British manufacturers are offering a mixed outlook on their ability to scale up production if required, according to a survey by the Manufacturing Technologies Association.
The findings come as the UK steps up efforts to rebuild domestic industrial capacity in strategically important sectors such as defence and energy, reducing reliance on overseas supply chains exposed by the Iran conflict.
The survey highlights significant constraints across the sector:
- Capacity & timelines: 38% of manufacturers said they could increase output within 0–3 months, while a further 18% estimated it would take 3–6 months
- Willingness to support: More than a quarter of respondents said they had no interest in supporting efforts to boost sovereign manufacturing capacity
- Ability to scale: 29% said they could not increase capacity at all; 24% could expand by up to 15%, while only 12% said they could boost output by more than 50%
- Key barriers: Access to funding ranked as the biggest obstacle, followed by lack of physical space
- Policy impact: 55% of firms said the government’s industrial strategy had made no difference to their business and was unlikely to do so
The survey, conducted between March 11 and April 6, gathered responses from 358 manufacturers, including 50% small businesses, 28% medium-sized firms and 22% large companies.
Overall, the results suggest that while some capacity exists to respond quickly, structural challenges — particularly around investment and infrastructure — could limit how rapidly the UK can scale up domestic manufacturing when needed.
