New engineering marketplace helps promote reshoring in the UK

Julia Moore, CEO of the Gauge & Toolmakers Association (GTMA), explains the benefits of a new engineering marketplace to help manufacturers source UK products and services.

At some point almost every manufacturing business faces the same question about its product range: do we make it, buy it off-the-shelf or find a subcontract supplier?

Whichever path your business selects, and it could, of course, be a mix of all three options, there is now a free to use website that will provide comprehensive end-to-end information covering the most up-to-date products and services to support virtually any manufacturing scenario.

A reshoring tool for manufacturers

Officially launched in August, the Reshoring UK website represents a collaboration of leading industrial engineering associations which has been developed with the goal of connecting manufacturers with trusted, accredited suppliers capable of providing any technical support, specialist products and niche services required.

As the UK’s engineering marketplace, Reshoring UK puts a wealth of information at your fingertips to support informed business decisions.

Users can simply select a category that is relevant to their needs, with subcategories to help focus the search, or choose from industry sectors and even by association membership or search in the free text search for their product or service requirement. A region filter provides the choice between regions and country specific for suitable suppliers.

After filtering, any potential businesses are ‘pinned’ on a graphical map allowing the user to interrogate each profile and individual company website link. The pin for any viewed business changes colour to easily identify which companies have been reviewed.

A ‘free text’ search box means bespoke products and services can be quickly identified without the deluge of information you would receive using an internet browser. And, with ongoing plans to continue expanding the content and capability of the website, visitors to Reshoring UK will be assured of finding the latest technical content and current company information.

Reshoring misconceptions

It is an often-repeated misconception that the UK does not make things anymore. The reality is that we are still the ninth largest manufacturing nation in the world and the sector plays a vital role as an employer, exporter and innovator.

In fact, British-made goods are sought-after around the world, with manufacturing accounting for 44% of all the UK’s overseas sales. Manufacturing still contributes a tenth of UK Gross Value Added (GVA), and represents 70% of all business R&D spend and directly employs 2.7 million people.

With a number of key industry sector organisations already involved, such as rail, medical and automotive, the reach of the new website will only increase and aerospace, pharmaceutical, defence, marine, energy – nuclear, renewables, oil and gas, and also food and beverage will be included in the near future.

As one of the key supporters of the reshoring concept, the commercial division of Lloyds Bank, has recently issued ‘Business in Britain: Manufacturing. A survey of key sector opinions, trends and insights’.

Reshoring and relocation is highlighted within this publication, with 37% of firms saying they were planning to move manufacturing processes back to the UK that had previously been offshored to territories like Asia and eastern Europe.

The survey shows the prime motive for this, cited by 71% of those with these plans, was to improve quality – a telling endorsement of the high standards that British manufacturers and workers uphold, which also has extremely positive implications for UK supply chains.

Matching the needs of businesses that are reshoring, or even searching for the ‘lost skills’ which the engineering marketplace can provide, demonstrates where the Reshoring website excels. It can make the compiling of an end-to-end supply chain much more efficient, minimising the leg work required to find businesses that are capable and competent enough to provide the support required.

Added support

Additional associations are looking to join Reshoring UK, with the British Compressed Air (BCAS) among the latest to sign up.

The partnership retains the contact between the association and their members and provides for sustainability and integrity of the platform through the membership base of each association.

Support has also come from the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult centre, which includes WMG, AFMC who have been instrumental in supporting the Reshoring initiative to fund the development of the search facility and bring together a supply chain of engineering companies to support UK industry.

In the words of our Patron Baroness Burt of Solihull: "the development of the Reshoring initiative is to encourage engagement with our manufacturing supply chain and to recognise the strength, skills and innovation available to manufacturers in the UK".

Reshoring UK www.reshoringuk.co.uk

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Trade Associations signed up

• GAMBICA


• CompositesUK


• Rail Forum Midlands


• EIA – Engineering Industries Association


• AILU – Association of Industrial Laser Users


• BAF – British Abrasives Federation


• ABHI – Association of British HealthTech Industries


• CBM – Confederation of British Metalforming


• ALFED – Aluminium Federation


• GTMA – Gauge & Toolmakers Association


• CMF – Cast Metals Federation


• WAF – Welsh Automotive Forum


• BCF – British Coatings Federation


• BMTA – British Measurement and Testing Association


• BTMA – British Turned Parts Manufacturing Association


• MMMA – Metalforming Machinery Makers Association


• PMMDA – Polymer Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association


• BCAS – British Compressed Air Society


• SEA – Surface Engineering Association

Catapult Centres signed up

• AFRC – Advanced Forming Research Centre


• MTC – Manufacturing Technology Centre


• WMG – Warwick Manufacturing Group


• NCC - National Composites Centre


• High Value Manufacturing Catapult