Manufacturing News – Early 2026

The UK manufacturing sector made a positive start to the second quarter of the year, with the trends in output, new orders and employment all showing signs of improvement. Supply chain and price pressures continued to grow, however, as disruptions, delays and the war in the Middle East were felt across the sector.

The seasonally adjusted S&P Global UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to a 47-month high of 53.7 in April, its best level since May 2022 and little-changed from the earlier flash estimate of 53.6. The headline PMI has posted above its neutral 50.0 mark – signalling expansion – for six successive months.

• Manufacturing PMI at 53.7 in April
• Output, new orders and employment all increase
• Input price inflation at near four-year high as supply chain pressures build

Four of the five PMI sub-components (output, new orders, employment and suppliers’ delivery times) were all at levels usually consistent with improved operating conditions. Stocks of purchases also declined to one of the weakest extents during its current 43-month sequence of contraction.

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Sourced from The Manufacturer

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The UK contract manufacturing market remained fundamentally solid in the first quarter of 2026, showing healthy growth compared with the previous quarter, according to the latest Contract Manufacturing Index (CMI) figures, although it is beginning to feel the effects of global events.

The CMI stood at 75 for the quarter, up 8% on the final quarter of 2025. It showed solid month-on-month growth from January onwards, but by the end of March supplier quoting activity had fallen by 30% and lead times had lengthened by 30% as the crisis in the Middle East began to affect prices and supply chains.

Sourced from Engineering Capacity

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A £1.5m investment from the East Midlands Combined County Authority is set to support the development of an advanced manufacturing and clean energy facility in Derby.

The funding will enable the transformation of the former Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre into the Infinity Prototyping Centre (IPC), an innovation hub designed to support growth in nuclear, hydrogen and advanced manufacturing sectors.

The project is being delivered in partnership between East Midlands Combined County Authority, Derby City Council, the University of Derby and Infinity Technology Group.

Sourced from Business Desk