Britain has always been a nation of proud patriots for a number of reasons; our heritage, monarchy, beautiful landscapes, and ongoing growth of culture to name a few.
The very word ‘British’ carries connotations of democracy and respect to many and a recent study has reinforced this reputation by revealing that manufacturers place high value on the ‘Made in Britain’ brand.
The UK attractiveness survey 2014, carried out by Insider’s Made in the UK and sponsored by the EY, canvassed the opinions of hundreds of manufacturers. Results revealed that 64.7 per cent viewed the ‘Made in Britain’ brand as either very important or important to their business.
British products were deemed “better quality” and more credible to customers.
The survey additionally revealed some interesting statistics regarding the British economy, including that the UK is the leading European destination for investors from the US, Japan and India. Another result revealed that businesses based in the UK have distinct advantages to those based elsewhere, mainly due to our improved innovation and intellectual property environment.
One of our Innovation clients here at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) has chosen to manufacture locally and in doing so will double the workforce within the next 12 months. Durable Technologies, not only has plans to take on more employees but in bringing manufacturing back to the North East he is also safeguarding regional jobs as well.
I agree with Lord Livingstone, Minister of state for trade and investment, when he referred to manufacturing as “crucial to the economic recovery.”
Six priority actions were developed during the report to support the UK to stay in its high profile position. These included developing a more ambitious manufacturing strategy and raising awareness amongst investors not yet in the UK.
How, if and when we are able to set these actions in motion remain unanswered. However perhaps it’s high time to finally let the world know that there is more that Britain and in particular the North East can offer for the world economy.
It is well known that the North East lead the country in exporting and that makes the region a huge asset to the country. Just last week Nissan took home the award for the Top Overall Company at the Journal’s Top 200 Breakfast. The giant Sunderland manufacturing continues to deliver results and inspires a new generation into the world of manufacturing.
Pamela Patty, managing director from Ebac shared her views this month and also believes that more can be done to encourage exporting in the region with too many products currently being imported.
So what can be done? Let’s all get behind the ‘Made in Britain’ ethos and start believing in ourselves, we can compete and we should remain optimistic and get on with the job at hand.