United Kingdom Factory Automation and Industrial Control Systems Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

United Kingdom Factory Automation and Industrial Control Systems Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The UK Factory Automation and Industrial Control Systems Market was valued at USD 10.83 billion in 2020, and it is expected to reach USD 18.26 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of approximately 10.05%, during the forecast period (2021-2026). The COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown restrictions across UK affected the industrial activities across the country. Some of the effects of lockdown include supply chain disruptions, lack of availability of raw materials, labor shortages, fluctuating prices, shipping problems, etc.

Key Highlights

• ​The market for Industry 4.0 in the United Kingdom is expected to grow in the future as the region gets ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which was presented to the parliament in 2019. The fourth revolution is characterized by a fusion of technologies such as artificial intelligence, gene editing, and advanced robotics.
• With the rapid increase in competition and evolving end-user requirements, manufacturing units in the United Kingdom are also being forced to adopt newer technological innovations and digital transformation solutions to make their business process as efficient as possible. For instance, field devices, like motors and sensors, offer opportunities to the automotive industry to react faster to market requirements, reduce manufacturing downtimes, enhance the efficiency of supply chains, and expand productivity.
• Moreover, the government of UK has undertaken a new project to create a fully-automated drug discovery facility to speed up the production of new medicines and transform the pharma industry. The Rosalind franklin institute in Harwell, Oxfordshire, would initiate hands-free molecular discovery to generate new drugs at a speed more than ten times of the norm.
• On the supply side, many industries are already witnessing the introduction of technologies, such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and robotics, which are expected to disrupt the well-established industry value chains.
• The high cost of these automated systems is associated with the effective and robust hardware and efficient software. These automation equipment requires the high capital expenditure in order to invest in automation technologies which can cost millions of dollars to design, fabricate, and install.

Key Market TrendsManufacturing Execution System (MES)​ are Expected to Drive the Growth of Market

• MES is a computerized system that is used in manufacturing to plan, schedule, track, and enhance operations. The function of MES is to ensure that all processes work in an efficient way. As the manufacturing process becomes more complex, MES software is essential.
• The scope of MES systems ranges from scheduling tasks to carrying out performance analysis across the entirety of the manufacturing process. Organizations have been using MES to coordinate activities across the factory floor. It also serves as a bridge between process control systems and enterprise resource planning (ERP).
• Manufacturing organizations face challenges in increasing manufacturing profitability, obtaining a higher return on assets, lowering business risk, and enhancing customer relationship processes. Companies started adopting MES to overcome these business challenges, which turned out to be a traditional approach toward handling the operations in manufacturing companies.
• The integration of MES with ERP systems enables manufacturers to coordinate work orders, and other resource needs effectively, as well as helps make manufacturing leaner with real-time production adjustments, accurate demand forecasts, just-in-time deliveries, the ability to avoid rush orders and seamless change orders.
• The market is witnessing an increase in contracts for the implementation of MES across different industries. For instance, in July 2020, Primetals Technologies received an order for the installation of a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for Gerdau’s integrated plant melt shop in Ouro Branco, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The new solution will replace an existing system, which offers only limited upgrade options after several years of operation. The project will be executed by Primetals Technologies in cooperation with PSI Metals, thus, combining leading automation, metallurgical, and software know-how in the steel industry.

Automotive and Transportation Industry Expected to Drive the Market Growth in the Country

• The automotive industry is among the prominent sectors that hold a significant share of the world's automated manufacturing facilities. The production facilities of various automakers are automated to maintain efficiency. The growing trend of replacing conventional vehicles with EVs is expected to further augment the automotive industry's demand.
• The growing adoption of automation in manufacturing processes and digitization and AI involvement are primary factors driving industrial robots' demand in the automotive sector. According to IFR, the automotive industry in the UK is one of the largest users of robots, accounting for 52% of robots' total operational stock at 11,000 units by the end of 2019.
• Large industrial robots with a higher payload and extended arms capabilities handle spot welding on heavy body panels. Smaller robots weld lighter parts such as mounts and brackets. Robotic tungsten inert gas and metal inert gas welders can position the torch in the same orientation for every cycle.
• IoT is helping reshape not only manufacturing and design but also vehicle insight experiences and distribution services. Internet of Things (IoT) helps improve automotive manufacturing production efficiency, improve quality, and, ultimately, reduce costs.
• According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the UK's automotive industry is one of the region's most valuable economic assets, contributing roughly USD 22.7 billion per year to the economy. In addition, the industry employs hundreds of thousands of people across the country in high-skill and high valued jobs. Such instances are likely to augment the market growth in the country.

Competitive Landscape

The UK factory automation and industrial controls market is moderately consolidated. The market is dominated by major players but is increasingly witnessing the entry of new start-ups. These start-ups are getting ample support from the UK government programs.

• September 2021 - Rockwell Automation, Inc., the largest digital transformation and industrial automation company completed the acquisition of Plex Systems. This acquisition allows Rockwell to strengthen their cloud-delivered intelligent manufacturing solutions and provide smart manufacturing in customer operations.
• May 2021 - Schneider Electric announced the availability of their IP and NEMA rated EcoStruxure Micro Data Center R-Series in the European market. These data centers offer quick to deploy and resilient solutions to challenging manufacturing and the industrial environment with increased safety, production, and automation capabilities.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

Companies Mentioned

IBM Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Internap Corporation
Packet Inc. (An Equinix Inc. Company)
Scaleway Inc.
Amazon Web Services Inc
Rackspace Inc.
CenturyLink, Inc.
LightEdge Solutions, Inc

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