Skip to Content
Tech policy

Brexit could hit the UK’s advanced manufacturing hard

February 9, 2018

Trade difficulties arising from Britain’s departure from the EU may kill off some of the nation’s high-tech industry.

The news: A new study from the UK’s University of Sussex suggests that aerospace, automotive, and pharma manufacturers may be hurt in the wake of Brexit. Of 122 sectors analyzed, those were the three expected to suffer the greatest declines—as much as 10 percent—if trade becomes difficult between the UK and EU.

Prone policies: The UK has committed funding to R&D, plenty of which, it’s hoped, will invigorate the nation’s advanced manufacturing facilities. But the study’s author, Michael Gasiorek, tells Wired UK that such moves won’t counteract trade difficulties.

Why it matters: The nation’s economy and employment could take a hit. In some regions of the UK that lean heavily on manufacturing industries for employment, over 1,500 high-tech jobs may be lost per 100,000 economically active residents.

Deep Dive

Tech policy

How to preserve your digital memories

Following recent announcements by Google and Twitter, more data deletion policies are coming.

Your digital life isn’t as permanent as you think it is

Google will delete accounts after two years of inactivity, and experts expect more data deletion policies to come

Catching bad content in the age of AI

Why haven’t tech companies improved at content moderation?

Behind the scenes of Carnegie Mellon’s heated privacy dispute

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University wanted to create a privacy-preserving smart sensor. They were accused of violating privacy instead.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.