Reindustrialisation must be embedded into every part of the Government's Industrial Strategy
25 June 2025
On the UK Government's newly released Industrial Strategy, Aaron Merkin, CTO at Fluke Reliability, comments, “The UK’s industrial strategy makes some welcome nods toward skills reform, but it stops short of the transformational thinking we urgently need.
"The skills gap is no longer a future problem, it’s a present-day constraint on productivity, innovation, and competitiveness. In our own research, 90 percent of respondents report that the skills shortage has already impacted their organisation, particularly in frontline roles like reliability engineering and maintenance.
Fixing the apprenticeship system is a start, but alone, it won’t be enough. We need a bold, integrated approach: one that brings together education providers, employers, and government to rapidly upskill the existing workforce while inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in industry.
If the UK is serious about reindustrialisation, this can’t be treated as a bolt-on initiative — it must be embedded into every part of the strategy. A resilient economy depends on a resilient workforce, and that workforce needs the tools, training, and support to thrive in the next era of industrial innovation."
Claire Hu Weber, Vice President of International Markets, Fluke Corporation, continues, “Energy reform must go hand in hand with infrastructure reform. The UK’s clean energy ambitions are at risk of outpacing its ability to connect and manage new sources of power. Without a dramatic acceleration in grid connection times, we risk bottlenecks that stall progress toward net zero.
"Distributed energy resources — like solar, EV charging, and battery storage — can decentralise power generation and strengthen grid resilience. But 68 percent of those we surveyed acknowledge that the EV industry is falling behind the adoption curve, and 91 percent expressed concern about the efficiency of today’s solar modules. Add to that the fact that nearly 40 percent identified inverter failures as a prevalent issue, and it’s clear that operational reliability must become a priority, not just generation.
"To realise this potential, we need not only faster approvals and smarter regulation, but also the tools, skills, and service infrastructure to maintain these systems at scale. The long-term success of the UK’s clean energy transition will depend on what happens beyond generation—how reliably we can operate and sustain these systems across thousands of sites, every day."
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