“ I think the COVID pandemic has demonstrated that , as a nation , the UK can sometimes be overly dependent on other countries for manufactured goods , and we need to fix that ”
Q . HOW DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY EVOLVING OVER THE NEXT DECADE ?
» The short answer is that there will have to be a significantly greater focus on productivity in the UK , mainly achieved through automation . For many years , the UK has had a bumpy relationship with productivity , largely due to high labour availability and low wages . I think the COVID pandemic has demonstrated that , as a nation , the UK can sometimes be overly dependent on other countries for manufactured goods , and we need to fix that . The only way we ’ re going to be able to resolve it is if we significantly increase productivity through greater use of automation and artificial intelligence ( AI ). The urgency for this approach has increased significantly in 2021 as we continue to experience the greatest labour shortage in the UK since 1997 , for several well-publicised reasons .
Q . WHAT TREND ARE YOU MOST EXCITED TO SEE EVOLVE ?
» Sustainability is top of the list for me .
As a species , humans can be ingenious when they put their minds to something . We now need to collectively focus on living a more sustainable future . I ’ m a sciencebased thinker , and science says that we don ’ t really have much time left .
About 10 years ago I attended a seminar on “ 2 degrees north ” – which , in short , means things will drastically change on Earth if the temperature rises by two degrees centigrade . A decade on , we ’ re
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