Why it matters now: The United Kingdom — once the undisputed workshop of the world — now finds itself scrambling to hold 11th place in global manufacturing output. Mike Wilson, chief automation officer at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), has issued an unambiguous warning: without rapid, widespread adoption of robotics and PLC-driven automation systems, the UK will not reclaim its former industrial stature. His remarks, published on 22 June 2026, come as the global programmable logic controller market surges toward a projected USD 12.9 billion valuation — and as competitor nations widen the productivity gap.
📊 Market Intelligence: The global PLC market reached USD 11.7 billion in 2025 and is forecast to expand at a CAGR of 11.4% through 2035, according to Global Market Insights. The broader industrial automation market — valued at USD 180.85 billion in 2025 — is on track to exceed USD 328 billion by 2032. These figures underscore the structural shift that UK manufacturers ignore at their peril.
The Competitiveness Gap: By the Numbers
The UK's manufacturing sector contributes roughly 10% of national economic output and employs millions. Yet the country has slid from its historical position as a top-five global manufacturer to a precarious spot between 11th and 14th, depending on the metric. Make UK's 2025 data places the nation at 11th — an improvement of one rank — but Wilson argues that margin is far too thin for comfort.
One metric crystallises the challenge: robot density. The UK operates approximately 228 industrial robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees. Germany — Europe's industrial powerhouse — fields 449 units. Japan, the birthplace of modern robotics, maintains 446. South Korea leads globally with over 1,000. Every unit gap represents lost productivity, higher per-unit labour costs, and diminished export competitiveness.
📈 UK vs. Competitor Nations: Robot Density Comparison (2024–2025)
| Country |
Robots per 10,000 Employees |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea |
1,012 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany |
449 |
| 🇯🇵 Japan |
446 |
| 🇪🇺 EU Average |
231 |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
~228 |
| 🌍 Global Average |
132 |
Source: International Federation of Robotics, World Robotics 2025
The MTC's Answer: A Robot Experience Centre for the SME Majority
Wilson's conviction is matched by institutional action. In June 2026, the MTC opened its Robot Experience Centre — a hands-on facility designed to lower the barrier to automation adoption, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. SMEs represent 99% of the UK's business population, yet they remain significantly under-automated compared to large manufacturers.
"Automation is not optional if the UK wants to rebuild manufacturing," Wilson stated in his interview with Robotics & Automation News. The Centre allows manufacturers to interact with live robotic systems, assess integration feasibility, and de-risk investment decisions — all before committing capital. This model addresses the top-three SME barriers to adoption: perceived cost, lack of in-house expertise, and uncertainty about ROI.
🔍 Analyst Insight: PLC-based control systems remain the backbone of industrial automation, connecting robots, conveyor systems, sensors, and HMIs into unified production workflows. As manufacturers adopt Industry 4.0 architectures, modern PLCs — with integrated Ethernet/IP, OPC UA, and edge-computing capabilities — are evolving from simple relay-replacement devices into data-rich nodes powering real-time analytics and predictive maintenance strategies. The UK's ability to deploy these systems at scale will directly determine its manufacturing trajectory through 2030.
Why PLC Automation Sits at the Core of the Revival
While headlines often fixate on AI and advanced robotics, Wilson's message — and the MTC's curriculum — points to a more foundational truth: programmable logic controllers remain the nervous system of every automated production line. Without modern PLC infrastructure, investments in collaborative robots, autonomous mobile robots, or AI-driven quality inspection deliver only fragmented returns.
The global PLC market's 11.4% CAGR reflects accelerating demand across discrete manufacturing, process industries, and hybrid environments. Key growth drivers include brownfield modernisation of legacy control systems, the rise of modular production cells, and integration requirements between OT (operational technology) and IT (information technology) layers in smart factories.
📋 Global PLC Market: Key Growth Drivers (2026–2035)
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Industry 4.0 Integration: PLCs now function as edge-computing gateways, transmitting production data to MES and ERP systems in real time.
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Brownfield Modernisation: Ageing manufacturing facilities across Western economies are replacing relay-based and early-generation PLC systems with IP-connected alternatives.
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Modular Production: Flexible, reconfigurable production lines depend on PLC architectures that support rapid reprogramming and seamless I/O expansion.
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Regulatory Compliance: Stricter safety standards (ISO 13849, IEC 61508) are compelling upgrades to safety-rated PLCs and integrated safety controllers.
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Energy Optimisation: PLC-driven monitoring of energy consumption at machine level is becoming a core sustainability lever for manufacturers facing rising electricity costs.
The SME Imperative: Automation Beyond the Enterprise Tier
One of Wilson's most pointed observations targets the UK's "missing middle" — the thousands of SME manufacturers that have neither the capital reserves of automotive OEMs nor the digital fluency of tech-sector startups. For these firms, the automation conversation often stalls at sticker shock. The MTC's Robot Experience Centre is explicitly designed to reframe that conversation: showing, rather than telling, what a lean automated cell can deliver in throughput, quality consistency, and payback period.
The OECD has identified cost perception, trust in technology vendors, and relevance uncertainty as the three dominant barriers to SME technology adoption in the UK. The MTC's hands-on demonstration approach tackles all three simultaneously — allowing manufacturers to touch, test, and cost-model systems using their own production data.
🏭 Trend Watch: The UK's industrial automation market is projected to grow at a pace that mirrors the global 7–9% CAGR band through 2032. However, domestic adoption rates — particularly among SMEs — lag behind Germany, Italy, and France. Closing this gap could add an estimated £40–50 billion to UK manufacturing output over the next decade, according to industry modelling by Make UK and the MTC.
Beyond Robotics: The Full Automation Stack
Wilson's vision extends beyond the robotic arm. The MTC's research programmes encompass the entire automation stack: PLC and PAC controllers, industrial networking (Profinet, EtherCAT, Ethernet/IP), SCADA and HMI visualisation layers, and the data infrastructure that turns machine signals into actionable intelligence. This systems-level approach distinguishes the UK's automation strategy from piecemeal adoption patterns seen in previous decades.
The Robotics & Automation Conference, hosted by the MTC in Coventry on 16–17 June 2026, drew manufacturers from across the UK to explore practical deployment pathways. The recurring theme: automation is no longer a capital-expenditure luxury but an operational necessity for any manufacturer competing in global supply chains.
❓ FAQ: PLC Automation and UK Manufacturing
Q: What role do PLCs play in modern manufacturing automation?
A: PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) are industrial computers that control machinery, production lines, and robotic systems. They execute real-time control logic, process sensor inputs, and communicate with higher-level systems such as SCADA and MES. Modern PLCs also serve as edge-computing nodes for data collection and analytics.
Q: Why is UK robot density so much lower than Germany's?
A: The UK's manufacturing base has a higher proportion of SMEs with limited capital budgets, a historical underinvestment in industrial R&D, and legacy facilities that lack the infrastructure for rapid automation deployment. Germany's "Mittelstand" model embeds automation investment as a continuous operational practice rather than a one-off project.
Q: How does the MTC's Robot Experience Centre help SMEs?
A: It provides a risk-free, hands-on environment where manufacturers can evaluate robotics and PLC-integrated systems before purchasing. The Centre offers feasibility assessments, ROI modelling, and technical guidance — removing the uncertainty that typically paralyses SME investment decisions.
Q: What is the forecast for PLC market growth?
A: The global PLC market, valued at USD 11.7 billion in 2025, is projected to reach USD 34.2 billion by 2035 — an 11.4% CAGR. Growth is driven by Industry 4.0 adoption, brownfield modernisation, and the convergence of OT and IT systems.
The Road Ahead: From 11th to the Top 10
The UK's climb from 12th to 11th in global manufacturing rankings offers a glimmer of momentum. But Wilson is clear: incremental progress is not enough. Re-entering the top 10 — and eventually challenging for a top-seven position — requires a step-change in automation intensity across every tier of the manufacturing ecosystem.
The MTC's Robot Experience Centre, coupled with its broader automation research agenda, represents a strategic bridge between ambition and execution. For UK manufacturers willing to invest in PLC-driven automation, the message is unequivocal: the tools exist, the expertise is available, and the global market is not waiting.
