(40 marks)
Manufacturing to the economy of the United Kingdom is worth £213 billion, whilst simultaneously representing 11% of the total country’s economy. It is both in the interest of the United Kingdom’s government and individual manufacturing business that these figures continue to increase. For this to happen, there are a range of opportunities waiting to be exploited, ranging from 3D printing, green technologies, even to nanotechnology. By deciding which of these will present the best opportunity to the economy, will travel a long way to determining whether the desired increase of the value of manufacturing in the United Kingdom is achieved.
3D printing is a large opportunity to the economy of the United Kingdom for many separate reasons, ranging from availability to saving money. To begin with, 3D printing can be used to create almost anything, the way technology is advancing, we do not know exactly how far this will take us as a manufacturing country. Through the fact of greater possibilities on creation, this can open the country up to new business as this may generate new products others have yet to create. From this, unique selling points can be made which would only further the manufacturing industry as a whole, to create a larger market share and to therefore operate at a higher representing percentage of the economy. Though this is in fact a major aspect to the manufacturing industry as if this were to in fact increase in size, then many businesses may transfer to this method which can cease to damage the reputation a business may have held for their impeccable quality, in turn decreasing the value of businesses and then the industry as a whole. Secondly, there is the aspect of simplicity; businesses would be able to create their products at a cheaper basis as there would not be the need to pay for manual labour though rather to be able to