It is true to say that this year has been unusual to say the least and not without its challenges. Having considered the issues around the looming Brexit we plunged into a worldwide pandemic! Like there were not enough problems to deal with!
The one positive is that although sometimes our industry may not seem as glamorous as high fashion or Film & TV, it is not to be underestimated what a vital roll we play in society.
From the initial call out for manufacturers to make ventilators to COVID Testing labs and all the equipment needed at fast pace has made many of us realise how important a role we play. The initial supply issues from China were quickly replaced by a UK and virtual global lockdown making many vital components were in warehouses around the world unable to get to their destination eventually this did subside, and supply chains recovered albeit with ongoing disturbances.
I often say that we perform some of the important tasks that go un-noticed in the background of life however, without our customers in the food preparation and medical industries that stepped right up we would not have been able to manage as well as we have.
It is important that how ever bad it has been so far, we are the lucky ones! It may not feel like it at times, but the vast majority of the electronics and manufacturing industries have been able to continue without government-imposed shutdowns and all the problems that entails.
So, what are the positives that have come out of this you ask? Well for one it has made many people re-think global supply chains and think more about localised stocking from components to finished product. We cannot get away from global manufacturing centres however, if we go back to what traditional supply chains were, we commit to longer term orders with our suppliers and we can secure stock that will buffer against any ongoing supply shortages brought on by further lockdowns or supply restrictions.
We are by no means at the end of this, but we are at the beginning of the end and while this all sounds a bit Winston Churchill, I genuinely believe there are some positives we can take from this.
There has been a big drive to promote UK manufacturing and perhaps the value of what we do can be more widely promoted amongst the general public and to say that UK Manufacturing is still world class and a viable career. We need more young people in our industry and when we look at the ailing high street there is another option for gainful employment other than retail. Our factories and workshops are no longer the dark grimy smoke-filled factories of the past but are light modern and fast-moving dare I say exciting places to work.
At the end of 2020 I remain positive as ever that our industry is here for the future and there are many exciting opportunities that lay ahead for 2021 as we come out of this pandemic. For example, UK space agency driving for shuttle launches, bio medical advanced aided by technology and high-end electronics all needed to drive this innovation in electronics.
Let us end this year on a positive note and consider all the things that we can be grateful for and are yet to achieve. With this in mind I hope that you agree that UK manufacturing and Electronics still is a positive exciting placed to be right now.
