Epson UK has urged policymakers to provide stronger incentives to support investment and innovation across UK industry, following the Chancellor’s Spring Statement.
Commenting on the announcement, Phil McMullin, head of sales, Commercial & Industrial at Epson UK, said the statement had not introduced new measures for the industrial sector, but welcomed the continuation of existing support.
“The Spring Budget, as expected, did not introduce any new measures for the industrial sector; yet, positively, existing R&D and innovation incentives remain available, to support growth and investment,” he said. “While reforms such as business rates and trade rules continue to be delayed, the continuation of established support measures ensures that companies can plan and invest with confidence. The Circular Economy Growth Plan and its forthcoming roadmaps will further enhance these opportunities once implemented. In this environment, manufacturers are well-positioned to focus on operational efficiency, resource management, and resilience within the existing supportive frameworks.”
Mr McMullin argued that long-term competitiveness would depend on decisions that strengthen supply-chain control and improve resource efficiency. He pointed to developments in digital textile production as an example of how manufacturers can respond within the current policy landscape.
“Long-term competitiveness will continue to be driven by consistent, commercially grounded decisions that strengthen supply-chain control and resource efficiency. In textiles, digital production technologies are reshaping what competitive domestic manufacturing looks like. Epson’s Monna Lisa direct-to-fabric printer range combines pigment-ink chemistry with energy-efficient, water-saving technology to reduce resource use compared with traditional analogue processes. It allows textile producers to print directly onto fabric in a single process, eliminating many of the resource-intensive stages associated with traditional dye-based printing. The result is a production model that supports on-demand, just-in-time manufacturing, enabling UK firms to minimise wasted stock and take control of their supply chains while simultaneously meeting their sustainability goals.”
