The latest IFR figures show just how far British manufacturing has to climb in terms of
automation adoption. Now down to 23 rd in the global robot density league table, the UK has
just 119 robots per 10,000 workers, against a global average of 162. If we remove the
automotive sector from these statistics, the picture is worse still, with just 69 robots per
10,000 workers. The UK has also dropped out of the top 10 world manufacturing rankings
for the first time, falling to 12 th place. Oliver Selby, head of sales for FANUC UK and chair of
BARA (British Automation and Robotics Association), reveals his thoughts.
Despite a proud history as a strong manufacturing nation, UK productivity rates have to rise
if the company is to remain a force on the international stage. In Q4 2024, productivity was
estimated to be 0.8% lower compared with a year ago, and 19% lower than the US. With a
clear correlation between automation adoption and higher productivity rates, why are not
more UK manufacturers investing in robots?
One often overlooked reason is a focus on job creation over productivity. It has been well
documented that the UK manufacturing industry is in the grip of both a labour crisis and a
skills shortage. According to a recent report by The Manufacturer, 97% of manufacturers say
that hiring and retaining staff presents a challenge to the growth of their business, with 36%
of manufacturing vacancies proving hard to fill (compared with an average rate of 24%
across all industries).
Despite this, news stories appear regularly regarding how government funding towards
large manufacturing projects for companies such as Nissan, Rolls Royce or BAE will create
“thousands of new jobs” for the industry – with no mention of where these workers will
come from or what this funding will deliver in terms of output. A shift in government and
media focus towards increasing productivity levels among manufacturing firms of all sizes –
rather than job creation via large corporations – would be far more useful for boosting
overall manufacturing output. Support for investment in automation projects would be a
sure-fire way to do this.
Exacerbating the labour crisis is the fact that young people are not currently entering the
sector in sufficient numbers to replace workers leaving the industry. Working culture has
changed hugely over recent years and digitally native Gen Zs are looking for stimulating
roles that offer career progression, instead of a steady but low skilled ‘job for life’.

Investing in automation to replace the dull, dirty and dangerous roles that are now so hard
to fill has numerous benefits for business owners, existing workers and new entrants alike.
Robots do not get sick or tired, can work 24/7 even in the dark and carry out tasks to a
consistently high level, improving product quality and increasing output for manufacturing
firms. At the same time, existing workers can be upskilled and redeployed to higher value
tasks, increasing job satisfaction and improving retention rates. Furthermore, a company
employing advanced manufacturing capabilities such as robotics, automation, vision
technology and AI will find it far easier to attract new talent to help futureproof its business.
Another potential barrier is the perceived cost of robotics, combined with an unrealistic
attitude towards payback. In the UK, the typical expectation is that payback on an
automation project will be under two years. Yet the value that the right automation solution
can deliver to a manufacturing business will last far longer than that. Focusing on an
unrealistic sub-two year payback can lead to businesses making compromises when
developing their manufacturing strategy and getting a solution which is not fit for purpose,
or choosing not to invest at all.
By contrast, prioritising total cost of ownership over initial purchase price gives a far truer
representation of the real cost, and value, to a business of an automation solution. This is
reflected in Europe where companies typically expect payback in three to five years – and
may help to account for their higher levels of both automation and productivity. German
workers produce around one-sixth more per hour than their UK counterparts.
Aside from this, it’s also worth mentioning that the price of robots has barely increased in
the past 15 years, rising at near, and at times slightly under, inflation levels. Compare this
with price rises in the automotive sector over a similar period, and it is clear that in 2025,
robots represent good value for money. In addition, opportunities for financing automation
projects have improved greatly in recent years, with options including hire purchase and
robots-to-rent making solutions accessible to manufacturers of all sizes.
A final barrier to consider is a perceived lack of automation expertise. Outdated perceptions
of robots as complicated, difficult to program and inflexible have prevented some
manufacturers from taking the plunge, potentially impacting their ability to be competitive
on both the domestic and international stage. In fact, today’s industrial and collaborative
robots are user-friendly, easy to configure and simple to operate, with many plug-and-play
options now available.
What’s more, robot suppliers such as FANUC, as well as its system integrator partners, can
help to reduce the risk of investing in automation and make a project more attractive to
potential funders. Using FANUC’s automation experience and expertise, the company works
with manufacturers across all sectors to understand the problems they need solving,
ensuring they get the right solution, at the right price, at the first time of asking.

In conclusion, today’s automation solutions are flexible, affordable and easy to use. They
can help to solve labour challenges, improve product quality and consistency, increase
output, and ultimately boost the UK’s overall productivity. The time for manufacturers to
invest is now.
FANUC will be exhibiting at Smart Factory Expo 2025 in conjunction with a number of its
system integrator partners on stand 5/F40, NEC Birmingham, 4-5 June 2025.
More information www.fanuc.eu