Why this Budget matters

Published:  12 November, 2025

As the UK approaches the November 2025 Budget, industry will be looking for direction rather than rhetoric – this is more than an accounting

exercise. The decisions made will influence how quickly plants modernise, how efficiently assets are managed, and how confidently companies invest in productivity and growth.

Digital technology is already transforming maintenance practice. Predictive analytics, automation and connected systems are reducing

downtime and extending equipment life. These advances are becoming routine in some facilities, but progress across the wider industrial base

remains uneven. Many smaller firms still face barriers to investment because of cost pressures, limited skills or inadequate digital infrastructure. The

Budget could help to close that gap by giving businesses the confidence and conditions needed for consistent modernisation.

Meaningful incentives would make a real difference. Extending full expensing or offering enhanced capital allowances for automation, robotics,

sensors and condition-monitoring equipment would encourage companies to invest in systems that improve reliability and efficiency.

Targeted support for industrial digitalisation, including data integration, connectivity and cybersecurity, would help ensure that advanced

maintenance technology becomes achievable for a wider range of operators rather than a select few.

Skills are the thread that ties everything together. As equipment becomes more intelligent, maintenance work increasingly depends on a mix of

mechanical, electrical and digital expertise. Expanding funding for apprenticeships, retraining and mid-career development would help the workforce adapt as technology evolves. Regional training partnerships between government, industry and education providers could make this support easier to access, especially for smaller companies.

For these measures to work, policy stability is essential. Frequent changes in incentives or priorities make long-term planning difficult and discourage

investment. A clear and consistent framework for industrial development would give businesses the confidence to focus on improvement rather than

survival.

Maintenance professionals rarely feature in Budget headlines, yet their work underpins every sector the government wants to strengthen. If the

Chancellor can deliver a plan that supports investment, skills and innovation, UK industry will be better equipped to modernise and compete.

The technology is ready, the capability exists, and the ambition is there. What matters now is whether policy will keep pace

Aaron Blutstein, Editor