Reshaping Manufacturing in Process Industries: What the 2025 Webinar Revealed About the Road Ahead

The process industries sit quietly behind many of the products people use every day. From food and drink to chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paints, and coatings, these sectors underpin modern life. Yet despite their scale and importance, they rarely feature in mainstream conversations about manufacturing innovation.

That disconnect is starting to close.

A recent expert-led webinar brought together voices from research, industry, and bio-innovation to examine how process manufacturing is evolving, where pressure points are emerging, and why transformation is no longer optional. The discussion made one thing clear: process industries are not lagging behind innovation, they are navigating a more complex set of constraints than most people realise.

Food and drink: the UK’s underestimated manufacturing powerhouse

Andrew Martin from the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) opened the session by challenging a common misconception. In the UK, food and drink manufacturing is larger than aerospace and automotive combined when measured by economic output and employment.

Yet public perception often places it firmly outside the “high-tech” manufacturing narrative.

Martin argued that this invisibility creates real challenges. Food and drink manufacturing sits at the intersection of national security, public health, environmental responsibility, and affordability. It must deliver low-cost products while meeting increasingly strict regulatory and sustainability standards.

This combination has created what Martin described as a “perfect storm”: rising energy costs, labour shortages, tighter compliance requirements, and growing pressure to reduce environmental impact. These pressures are not unique to food manufacturing, but they are magnified by the scale and complexity of its supply chains.

As in many technical sectors, the ability to manage risk, compliance, and operational safety under pressure depends heavily on structured systems and workforce competence. In training environments, these foundations are reinforced through frameworks such as health and safety training for engineers, which emphasise consistent standards regardless of industry.

The forces reshaping process manufacturing

Across the webinar, several themes repeatedly surfaced. Together, they paint a picture of an industry undergoing fundamental change rather than incremental improvement.

Sustainability as a baseline, not a differentiator

Sustainability has shifted from being a competitive advantage to a basic expectation. Manufacturers are under growing pressure to reduce emissions, minimise waste, and use resources more efficiently across their operations.

What was once addressed through high-level reporting is now moving onto the shop floor, with product-level carbon tracking and energy monitoring becoming increasingly common. Many organisations are now formalising these commitments through initiatives such as a documented carbon reduction plan for training providers and manufacturers alike, signalling that sustainability is embedded rather than aspirational.

Digitisation depends on data quality

Digitisation was another dominant theme, but with an important caveat. While AI, predictive maintenance, and advanced analytics offer significant potential, their effectiveness depends entirely on data quality.

Many firms are still transitioning from paper-based systems or fragmented digital tools. Without reliable, structured data, automation and AI can introduce risk rather than reduce it. Martin warned that digitisation without data discipline can create a false sense of control.

Automation moves into traditionally manual sectors

Sectors that have historically relied on manual labour, particularly food manufacturing, are increasingly adopting automation. The drivers are not just productivity, but hygiene, consistency, and workforce resilience.

This shift places new demands on skills, safety processes, and communication. In operational environments, structured approaches to hazard management and equipment use are essential, mirroring the principles covered in formal learning around dealing with workplace hazards safely.

Digital transformation on a small-business budget

Steve West, founder of The Pudding Compartment, offered one of the most practical and relatable perspectives of the session. Running a bakery business in North Wales, West demonstrated how digital transformation does not need to start with large capital investment.

Drawing on his background in automotive manufacturing, he introduced simple, low-cost digital tools into his operation. Temperature sensors costing under £100 replaced manual clipboard checks, providing real-time alerts, reducing energy waste, and improving compliance.

One of the most striking insights came from a carbon footprint audit. The data revealed that butter was not only a major cost driver but also one of the largest contributors to emissions. By switching to plant-based fats, the business reduced costs, lowered its carbon footprint, and unlocked new vegan product lines.

Rather than implementing a full ERP system, West’s team developed a tailored digital planning and traceability system that integrated production and finance. The lesson was clear: digital maturity is not about scale, but about relevance.

This shift from instinct-led decision-making to data-informed planning echoes broader trends across technical industries, where accountability and transparency increasingly influence trust and performance. In education and training, similar principles underpin how outcomes are assessed and communicated, including through resources like a training provider reviews page that reflect real-world impact rather than marketing claims.

Automation where it matters most

West also shared insights into automation that challenged common assumptions. Rather than investing in legacy robotic systems designed for large-scale manufacturers, his business adopted a smaller, more flexible robotic line to cut and pack baked goods.

The result was increased output, reduced labour pressure, and improved consistency, achieved at a fraction of the expected cost. Importantly, automation was targeted at repetitive, high-impact tasks rather than applied indiscriminately.

This approach reflects a broader principle discussed throughout the webinar: technology should serve the process, not dictate it.

Biomanufacturing and the future of circular systems

The session closed with a forward-looking perspective from Jen Vanderhoeven of the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA) and FREY Consulting. Her message reframed one of manufacturing’s biggest challenges.

Carbon, she argued, should be seen not only as a problem to be reduced, but as a resource to be reimagined.

Vanderhoeven outlined a future where biorefineries use agricultural and forestry waste to produce biodegradable plastics, personal care ingredients, and industrial materials. Engineered microbes could convert food waste, wastewater residues, and even fatbergs into usable products.

A government-backed study she co-led suggested that by 2050, the UK could produce over two million tonnes of bio-based chemicals annually, delivering more than five million tonnes of CO₂ savings and adding £1.6 billion in economic value.

However, she stressed that this transition will not happen by accident. It depends on coordinated policy reform, infrastructure investment, and collaboration between government, research institutions, and industry. Like Y2K, she warned, preparation must happen early to avoid disruption later.

Skills, communication, and system thinking

A recurring theme throughout the webinar was the changing nature of skills. Technical knowledge remains essential, but it must now be complemented by digital literacy, systems thinking, and effective communication.

As manufacturing systems become more interconnected, the ability to share information clearly across teams and disciplines becomes critical. In structured learning environments, this is reflected in outcomes that emphasise effective communication in construction and engineering, recognising that modern engineering problems are rarely solved in isolation.

From resilience to reinvention

The overarching message from the webinar was one of cautious optimism. Process industries are facing unprecedented pressure, but they are also experimenting, adapting, and redefining what manufacturing looks like.

Whether it is small bakeries deploying industrial IoT, food manufacturers tracking carbon at product level, or bio-industries rethinking waste as a resource, transformation is already underway.

Success, however, will depend on collaboration. Between SMEs and research centres. Between policymakers and practitioners. Between established expertise and emerging technologies.

As one speaker concluded, “The future isn’t written. It can be changed.” For those working in process manufacturing today, the real question is not whether change is coming, but where the greatest opportunity lies to shape it.