Every January, Make UK's Executive Survey gives the clearest read on what's actually keeping British manufacturing leaders up at night, and the 2026 edition, published with PwC UK, doesn't pull punches.More than three-quarters of companies are investing in digital technologies, AI and automation this year, but 60% say skills remain the major barrier to getting real value out of that investmen. For operations leaders, that gap between ambition and delivery shows up first on the maintenance floor, where new automation only pays off if the team maintaining it has the skills and systems to keep it running. A CMMS like OxMaint is built to close exactly that gap, turning automation investment into reliable uptime rather than an expensive line item nobody was trained to support.
Turn Automation Investment Into Reliable Uptime
Give your maintenance team the systems and skills support they need to keep new automation running, instead of letting it sit half-used.
What the 2026 Survey Actually Found
The headline mood is cautious optimism, but the cost and skills pressures underneath it are exactly what maintenance teams are already living with day to day.
The Barriers Manufacturers Named
| Barrier | Reported Share | Where It Bites on the Maintenance Floor |
|---|---|---|
| Skills and workforce capability | 40% | New automation sits idle or under-maintained without trained technicians |
| Cost of transformation | 38% | Budget gets spent on the asset, leaving little for the systems to support it |
| Legacy systems and processes | 38% | New equipment gets bolted onto maintenance processes still running on paper |
| Energy and employment costs | ~90% expect employment costs to rise | Every hour of avoidable downtime becomes more expensive to absorb |
Four Themes Running Through the Survey
Skills Gap
Automation adoption is outpacing the workforce's ability to operate and maintain it without significant upskilling investment.
Energy Costs
Persistent energy price pressure keeps uptime and equipment efficiency near the top of every plant director's cost conversation.
AI & Automation
Investment is real and growing, but manufacturers admit the gains depend on implementation capacity, not just the technology itself.
Industrial Strategy
Manufacturers see a clear industrial strategy as the strongest lever for unlocking further investment and growth this year.
Where UK Plants Sit on Readiness
Investing Without a Plan
New automation is purchased, but maintenance processes and workforce training haven't caught up with it yet.
Skilling Up in Parts
Training is happening, but it's uneven across sites and not yet tied to a consistent maintenance system.
Investment Matched to Capability
Automation, workforce training, and maintenance systems are planned together, so new equipment earns its return from day one.
The Energy Relief Won't Fix Reliability Alone
The Autumn Budget's energy scheme aims to cut bills by 25% for around 7,000 manufacturers, and Make UK has pushed for it to be widened further. That relief helps the cost side of the equation, but it doesn't reduce the number of hours a poorly maintained asset spends running inefficiently or sitting down entirely.
The plants getting the most out of 2026's investment climate are treating skills, maintenance systems, and automation spend as one connected decision, not three separate budget lines. Sign up free to connect your maintenance data to the automation investment already underway, or book a demo to see how a maintenance system closes the skills and process gap the survey points to.
Close the Gap the Survey Keeps Flagging
Match your 2026 automation investment with the maintenance systems and workforce tools that make it actually pay off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this data come from?
It's drawn from Make UK's Executive Survey 2026, published in association with PwC UK, which captures the views of senior manufacturing leaders on opportunities, risks, and challenges for the year ahead.
Is skills really a bigger issue than cost right now?
Cost pressures remain significant, but the survey specifically flags skills and workforce capability as the leading barrier standing between digital investment and the value manufacturers expect from it.
Does the energy relief scheme apply to every manufacturer?
The scheme currently targets around 7,000 manufacturers, and Make UK has been pushing government to widen its scope to cover a broader share of the sector.
Why do legacy systems keep coming up as a barrier?
New automation delivers less value when it's layered onto maintenance processes still running on paper or disconnected spreadsheets, since the data needed to support it never reaches the people managing the equipment.
What should operations leaders take from this survey?
That automation spend and maintenance capability need to be planned together, since the survey's own barriers, skills, cost, and legacy systems, all point to implementation gaps rather than a lack of ambition.
