According to a survey, Among G10 nations, Britain, however, currently has the lowest density of robots in manufacturing. The UK lags way behind many European countries in terms of robot automation, according to the latest statistics from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

Mike Wilson, chairman of the British Automation and Robot Association (BARA) mentioned that over many years, the UK has been attracting workers from other countries, with businesses putting more weight on hiring people rather than investing in automation equipment. He stated that after Brexit, businesses would have to ensure that they use their workforce effectively and find alternative ways of performing tasks for which they have a shortage of staff – where process control automation being an obvious solution." 

A survey of 1,000 employees in the UK, made on behalf of Messe München and Automatica, identified that that 65% want education and training for implementing more automated principles and systems promoted as a top priority by policy makers. 68% predict that the use of robots is essential for the competitiveness of the UK's economy. The automotive sector leads the way when it comes to the use of robots and automation in both the UK and Europe as a whole, according to statistics from the IFR.

Wilson said during the press conference that if Jaguar Land Rover hadn’t invested in robots for its UK production plants then it would have made those cars elsewhere. It could be a great opportunity for other sectors in the UK to take away a lesson from how automobile firms have embraced automation in manufacturing. There might be UK manufacturing's lack of investment in automation by UK manufacturing but it seems to be promising according to new government strategies illustrating the push towards Industry 4.0 adoption and low carbon economy. 

The UK now has an opportunity to invest in robotics, Wilson said, because ‘there are solutions out there from other countries’ that have installed automation systems. He said the UK government has been listening to some extent – it has produced an industrial strategy and commissioned the Made Smarter Review, a report led by Professor Juergen Maier, CEO of Siemens UK, looking at the benefits of digital technology. The UK government has also increased the Annual Investment Allowance to £1m, for firms to offset investments against tax. Wilson said this fund hasn’t been used as much as it should be by manufacturers.

The correlation between the adoption of automation withing the manufacturing sector and effect on employment should not be misunderstood. As the report from House of Commons says, the risk we face is not a robot takeover of our workplaces, but that our lack of adoption and the reluctance of businesses to lead the way in the Fourth Industrial Revolution means other countries will seize the initiative and take the advantage of new technologies, not least the growth and jobs they bring, while we are left behind. Therefore, advocating the positive changes of digital transformation is now becoming one of the crucial initiatives in various UK sectors.