A report from the National Preparedness Commission (NPC) and the SCI (Society of Chemical Industry) assesses the potentially devastating impact of multiple, coinciding crises on UK industry 

• The UK industrial base is revealed to be vulnerable to major crises, such as disruption to imports or cyber-attacks, which could lead to serious economic and infrastructural impacts 

• The accelerating decline of end-to-end manufacturing opens the possibility of a shut-down of critical industries 

London, 4^th November 2025 – A new report from the SCI (Society of Chemical Industry) and the National Preparedness Commission (NPC) has assessed the impact of future crises on UK industry, revealing a startling vulnerability and lack of resilience. 

In a crisis in which imports to the UK were seriously disrupted, the country’s key industries could struggle to function, with potentially catastrophic economic, social, and infrastructure impacts.  

In this scenario, the UK could be forced to function with limited supplies of oil, gas, raw materials, food, components and finished products. This would require a rapid prioritisation and reallocation of the industrial activities and resources most critical to the security, economy, health and communications of the country. 

Sharon Todd, CEO at SCI said “These industries are critical to the UK economy and security, but we’ve shown that there are significant vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.  

The Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy outlines ambitious plans for growth in advanced industrial sectors, which need to be underpinned by strong, foundational industries. 

Industry is the base of today and tomorrow’s economic success and the government needs to take action immediately to halt its decline.” 

Lord Toby Harris, Chair of the National Preparedness Commission said “While we cannot easily predict crises like pandemics, supply route blockades or cyber-attacks, we can assess how ready the country is in the event of these shocks taking place. Our report shows that the situation is concerning. Industrial resilience is low, and we recommend that government takes action to address vulnerabilities.”

Despite a legacy of world-beating industries, the UK has very little ability to manufacture – end-to-end – the advanced products that underpin society and the economy. Manufacturing around key building blocks is declining at a worrying rate, leaving the UK dependent on complex, international supply chains. 

SCI and NPC welcome recent moves by the Government to continue to address energy costs, however this remains a real challenge for industry. The current pathway to Net Zero is intensifying the difficulties for industry, which still requires hydrocarbons for energy and feedstocks. It leaves the UK’s industrial base reliant on intermittent sources of power.  

SCI and NPC are calling on Government to address the challenges facing the UK’s industry, and their implications for the functioning of the country’s economy and security.  

They recommend the Government act urgently to: 

• Identify and address the product areas that are essential for national preparedness 

• Support manufacturing in key product areas 

• Take further action to ensure future energy cost competitiveness.   

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