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about the UK advanced engineering and manufacturing market opportunity
Invest in Lincolnshire's Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing Sector: Key Benefits and Opportunities
Lincolnshire is an outstanding UK location for investing advanced manufacturing and engineering companies, enabling access to value-adding industry clusters and Industry 4.0 digital technologies with the potential to transform business productivity, efficiency and sustainability.
The Lincolnshire Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing Investment Opportunity
For investing advanced engineering and manufacturing businesses, Lincolnshire offers:
Industry Clusters
Leading, innovating companies in technology-focused sectors including defence and security, agricultural equipment, automotive and power systems technologies.
Market Opportunity
Direct access to the UK’s world-leading advanced engineering and manufacturing sector, with growth areas including Industry 4.0 technologies, defence, and low-carbon transport.
Research & Innovation
UK-leading Industry 4.0 expertise in technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, digitalisation, robotics and automation, and process industry systems.
Specialist Workforce
A skilled, advanced engineering and manufacturing workforce that is outstanding in the UK.
Sites & Properties
Available, cost-effective sites and properties, including options with large industrial power supplies and potential Freeport incentives.
Multimodal Connectivity
Fast, multimodal access to UK & global markets
Dedicated Support
Dedicated support for investing businesses
The UK Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing Market Opportunity
The UK’s advanced engineering and manufacturing sector presents a range of opportunities for business investment, growth, reshoring and innovation.
- UK leadership in the fourth industrial revolution, with domestic demand for Industry 4.0 technologies estimated to be worth £8.9 billion per year.
- UK government programmes offering potential support for manufacturing companies investing and innovating with digital technologies.
- Large-scale UK government defence investments presenting business growth opportunities in technology areas including AI, digital tech, robotics and drones.
- The UK government’s commitment to 100% zero emissions on all new vehicles from 2035 - creating opportunities for innovative transport supply chain companies.
- Multi-billion pound, UK government-supported research into key low carbon propulsion technologies including batteries, power electronics, motors and drives, and key related technologies including Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs).
UK Industry 4.0
£8.9Billion P.A. Market
New Vehicles
100%Net Zerofrom 2035
Defence Investment
£85BillionBy 2025
UK-leading Engineering & Manufacturing Industry Clusters and Supply Chains
Advanced engineering and manufacturing companies investing in Lincolnshire can join research-driven industry clusters and access cutting-edge, productivity-focused industrial digitalisation technologies.
Benefits for investing businesses include:
- Leading companies and potential supply chain partners in the defence, automotive, agricultural, and power generation engineering and technology sectors.
- High concentrations of industry and skills in specialisms including machinery and equipment manufacturing, computing and electronics.
- UK-leading Industry 4.0 expertise, encompassing AI, big data analytics, digitalisation and automation, applied across diverse industrial sectors.
- Business growth opportunities in areas including defence electronics, automotive drivetrain and lightweighting, and low-carbon, connected and autonomous vehicles.
Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing Research, Technologies and Innovation
Companies investing in Lincolnshire can access leading-edge Industry 4.0-focused research and innovation - combining advanced engineering and digital expertise to transform business productivity, efficiency, agility and sustainability.
- The University of Lincoln is a leading UK hub for Industry 4.0 R&D, with dedicated research centres applying AI, machine learning, big data analytics, and robotics and automation technologies to key industry challenges.
- Research into sustainable energy and power systems aligns with the core competencies of regional industry, and the drive for low-carbon energy and propulsion technologies.
- Sectors supported include defence, agricultural engineering, process manufacturing, and low-carbon, connected vehicles.
- As an example of close R&D partnerships with world-class businesses, Lincoln is one of very few UK universities to hold Siemens Global Principal Partner status.
Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing Sector Workforce, Education and Skills
Lincolnshire provides access to a large, skilled and cost-competitive advanced engineering and manufacturing workforce, enabling easier recruitment, fast project delivery and improved productivity for investing businesses.
- Lincolnshire offers access to a large manufacturing workforce, with a significantly higher percentage of workers in the sector than the Great Britain average.
- Localised workforce strengths include advanced electronics, machinery and equipment, and transport equipment manufacturing.
- Average sector labour costs offer substantial savings versus the national average.
- Lincolnshire’s educational institutions, including universities and further education colleges, address the specific skills requirements of the area’s advanced engineering and manufacturing businesses - through specialised courses and state-of-the-art technology centres.
Sites and Properties for Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing Businesses in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire offers a range of high-quality, industrial sites and property solutions for investing advanced engineering and manufacturing businesses, including:
- Ready-to-go sites for built-to-suit prime properties
- Sites with Freeport tax incentives for investing businesses
- Sites with large industrial power supplies
- Significant potential cost advantages versus key competitor locations
- Potential access to renewable energy sources, for sustainable supply chains
- Fast access to key UK manufacturing and logistics hubs, ports and airports
Fast UK & Global Market Access for Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing Businesses
Lincolnshire provides advanced engineering and manufacturing businesses with fast, multimodal access to UK and international markets.
- Lincolnshire’s central Great Britain location (north-south) enables fast access by road to the UK’s major manufacturing centres and markets.
- The ports of Immingham and Grimsby are amongst the UK’s largest by tonnage, offering diverse cargo handling capabilities and global seafreight connectivity.
- Airports accessible within 2 hours include East Midlands (the UK’s no.2 air cargo hub), Birmingham and Leeds-Bradford. Within Lincolnshire, Humberside Airport’s Amsterdam Schiphol hub-feeder service enables access to hundreds of global destinations.
- Lincolnshire’s major ports are freight-rail connected. For business travellers, London is accessible by rail from Lincoln in less than 2 hours.
Support for Your Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing Sector Business Investment
Working together, Invest Lincolnshire and our partner organisations, including local authorities, education providers and businesses, provide dedicated support to ensure a ‘soft landing’ for companies locating and investing in Lincolnshire.
Home to Leading Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing Businesses
Businesses established in Lincolnshire’s advanced engineering & manufacturing sector include:
Get the Data on Lincolnshire as an Engineering & Manufacturing Business Location
Lincolnshire’s Engineering & Manufacturing sector Business Location Guide provides essential information and data for companies researching and evaluating Lincolnshire as a potential investment location, including:
