The Engineer & aPriori: Survey on the effects of COVID in the UK industrial engineering sector

There can be no doubt, 2020 threw us a curveball. And whilst the ability to adapt may be hardcoded in an engineer’s DNA, the impact of the global pandemic has pushed us all harder and faster towards a radically different future.

The Engineer teamed up with leading digital manufacturing simulation software provider, aPriori, to conduct a readership survey on the effects of COVID-19 in the UK industrial engineering sector. The response was unprecedented, offering fascinating insights into the state of our industrial nation, and our shared industrial future.

Much of the survey data was sobering, but not unexpected, with over 60% reporting loss of revenue and over 50%, disruption to the supply chain. Output has, unsurprisingly, also been significantly affected, with over 50% experiencing staff furloughs in their organisations, and over 28% reporting product launches that were either delayed, or cancelled altogether. Whether, in hindsight, this will be characterized as a temporary stalling, or a permanent backwards step, will depend on how far businesses are prepared to restructure and reinvent, and how fast.