IN INDUSTRY LAST UPDATED : 11 APRIL 2018
Twelve months on from the enactment of Article 50, the uncertainty surrounding the likely impact of Brexit on key manufacturing sectors continues.
The Centre for Brexit Studies (CBS) at Birmingham City University has teamed up with OpenText, one of the world’s largest Enterprise Information Management companies, to provide the first independent micro-level assessment of the potential impact of Brexit on the automotive and aerospace sectors in the UK.
Speaking on this, Centre Director, Professor Alex de Ruyter, said:
“This research will feature interviews with senior company figures and thus will allow us to get inside the ‘black box’ of firm operations and give a better picture of how company supply chains will be affected.
"The automotive and aerospace sectors contribute £23.3 billion to the UK economy – excluding revenue generated within their supply chains. The car industry alone employs over 169,000 people but this figure rises to over 700,000 if jobs in related sectors such as vehicle servicing and repair are included.
"They reflect many common issues around supply chain, trade barriers, and HR, which are indicative of challenges facing the wider manufacturing sector as a whole.
“Just as importantly, the research will also allow us to better understand the links these key sectors have with other parts of the economy.
"The automotive sector spends over £45 million p.a. on food and beverages alone, so if you don’t think cars and planes are relevant to you, think again, as your business might also be affected”.
Professor De Ruyter will present the initial findings of the research at the forthcoming OpenText User Conference iTour, in London on April 12th 2018.