The United Kingdom
Since the mid-1970s, the UK has experienced great changes in manufacturing industry. The functions and locations of the manufacturing industry in the UK have been changing over times.
In the 19th century, the main manufacturing industries were based on the use of coal and imported raw materials, such as iron ore and cotton. A main concern of the industries was the ability to export the finished products to other countries, particularly Britain’s former colonies. For these reasons, the major industrial areas were either on the major British coalfields or at ports on deep-water estuaries. Examples of such industries include:
-
Textiles-woolen cloth in West Yorkshire and cotton cloth in Lancashire
-
Steel in Sheffield
-
Shipbuilding in Newcastle
In recent decades, the UK manufacturing industries have shifted its emphasis from textile and steel-related industries to the high-tech industries that require a highly skilled and qualified workforce to carry out research and development (R&D). The accessibility to raw materials becomes less important in affecting industrial location. Instead the new high-tech industries concentrated in areas where skilled and well educated workforce can be attracted to work, or is available locally, under favourable government manpower resource policies. These high-tech industries are often described as ‘footloose’ because they are not tied to certain locations. At a local scale, they are commonly located at new industrial parks on the edges of towns, or alongside motorways with efficient transport. The following are the major new industrial areas in UK:
-
'Silicon glen' in central Scotland
-
The Cambridge area
-
Many small light industrial estates in 'rural' areas, e.g. East Anglia and Sussex.
As globalization speeds up, the manufacturing has changed significantly. Much of the activity in modern day manufacturing is characterized by high levels of technological innovation and investment in skills, knowledge and intangible investment such as branding, software and marketing.
The majority of manufacturing industries in the UK in the recent decades have been high-tech industries, such as computers and computer-related equipment, telecommunications and biotechnology/ pharmaceuticals.
Many traditional industries, for example the car assembly, have advanced by adopting new technologies and working practices to develop new products and to upgrade existing models through research and development (R&D).
1. The provision of subsidies and economic infrastructure by the UK government has attracted massive investment by transnational companies from Japan, South Korea and Germany. In the case of motor vehicle industry, many Japanese car manufacturers have come to Britain and built huge new plants, the three largest being Nissan, Toyota and Honda. The factory of Nissan at Washington in northeast England is the largest single investment by a Japanese company. Provision of similar subsidies and incentives by different levels of governments has encouraged overseas and home investment in various areas of the UK.
2. The improvement of transport network has been a major factor in influencing the shifting location of manufacturing industry in UK. The latest rise of high-tech industries is closely related to the swift movement of people, raw materials and products. For example, a large Toyota plant was built next to the A38 trunk road at Burnaston in North Derbyshirem and a Honda assembly plant is located at Swindon on the M4 corridor.
3. Some industries tend to locate next to university campuses. This facilitates the industry to cooperate with academic organisation to conduct research and development projects. Moreover, universities also provide sufficient supply of manpower and technical support to the industry. An example of this is the Cambridge Science Park.
4. The beautiful environment of the green areas in the rural areas of UK has attracted some enterprises to develop their business there. In UK, many business organisations and science parks have been built on greenfield sites in the suburbs with relatively low cost of land and attractive environment.
References:
1. Andy Palmer, Nigel Yates (2005). Advanced Geography. Oxford: Philip Allan Updates.
2. David Redfern, Malcolm Skinner (2003). Advanced Geography. Oxford: Philip Allan Updates.
3. BIS Economics Paper No. 10A
Manufacturing in the UK: An economic analysis of the sector (December 2010)
Department for Business Innovation & Skills
4. The future of UK manufacturing: Reports of its death are greatly exaggerated
Observations, analysis and recommendations – April 2009
PriceWaterHouseCoopers
http://www.pwc.co.uk/assets/pdf/ukmanufacturing-300309.pdf
5. BIS Economics Paper No. 18
Industrial Strategy: UK Sector Analysis (Septeber 2012)
Department for Business Innovation Skills
6. The guardian - manufacturing data