ADS Publishes 2018 Industry Facts & Figures

Posted on 2 May, 2018 by Alex Hamilton

The UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space industries are now worth £74bn a year to the UK and achieved £41bn in exports in 2017. The four sectors now collectively employ 380,000 people, including 12,000 apprentices.

The 2018 Industry Facts & Figures guide from ADS shows UK aerospace sector has risen to £35bn a year, with £30bn in exports, and the industry has achieved growth of 39 per cent since 2012.

Meanwhile, the fast growing space sector is worth nearly £15bn a year in turnover, with £5.4bn in exports and 71 per cent growth since 2012.

The defence sector, which delivers the equipment and services our armed forces and security services need to safeguard national security, directly employs 140,000 people in the UK, and is worth more than £22bn in annual turnover.

Finally, the Security & Resilience sector has seen 57 per cent growth since 2012 and is worth £11.9bn a year in annual turnover, with 107,000 direct employees.

ADS Chief Executive Paul Everitt said:

“The 2018 ADS Industry Facts and Figures show the strength of the UK’s Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space industries. They are a powerful indicator of the skills, innovation and collaboration that makes these important UK sectors so competitive in markets around the world.

“Each of our four industries has made a substantial contribution to UK prosperity, created high-value jobs for thousands of people in every part of the country, and pioneered ground-breaking technologies.

“As the national trade association for these sectors, ADS is working to support them in domestic and overseas markets, to build successful industrial strategies in partnership with Government, and deliver a Brexit deal that ensures a stable transition and retains the UK’s leading position in these industries.

“We will continue to strive to support and promote our industries, working with UK Government to ensure their future prosperity and enabling them to unleash their full creative potential.”

The ADS 2018 Industry Facts & Figures guide is published at https://www.adsgroup.org.uk/facts/facts-figures-2018/