the banks
of the rivers that meandered through our major cities. The
reliance on water as a means of transport, power and waste
disposal was vital in the 19th and 20th century. These spaces
are now more likely to be found split off into apartments
or office space. The landscape and geography of our cities
now looks very different.
With relocation comes challenge; new areas
grow but old areas decay. If your business is looking to
relocate, leaving behind a decaying environment will not
maximise value for you. With challenge comes opportunity
and relocation is an opportunity to cash in on the capital
investment of your premises. If you get right what you
leave behind, you can maximise opportunity. Our Real
Estate and Industrial Occupiers teams can help you find
the most appropriate new occupation solution, whilst our
Development team can help you with maximising the value
of what you leave behind.
Published: 16 May 2017
Focus on Manufacturing - Edition 5
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