HVM Catapult sets 15-year technology strategy to accelerate UK industrial competitiveness

The High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVM Catapult) has unveiled a new long-term technology strategy designed to help UK industry develop, adopt and scale the advanced manufacturing capabilities needed to remain globally competitive.

Developed in collaboration with more than 150 industry partners, the strategy outlines a 15-year roadmap for translating emerging technologies into market-ready products. It provides a framework to guide investment and capability development across HVM Catapult’s national network of centres through to 2040.

At its core are a series of technology roadmaps that map how critical manufacturing capabilities must evolve to address key national priorities. These include supporting the clean energy transition, strengthening national security, advancing healthy living, and improving industrial sustainability.

The roadmaps also identify specific opportunities for innovation and scale-up across sectors. These range from developing digital twin technologies in composite engineering to enable next-generation floating offshore wind turbines, to advancing joining techniques for future nuclear reactor fleets, and scaling manufacturing processes to meet rising demand for personalised medicines.

The strategy has been highlighted as a key milestone within the UK government’s modern industrial strategy, particularly in supporting ambitions to significantly increase business investment in advanced manufacturing.

“Advanced manufacturing is entering a decisive decade. Around the world, nations are investing heavily in the technologies that will define future industrial leadership. For the UK the question is not simply whether we can invent these technologies, but whether we can adopt, integrate and scale them fast enough to turn innovation into industrial and economic advantage.”

“By providing greater clarity on priority technologies, capability gaps and the pathways needed to translate innovation into deployment, we can help businesses across the UK move more quickly from ideas to industrial impact.”

– Professor Chris Dungey, Chief Technology Officer at HVM Catapult.

Looking ahead, HVM Catapult will begin developing a complementary set of frontier technology roadmaps in 2026, focusing on areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and semiconductors.

In parallel, and with support from Innovate UK, the organisation will explore how these technological shifts will impact workforce requirements. This will include the development of “people roadmaps” aimed at identifying future skills needs and helping industry prepare for the workforce implications of rapid technological change.

Together, the initiatives are intended to align innovation, investment and skills development—ensuring the UK manufacturing sector is equipped to compete in an increasingly complex and fast-moving global landscape.