Siemens boss urges the North to lead next Industrial Revolution

A call for the North to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution with its smaller manufacturers will be made today by a key industrial advisor to the Government’s Industrial Strategy team.

Juergen Maier, CEO of Siemens UK, will urge industry across the North to commit to embedding technology, information and data into everything they do.

Speaking to an invited audience of northern industrialists and young engineers at the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), Maier will say that a new digital Industrial Revolution could see 175,000 new jobs being created over 10 years, mainly skilled jobs in engineering, software and design.

“Leading the next Industrial Revolution cannot be done from Whitehall; it cannot be done from London. It can only be done in the North,” says Maier.

“This city of Sheffield was world-renowned for high-quality steel production, but fell into decline as the industry collapsed and cheaper alternatives across the world became available. We should all be determined that we do not let this happen again.

“This is our chance to reverse that decline and create the high-skilled jobs for generations to come. Through embracing technology we can lead the world once again – exporting new Northern industries all over the globe.

“Many of our smaller firms have led the way. Now we want thousands more to come on board. There is nothing to fear but plenty to gain.”

Professor Sir Keith Burnett, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield, adds: “As the cradle of the first industrial revolution, the north of England sent new products to the world. Now we need the infrastructure, research, innovation and skills which will enable us to lead in the era of Industry 4.0.”

But Maier will warn that a major obstacle to this revolution remains a lack of awareness of among smaller and medium sized companies (SMEs) – only 8% of manufacturing companies understand industry 4.0 or digitalisation, and 76% have no understanding at all.

This, coupled with a fear of change and automation, has led many companies to shy away from incorporating cutting-edge technology.

Maier will today speak at the AMRC’s flagship Factory 2050, where industry comes to de-risk the implementation of digital technologies, from robotics and automation, virtual and augmented reality, and Artificial Intelligence and machine learning.

Ben Morgan, who heads Factory 2050’s Integrated Manufacturing Group, adds: “If we don’t exploit these technologies to the full, manufacturing in the UK will continue to be vulnerable to competition from early adopting countries across Europe and the Far East.

“Ensuring that companies across the North and the Midlands get access to the productivity benefits of the next Industrial Revolution is vital if the UK is to remain globally competitive.”

Siemens, a partner at the AMRC, recently announced plans for a proposed £200m state-of-the-art factory in Goole, East Yorkshire, to manufacture and commission the trains of the future.

Northern Powerhouse partnership director, Henri Murison, said: “The next Industrial Revolution is going to transform the lives of future generations; leading this technological revolution from now will change the future for those growing up here today.”