UK MANUFACTURING SHIFTS FROM VOLUME TO VALUE AS TECHNOLOGY AND RESILIENCE REDEFINE COMPETITIVENESS
Michael Benham, Ops Director( left) Doug Allen, CEO( centre) Allan Murrary, MD( right)
For decades, UK manufacturing has been framed around a simple equation: volume versus cost. But in today’ s industrial landscape— shaped by persistent cost inflation, geopolitical uncertainty and accelerating technological change— that model is rapidly becoming obsolete. Competitiveness is no longer determined by scale alone, but by the ability to deliver complex, high-value components with precision, consistency and resilience.
Recent findings from the Make UK Executive Survey 2026 underline this shift. Despite rising employment, energy and technology costs, nearly two-thirds of manufacturers believe opportunities outweigh the risks in the year ahead. Crucially, businesses are not retreating. Instead, they are investing— prioritising innovation, digital transformation and new product development as routes to growth. It is a decisive move away from commoditised production towards capability-led manufacturing.
For HT Brigham Pressings, the Birmingham-based metal pressings specialist, this is not a new direction but a long-standing philosophy now firmly aligned with wider industry trends.
“ The UK is no longer set up to compete purely on volume or lowest cost,” says CEO Doug Allen.“ Our strength is in engineering depth, process control and the ability to deliver complex work reliably.”
That capability is increasingly being called upon as instability within the automotive and wider manufacturing supply chain creates both risk and opportunity. Across the sector, margin pressures and operational challenges have left some suppliers struggling to maintain performance, prompting OEMs and Tier 1s to seek alternative partners capable of restoring stability at pace.
Brigham has positioned itself at the centre of this dynamic. The business has developed a strong reputation for stepping into underperforming or distressed supply situations— taking on transferred tooling and programmes from suppliers in difficulty and rapidly stabilising production. This is not simply a question of available press capacity; it requires a
22 AUTOMATION, CONTROL & ENGINEERING