The findings show the importance for industries to adopt predictive maintenance and digital transformation strategies to deal with issues around aging infrastructure, cyber vulnerabilities, and supply chain disruption.
Key Contributors to Unplanned Manufacturing Downtime
The report shows that aging machinery, outdated operational technology, and cyber threats are the top contributors to downtime – which costs billions annually. The automotive industry alone could see projected losses of up to £12 billion in 2025, while the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry faces between £500 million and £1 billion in losses due to extended shutdowns.
The Role of Predictive Maintenance in Reducing Downtime
“Manufacturers are grappling with aging infrastructure that not only leads to mechanical failures but also increases vulnerability to cyber-attacks,” said Ryan Cooke, chief information security officer at IDS-INDATA. “Without a proactive approach to predictive maintenance and digital resilience, these disruptions will continue to escalate.” Other factors driving downtime in key sectors include regulatory compliance bottlenecks – with the pharmaceutical and chemicals sector facing extended shutdowns due to safety protocols. Labour shortages and skills gaps across all sectors contribute to slower response times for maintenance and issue resolution.
Manufacturing Downtime Analysis by Sector
|
Sector |
Average downtime frequency |
Average duration per incident |
Cost per hour of downtime |
Total projected downtime cost (2025) |
Peak downtime periods |
Why is the sector vulnerable? |
|
Automotive |
20–25 incidents/month |
3–4 hours |
£1.6M–£2M |
£10–12 billion (UK/EU) |
August (retooling), supply chain crises |
Highly integrated, JIT, cyberattack risk |
|
Food Processing |
Multiple minor stoppages/week (~442 hrs/year) |
1–3 hours |
£18k–£25k |
£4–5 billion (UK) |
Year-end, pre-holiday, CO₂ supply events |
Machinery age, hygiene sensitivity, supply delays |
|
Heavy Equipment |
~23 hrs/month (2–3 major events/year) |
5+ hours |
£150k–£300k |
£50–60 billion (EU-wide) |
Summer shutdowns, energy crises |
Energy-intensive, long restart time, legacy OT |
|
Pharmaceutical |
~225–400 hrs/year |
8+ hours |
£1M–£5M |
£500M–£1B (UK) |
December holidays, quality issues |
High regulation, batch loss risk, validation downtime |
|
Chemicals |
~400–600 hrs/year (continuous process lines) |
4–8 hours (can be longer for reactors) |
£250k–£1M |
£8–10 billion (EU) |
Planned maintenance in summer, winter freeze risk |
24/7 process, strict controls, explosive potential |
|
Electronics |
Frequent minor stops; highly sensitive cleanrooms |
1–4 hours (some incidents longer due to cleanroom reset) |
£100k–£500k |
£6–8 billion (EU) |
Q4 demand rush, cleanroom maintenance cycles |
Precision-dependent, small faults = full stoppage |
|
Textiles |
~180–300 hrs/year (dependent on automation) |
1–2 hours |
£10k–£50k |
£2–3 billion (UK/EU) |
End-of-season shifts, equipment changeovers |
Often, older systems, cost-driven maintenance |
|
Aerospace |
Few major events/year (highly controlled lines) |
4–6 hours (some downtime includes inspection delays) |
£250k–£1M |
£2–4 billion (UK) |
Q1/Q3 audits, long-lead maintenance windows |
Complex QA, long value chains, compliance bottlenecks |
|
Packaging |
High frequency; short disruptions weekly |
30 mins – 2 hours |
£10k–£30k |
£3–5 billion (UK) |
Pre-holiday surges, year-end planned overhauls |
High throughput, quick-fail systems, margin pressure |
Unplanned Manufacturing Downtime Trends Across Sectors
Automotive Sectors are seeing the highest frequency of downtime with 20-25 incidents per month. Electronics firms are very vulnerable due to precision-dependent processes leading to full production stoppages. Food manufacturers experience multiple minor stoppages weekly, resulting in around 442 hours of downtime annually. In contrast, pharmaceutical companies suffer fewer but longer-lasting outages (225–400 hours per year), with each incident significantly costlier. Continuous processing in the chemicals sector results in high downtime figures (400–600 hours annually), whereas Aerospace, with its highly controlled production lines, faces fewer major events but significant delays due to compliance bottlenecks and long-lead maintenance windows.
Proactive Strategies to Reduce Unplanned Manufacturing Downtime
Cooke said: “These figures highlight the critical need for manufacturers to invest in predictive maintenance and digital resilience. Unplanned manufacturing downtime is not just an inconvenience – it’s a multi-billion-pound problem impacting supply chains, production efficiency, and profitability. Sectors that rely on highly integrated systems, such as Automotive and Pharmaceuticals, must prioritise real-time monitoring and contingency planning to mitigate these costly disruptions. By embracing digital transformation, manufacturers can anticipate failures before they happen, protect against cyber threats, and ensure operational efficiency.”
