A Complete Guide to Advanced Manufacturing | Modern Industrial Strategy
The UK Government has now published its Modern Industrial Strategy, in the form of ‘Invest 2035: the UK’s modern industrial strategy’.
This is designed to stimulate investment and funnel grants into companies operating in industries that the UK Government perceives to be strategically important in the next decade. These industries, collectively known as IS-8, are:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Clean Energy
- Creative Industries
- Defence
- Digital and Technologies
- Financial Services
- Life Sciences
- Professional and Business Services
We’ve now added all eight IS-8 sectors to the Beauhurst platform, building on top of our existing market-leading company classification technology. You can explore these sectors and the companies within them now, without relying on proxies or patchy data.
In this article, we’ll be focusing specifically on Advanced Manufacturing; including a full explanation of what the industry actually is and why it is deemed so vital to the UK economy.
Plus, we’ll also identify some of the leading companies that work in this field using our IS-8 Advanced Manufacturing buzzword tag.
What is Advanced Manufacturing?
Identified by the UK government’s industrial strategy as a key growth-driving sector, Advanced Manufacturing refers to the integration of advanced science and technology into manufacturing processes.
Advanced manufacturing is a niche but emerging industry where bleeding edge technology forms a key role in the manufacturing process.
This can take the form of AI software, robotics, 3D printing, virtual and/or augmented reality, advanced material components such as graphene, and internet of things (IoT) devices — and much more. The key factor in deciding whether a company is in Advanced Manufacturing or not is that the technology must be a part of the manufacturing process.
Why Advanced Manufacturing companies matter
Economic growth
Businesses in Advanced Manufacturing are expected to be a significant vehicle for growth in the UK’s industrial sectors, contributing to the energy transition, food and energy security, aerospace, and more.
In fact, the UK Government has outlined six frontier industries that both use and stand to benefit from Advanced Manufacturing:
The importance of talent acquisition
Due to the complexity of the sector, companies operating in Advanced Manufacturing are often reliant on a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce. This can make talent acquisition and retention a challenge.
We see examples like this in the US artificial intelligence sector, where talent and investment often come hand-in-hand, with personnel swapping companies as part of financial deals.
By designating Advanced Manufacturing as one of the key sectors in the UK’s modern industrial strategy, we should expect to see greater investment in education, and more innovation grants for companies in the sector, enabling businesses to hire with confidence.
Which SIC codes are included in Advanced Manufacturing?
Long-time readers of Beauhurst will know about the limitations of SIC codes — it’s an overly complex, out of date system, and represents the business economy as it was, rather than as it actually is now.
And the Government appears to concede this in its suggested SIC codes, with the admission that Advanced Materials ‘cannot be easily represented using the SIC system’. Nonetheless, the broader recommended proxy is:
- 20 Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products
- 26 Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products
- 27 Manufacture of electrical equipment
- 28 Manufacture of machinery and equipment not elsewhere classified
- 29 Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers
- 30 Manufacture of other transport equipment
A superior alternative to SIC codes
At Beauhurst, we’ve developed Industries and Buzzwords — our own proprietary datasets, which have been designed to represent the modern business environment, with artificial intelligence, renewable energy, blockchain, and fintech, just four of our 314 classifications.
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Map the entire economy with Industries and Buzzwords; trusted by local and national government departments for impact reporting.
The UK’s top Advanced Manufacturing companies
Now, let’s examine some of the UK’s top Advanced Manufacturing companies. To do this, we’ve used data from the Beauhurst platform, and selected the top three companies according to two criteria: turnover and investment.
Methodology
To be eligible for this ranking, a company has to meet the following criteria:
- Headquartered in Germany
- Listed as ‘Active’ on the German Handelsregister
- Classified within the legal services in Germany, using Beauhurst’s industry classification
Companies have been ranked by annual turnover. Only companies with turnover filed from 31st December 2023 onwards have been included in the ranking.
The data for this report was found using the Beauhurst platform, and is accurate as of 4 September, 2025.
The top three advanced manufacturing companies by turnover
Airbus UK
Incorporated: 1997
Location: Westminster
Latest turnover: £4.62b
Airbus UK, headquartered in London with major sites in Filton (Bristol) and Broughton (Wales), designs and produces the wings and associated systems for the Airbus range of commercial aircraft. The subsidiary employs nearly 8,000 people and contributes significantly to the UK’s aerospace cluster.
Airbus UK uses Advanced Manufacturing in its aerospace production, combining robotics, composite materials, and digitalised production lines. Supported by Innovate UK grants and major R&D investment, its Broughton wing plant is a flagship for the UK’s aerospace frontier industry.
Johnson Matthey
Incorporated: 1891
Location: City of London
Latest turnover: £11.7b
Johnson Matthey, incorporated in 1891 and based in London, is a global chemicals and sustainable technologies company with turnover of £11.7b. As a manufacturer of catalysts, battery materials, fuel cells, and precious metals, Johnson Matthey applies specialised process engineering and R&D to deliver cleaner technologies.
From hydrogen fuel cells to EV battery components, its work demonstrates the role that Advanced Manufacturing plays in relation to the UK’s decarbonisation and innovation ambitions.
Rolls-Royce
Incorporated: 1906
Location: Islington
Latest turnover: £18.9b
Rolls-Royce, headquartered in London and incorporated in 1906, is a global leader in power and propulsion systems. The company designs, develops, and manufactures advanced aerospace engines, with additional operations across marine and nuclear technologies.
Integrating cutting-edge materials science and AI-driven predictive maintenance into its jet engine production — and major R&D investment into hybrid-electric and hydrogen propulsion — Rolls-Royce is a leader in UK Advanced Manufacturing.
The top three advanced manufacturing companies by equity investment
Plessey Semiconductors
Incorporated: 2000
Location: South Hams
Total equity raised: £73.0m
Plessey Semiconductors, incorporated in 2000 and headquartered in South Hams, designs and manufactures advanced optoelectronic semiconductors. The company has raised £73.0m in equity across 3 rounds, and has received significant Innovate UK support in the form of 19 grants worth a total of £14.9m. In August 2025, the company was acquired by Haylo Labs.
Its work in microLEDs, augmented reality displays, and chip design highlights the UK’s strength in high-value semiconductor manufacturing — a critical technology for both consumer and industrial applications.
Alloyed
Incorporated: 2015
Location: Cherwell
Total equity raised: £82.2m
Alloyed Limited, founded in 2015 and based in Cherwell, manufactures advanced alloys and metal components while developing modelling and simulation software to optimise manufacturing processes. An academic spinout from the University of Oxford, the company has raised £82.2m in equity.
Alloyed exemplifies the advanced materials strand of Advanced Manufacturing by combining additive manufacturing, proprietary alloy development, and digital process optimisation.
McLaren Automotive
Incorporated: 1985
Location: Woking
Total equity raised: £410m
McLaren Automotive, incorporated in 1985 and headquartered in Woking, designs and manufactures high-performance sports cars and luxury vehicles.
The company is recognised globally for its use of lightweight composite materials, cutting-edge engineering, and its focus on electrification in the automotive sector. It has raised £410m in equity finance to date, supporting expansion, technology development, and new model launches.
Explore Advanced Manufacturing companies on Beauhurst
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