We are writing to express the support of the Manufacturing Technologies Association and of ourselves and our companies for the UK’s remaining within the European Union.
The manufacturing technology sector, which provides the machinery, instrumentation and software that makes manufacturing happen, is a global one. Over 80% of the output of the UK manufacturing technology sector is exported, with the countries of the EU accounting for nearly half of that. The ability to access that market cheaply and efficiently is essential to our continued competitiveness.
As a truly globalised sector, many of our companies are multinationals, including companies from outside the EU, in particular the USA and Japan, who have established European Headquarters in the UK. This provides a multiplier effect bringing with it economic activity, and consequent employment in a diverse range of business functions such as applications engineering, marketing, management and finance – not just a UK sales team. This is about more than market access, it is about the UK being a fully participatory member of the EU, able to influence the political and economic climate.
As the largest economic bloc in the world, we believe that the EU is better placed to negotiate International Trade Agreements than the UK would be alone. This argument is borne out by our experience of the creation of international standards where the MTA represents a strong UK voice in concert with our European partners.
This view point is driven by our membership. The MTA surveyed its members in late 2015 with the the question “Thinking about the consequences for your business, should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?’ Support for remaining in the EU was overwhelming, with 89% of respondents answering “yes”.