World-class in Design Engineering
The UK has been at the forefront of engineering design for many centuries following on from the industrial revolution with the development of steam engines, production machinery, machine tools, and railways. This expertise has evolved over time and the UK is at the leading edge in engineering design for many applications.
The independent design engineering (IDE) sector is an important part of business services, a diverse sector engaged in providing services primarily to other businesses and which in the past been one of the most dynamic parts of the UK economy. It has doubled its share of UK GDP from 7% to 14% in the last two decades. The independent design engineering sector is an important component of business services, and one which supports innovation in a wide range of customer sectors. Design is at the heart of all modern products and services.
The UK IDE sector has a competitive advantage in its specific niches, tends to be high value added, is innovation and export intensive, and plays a critical role in OEM outsourcing and offshoring programmes.
Some examples of the world class expertise are as follows:
UK designed and manufactured aircraft engines are in service with more than 600 airlines around the world.
Eight out of this season's F1 teams are based in the UK (McLaren, Mercedes - formerly Brawn, Red Bull, Williams, Renault, Force India, Lotus F1 and Virgin Racing). The UK’s “Motorsport Valley” employs over 25,000 world-class engineers.
UK excellence
Automotive is an important part of the UK's design engineering expertise. UK companies have a worldwide reputation and have built up an impressive range of facilities. These include talented people, fully equipped test tracks and laboratory complexes, and the latest computer design and simulation software.
The UK's long and distinguished tradition includes:
Ricardo can trace its origins back to 1915.
MIRA first moved to its Nuneaton base - now with a world-class test track and engineering complex - in the 1940s.
Lotus Engineering was founded by the legendary Colin Chapman in 1952.
Today, the UK has more than 50 companies handling around 20 per cent of the global demand for independent vehicle design engineering services. They range from small specialist firms, focusing on particular vehicle features and technologies, to full service providers who can handle all aspects of automotive development. Several UK universities specialise in automotive research, thus serving industry and training the next generation of UK automotive engineers.
Major vehicle manufacturers have their own design and development facilities in the UK. Ford, for example, employs over 1,000 automotive engineers at its Dunton research centre, while Nissan's design studio in London and development facilities at Cranfield were principally responsible for the best-selling global model, the Qashqai.
Key qualities
Five "i" factors underpin the UK's global success in design engineering:
Integrity
Integrity is crucial to the partnership between an automaker and design engineering contractor. The client must be totally confident that project details will not fall into the hands of potential competitors. UK design engineering companies have an unrivalled reputation, and well-established procedures, for safeguarding client confidentiality.
Innovation
Innovation and fresh thinking are vital in this sector. Many projects involve working with advanced materials like carbon fibre composites, or applying new ideas to contradictory demands, such as the need to reduce vehicle weight and increase safety. The UK excels in this area.
Independence
UK design engineering companies offer unique independence to their customers. Without a dominant domestic vehicle manufacturer, they can recruit the best local engineering talent and offer a fully independent service to customers around the globe.
Industry experience
Since clients expect partners to readily understand their needs and problems, industry experience is essential. Again, this is a key strength for UK companies, who can often apply their previous experience to new challenges an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) may be facing.
Internationalisation
Over 70 per cent of the work done by UK-based design engineering companies comes from overseas clients. UK design engineers have satellite project offices in mature markets such as Japan and the USA, and in new automotive hotspots like China and India. These networks help companies offer a 24-hour service and conduct programmes close to their global partners. Additionally, expert teams can undertake projects in a client's premises. For example, UK companies are already working in partnership in India with the likes of Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra & Mahindra and Bajaj Auto.
Rising to the challenge
These strengths make UK-based design engineering firms leaders in their field. They're renowned for having a flexible skill base, wide geographical spread and a diverse range of customers. In the past, automotive design engineering companies worked principally for vehicle manufacturers. Now, they are increasingly engaged by Tier 1 component makers to develop and test complete modules and systems. And they're finding new customers in sectors such as defence, aerospace, transport equipment and integrated electronics. This brings new challenges, and UK-based companies rise to them with success.
