Research has revealed that the UK is an engineering powerhouse, with the profession generating up to an estimated £645bn gross value added (GVA) to the UK’s economy annually – equivalent to 32% of the country’s economic output.
Research has revealed that the UK is an engineering powerhouse, with the profession generating up to an estimated £645bn gross value added (GVA) to the UK’s economy annually – equivalent to 32% of the country’s economic output. The research has been released by the Royal Academy of Engineering on National Engineering Day, which aims to celebrate UK engineering and highlight the importance of the profession and its impact on people’s lives.
The research, conducted by Metro Dynamics for a project commissioned by the Royal Academy of Engineering, also reveals:
Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering, comments:
“Engineering touches our lives every single day – even if we often don’t notice it. Listening to music on your phone or digital radio, flicking on the kettle for a cup of tea, or making a slice of toast are only possible thanks to the work of engineers. And they’re also improving lives at a global scale: engineers made it possible to manufacture and distribute Covid-19 vaccines to people around the world and are playing a major role in enabling progress towards net zero.
“On National Engineering Day, we want to celebrate the UK’s engineers and showcase how they are improving our lives for the better. This new research emphasises the economic impact of the sector right across the UK, revealing how important engineering is for employment and prosperity in a wide range of regions. Through their work in these regions, these engineers will also be improving healthcare, providing secure and sustainable energy and contributing towards a sustainable and equitable future for people across the UK and beyond. Put simply, they are playing a vital role in tackling the problems we face today and improving our lives for tomorrow. However, if the profession is to continue to drive change, we need more people from a wider range of backgrounds to choose engineering. Through National Engineering Day we hope to inspire the next generation of engineers to join this future-shaping profession.”
The research has uncovered 13 engineering hotspots across the country, regions where a high proportion of the population - between one-in-three and one-in-two adults - are employed in the engineering economy. Hotspots include:
The Academy has created a map of these hotspots across the country – with the darker shade of red indicating areas that have the highest concentration of people working in the engineering economy, with the yellow indicating lower areas of concentration.
The research also demonstrates that engineering is driving economic value across the UK. Areas benefitting economically from engineering include:
The research released today is part of a wider piece of work, “Engineering, Economy & Place,” due to be published later this year by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Metro Dynamics.
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