EAMA is among dozens of firms and trade bodies which, The Guardian reports, signed a letter to the newspaper, urging a policy of alignment with EU standards and regulations unless it is explicitly not in the UK’s interests to do so.

Alignment with the EU is a significant and challenging issue in in terms of machinery products. On the one hand, it is clear that there is little demand from businesses for the UK to move away from EU rules that we have.  Much more pressing and difficult is the EU making changes – for example, the new Machinery Regulation – such that it is no longer aligned with EU-derived regulations that Britain has now.

Link to letter:  As business leaders, we support closer alignment with the EU | Trade policy | The Guardian

September 29^th 2023

The government said in February this year that “we must… reverse the historic decline in manufacturing in the UK”.  EAMA agrees with that and believes government and industry should work together to achieve it.

Right now, many firms are focused on immediate challenges of energy costs, skills, materials and component supply and inflation – issues on which both EAMA and LMAC are actively engaged.   But firms are also looking to take a longer-term view.

For individual companies, digital transformation in manufacturing is a key ingredient for success.  EAMA has teamed up with LMAC Consulting, which has worked with great success with small and medium-sized manufacturers, to produce this guide to what is often called “Industry 4.0” and to logical and reliable development in the digital age.  The guide also explains SIRI assessment, which provides a standard approach to assessing business needs which is appropriate to firms of all sizes and being adopted in countries around the world.

We invite you to read the guide and would welcome feedback.


or download here

EAMA has submitted evidence to the International Trade Committee for its inquiry into the EU trading relationship, January 2022.  This subject is of great importance across EAMA’s membership and we aim to continue gathering evidence, and feedback from member firms, about the positive and negative influences of our changed and evolving relationship with the EU.  To read the submission, click here: https://www.eama.info/downloads/EAMA_submission_ITC_EU_trading_relationship_inquiry.pdf

The same content, and other submissions, is available on the ITC’s website here:  https://committees.parliament.uk/work/1028/ukeu-trading-relationship/publications/written-evidence/

EAMA has contributed to a report on automation and robotics (A&R) published by the Manufacturing and Technology Centre, part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

The report argues for wider adoption of A&R – key to a much-needed revival in UK manufacturing.   It calls for more support for SMEs to identify opportunities and implement solutions, for better training, and for knowledge sharing.

EAMA’s article reflects on the UK’s engineering culture.  Adoption of A&R lags behind competitor nations and needs to accelerate, as a matter of urgency.  That does not mean ignoring the achievements of the past; but rather taking the culture of quality, good process and innovation and applying it to evolving technologies, and customer and regulatory demands (p22-23).

The MTC’s report should promote debate within businesses and among policy makers. Online link in comments.

Link to Robotics and Automation – A New Perspective : https://lnkd.in/dES9nYVS

We welcome comment: jacksemple@eama.org.uk

EAMA has made comments on the Autumn Budget and three-year Spending Review, announced on October 27th 2021.

Click to view PDF

EAMA Response

EAMA says that there can be no recovery in the UK economy without a strong manufacturing base.  We call for measures to encourage business improvement, innovation and investment across the supply chain, especially among SMEs, and we highlight the value of working with trade associations.

Budget 2021 – Engineering and Machinery Alliance submission.pdf

EAMA believes that UK Export Finance should be on the checklist of every engineering exporter.  As a strategic partner of UKEF, we work to help to raise awareness among exporters and to improve the effectiveness of UKEF’s support.

EAMA alliance secretary Jack Semple gave oral evidence on UK Export Finance to the House of Commons’ international trade committee in April 2021.

Recording: Parliamentlive.tv – International Trade Committee

Transcript: https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/2130/pdf/

EAMA’s written evidence: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/12437/pdf/

Also in April 2021, EAMA and UKEF jointly presented a webinar on the new General Export Facility.  It can be viewed here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0WcLBaJR_w

EAMA and UKEF also jointly held a webinar giving a general introduction to UKEF’s products, which remains relevant.  This was UKEF’s first webinar and can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/2RiOuhP  Password: NtmiMnm7

Get in touch with your local Export Finance Manager from UKEF