Michael Ashworth

Editorial Director, LeanIQ

Michael covers manufacturing, supply chain, and industrial technology for LeanIQ. With a background in UK engineering and operations, he writes about the trends, tools, and policies shaping modern industry. His focus is on making complex industrial topics accessible to the professionals who need them most.

Michael Ashworth

Articles by Michael Ashworth

The Hidden Cost of Overproduction in Just-in-Time Environments: Quantifying Inventory Carrying Costs and the Seven Wastes in 2026

The Digital Twin Reality Check: Why 73% of UK Manufacturers Still Struggle to Close the Loop Between Virtual Models and Shop Floor Execution

Visual Management Beyond the Board: How Digital Andon Systems Are Redefining Gemba Walks

UK Manufacturing Cost Inflation Hits Black Wednesday Levels

Battery Manufacturing Apprenticeship UK: Skills England's Fast-Track Unit

UK Manufacturing Energy Costs Soar: Iran War Survival Guide

UK Manufacturing Energy Crisis: Your 2026 Survival Guide

UK Defence Manufacturing: Seizing the £270bn Spending Surge

UK Manufacturing Data Analytics: The £129 Billion Hidden Capacity Gap

Rolls-Royce PGZ Deal: UK Aerospace Manufacturing Impact

Smart Factories UK: Isembard's $50M Franchise Revolution

Manufacturing Cyber Security UK: Ransomware Defence in 2026

Next Generation Manufacturing UK: What It Means for You

Idle Machine Energy Waste Cost UK Manufacturers £408M

Ceramic Matrix Composites UK: Inside the First Factory

UK Manufacturing Skills Gap: Make UK Report Warns Crisis Is Time-Critical

Next Generation Manufacturing UK: What It Means for Business

Next Generation Manufacturing UK: Your 2026 Strategy Guide

Next Generation Manufacturing UK: The Strategic Blueprint

The UK Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan: What It Means for Your Business in 2026

AI Manufacturing UK 2026: From Pilot to Production Scale

AI Factory Manufacturing: Samsung's Blueprint for UK Manufacturers

Manufacturing Skills Shortage UK: How Smart Tech Bridges the Gap

CBI Manufacturing Survey February 2026: What Weak Orders Mean for Your Strategy

UK Manufacturing Productivity Drives £21bn Output Growth

Made Smarter Programme 2026: UK SME Grants Guide

The UK Manufacturing Productivity Paradox: How the Sector Delivered £21bn More Output with 36,000 Fewer Workers

UK Manufacturing PMI Hits 17-Month High: What Is Driving the Recovery?

UK Manufacturing PMI: Fourth Month of Growth Signals Sector Recovery

UK EV Production Set to Drive Manufacturing Growth in 2026

Cummins Invests $50 Million in Daventry: What It Means for UK Manufacturing

UK Manufacturing Resilience: How Britain's Top 200 Fastest-Growing Manufacturers Doubled Profits Despite Economic Headwinds

Government Slashes Apprenticeship Red Tape: What £725m in Reforms Means for UK Manufacturers

UK Advanced Nuclear Framework: What Manufacturers Need to Know About the New Pipeline

£453M Radar Contract Secures 1,300 UK Defence Manufacturing Jobs Across Edinburgh, Lancashire and Luton

From Kitchen Table to £10m Expansion: Inside the UK's Flourishing Independent Flavour Manufacturing Sector

BAE Systems Launchpad: How Defence Giants Are Becoming Startup Factories

UK Aerospace Soars: Deliveries Hit 8-Year High as £269bn Order Backlog Signals Supply Chain Surge

The Critical Minerals Race: How the UK Is Joining a 20-Nation Alliance to Break China's Supply Chain Grip

UK Manufacturing PMI January 2026: 18-Month High as Export Orders Surge

UK and EU Restart Defence Procurement Talks: What the €150bn SAFE Fund Means for British Manufacturers

UK Pushes Saudi Arabia to Join £60 Billion Tempest Fighter Jet Programme: What It Means for British Aerospace Manufacturing

ExxonMobil Shuts Mossmorran Plant: What the £1M-a-Week Loss Means for UK Chemical Manufacturing

How Trump's Trade Tariffs Are Affecting UK SME Growth: What Manufacturers Need to Know

UK-China Trade Reset: What Starmer's Beijing Deal Means for British Manufacturers

UK Helicopter Programme Delay Threatens Sovereign Aerospace Manufacturing and Defence Supply Chain

UK Vehicle Production Hits 73-Year Low: What the 2025 SMMT Figures Mean for Manufacturers

On-Site Solar and Battery Storage for UK Factories: The 2026 Business Case

UK Manufacturing Automation ROI: How Employer NI Changes Shift the Payback Calculation

BICS Eligibility Explained: Will Your Manufacturing Business Qualify for Energy Relief?

£20M Fund Opens Defence Contracts to UK Startups: How UKDI Transforms Manufacturing Opportunities

How to Prepare for EU Rules of Origin Changes in 2027: A UK Manufacturer Guide

The Triple Cost Squeeze: Why UK Manufacturing Competitiveness Hits a Tipping Point in 2026

Rolls-Royce Wins Major Delta Airlines Engine Deal: What It Means for UK Aerospace

Best Manufacturing News Sources in the UK

The Future of Industrial Supply Chains in 2026

Why Industrial Professionals Need a Dedicated Hub