The South West is making a bold play to redefine its industrial future. But what does this mean for Plymouth, a city with a proud maritime and manufacturing heritage? Is our region, and specifically our city, truly on the cusp of a significant industrial revitalisation?
The ambitious push is spearheaded by the Great South West Partnership, a collaboration of local businesses, councils, and universities. They’ve teamed up with Make UK, a national voice for manufacturers, and the reinvigorated South West Manufacturers’ Network (SWMN). Crucially, Plymouth’s own Plymouth Manufacturers’ Group (PMG) is a key player within this network. How will this combined force amplify Plymouth’s industrial voice and attract the attention to the region?
What’s On the Table?
The strategy hinges on three main pillars:
- A new Manufacturing Investment Plan: This is a a document that outlines aims to put the South West on the global map, strengthen innovation, tackle skills gaps, and fuel business growth. But will it translate into tangible investment for Plymouth firms?
- A refreshed South West Manufacturers’ Network: After a decade, this network of regional manufacturing groups is reaffirming its commitment to work together.
- The widespread rollout of the Made Smarter programme: This government-backed initiative promises direct support for small and medium-sized manufacturers looking to embrace digital technologies.
Why Now, and Why Plymouth?
This coordinated effort comes hot on the heels of the UK Government’s new Industrial Strategy, which singles out the South West for its strengths in advanced manufacturing, particularly in areas like clean energy, defence, agri-tech, and maritime autonomy.
Plymouth’s commitments to net zero, HMNB Devonport and with the city being officially designated as the UK’s National Centre for Marine Autonomy shows a direct alignment with the UK’s overarching economic strategy, with Plymouth identified as a critical national asset and a key delivery point for these advanced manufacturing ambitions.
Will Plymouth Really See the Impact?
Plymouth, with its high concentration of manufacturing employment in the South of England and major players like Babcock, stands to be a central beneficiary.
Plymouth has consistently maintained its position as the English southern city with the highest concentration of its workforce employed in manufacturing, with approximately 13% of its jobs in this sector. This translates to roughly 13,000 to 16,000 people directly employed by local manufacturers.
Despite these manufacturing strengths, Plymouth grapples with several persistent socio-economic issues that affect its overall prosperity and workforce as the city is ranked within the 20% most deprived local authority districts in England, with 28 areas within the city falling within the most deprived 10% in England.
Economically, the city faces challenges related to income and employment as the average gross weekly pay for full-time workers in Plymouth (£655.30) is notably lower than both the South West average (£700.80) and the Great Britain average (£729.80). Plymouth’s average annual salary is reported as £37.3k, compared to the UK average of £45.8k.
While Plymouth is a manufacturing stronghold and has demonstrated areas of growth it simultaneously faces deep-seated challenges related to poverty, wages, skills, and workforce engagement.
The Great South West initiative, with its focus on advanced manufacturing, digital transformation, and skills development, aims to directly address many of these underlying issues.
Direct Implications for Plymouth Businesses
Given Plymouth’s established manufacturing base, including its high concentration of manufacturing employment in the South of England and the presence of major companies such as Babcock, the initiative still presents specific opportunities to SME’s:
- Direct Support for Digital Adoption: The Made Smarter programme offers Plymouth-based SME manufacturers access to Up to 50% match funding for digital technology adoption (grants between £1,000 and £20,000).
- Fully funded digital leadership and champion training.
- Paid digital internships.
- Personalised 1:1 digital roadmaps to guide technology integration.
- Enhanced Regional Representation: The PMG’s continued involvement and commitment to the SWMN ensures that Plymouth’s manufacturing interests are represented within the broader regional strategy. This platform facilitates communication of local industry needs and potential.
- Alignment with National Strategy: The initiative aligns with the UK Government’s recently launched Industrial Strategy, which identifies the South West as a key area for advanced manufacturing, particularly in sectors relevant to Plymouth such as clean energy, defence, and maritime autonomy.
Context and Objectives
The South West currently employs over 120,000 people in manufacturing and contributes £7.4 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the economy. The aim of this coordinated campaign is to build upon these existing strengths. The Great South West Partnership seeks to deliver up to £45 billion of economic benefit and position the region as a leading area for the green and blue economy by 2035.
Find out more about the Made Smarter programme: https://www.madesmarter.uk/adoption/in-my-region/south-west
