She said: "This government knows just how important manufacturers are to our economy and that's why we are investing an extra £1 billion in aerospace and automotive R&D and nearly £7 billion in the UK's research infrastructure. R&D and innovation will be vital to ensuring a successful and cutting-edge UK manufacturing sector as we move towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution."

Other speakers at the event included: Hamid Mughal, global manufacturing director at Rolls-Royce; Terry Scuoler, CEO of EEF and Anna Leach, head of economic analysis at the CBI.

Professor Rajkumar Roy, director of manufacturing at Cranfield University added: “Too often, UK manufacturing is written off and dismissed as an industry in decline. Now in its seventh year, the National Manufacturing Debate provides a forum for industry, academia and Government to come together to champion the sector, promote innovation and celebrate manufacturing’s successes.”