Trends in the UK automation industry

摘要

The UK automation industry has undergone considerable change during the last decade. Automation magazine asked members of the Festo team to take a look back, and to forecast some probable trends for the next ten years. The biggest change that has taken place in UK manufacturing in the past ten years is undoubtedly the fact that its contribution has halved - in 1997, manufacturing accounted for 40% of the country's economic output. Today this has fallen to less than 20%. The UK now has a two-speed economy, with the service and financial sector accounting for more than 75% of GDP and more than 80% of employment.