Introduction
Earlier this month (July 2026), the UK Government published a brand new white paper – Delivering the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy: Year One.
The original strategy was announced in June 2025 and outlined opportunities for growth and investment in high-growth sectors, including advanced manufacturing.
The vision for manufacturing was to ‘make the UK the best place in the world to start, grow and invest in… manufacturing by 2035.’ One year on, the report states that the vision is working and businesses are increasing their adoption of AI, automation and digitalisation to build resilience.
The report states that successes so far have included:
- Attracting over £380bn in private sector commitments to high-growth sectors has elevated the UK’s investment profile, placing it joint second in Europe with Germany.
- Supported small businesses by making it easier for them to attract growth capital and cut electricity bills.
- Committed over £1bn to train people to work in key industries and introduced plans to push for a nationwide AI upskill.
However, much remains to be done to achieve targets, promote growth, and help businesses navigate an uncertain and fast-changing world.
Next steps
The next step is to introduce the Regulating for Growth Bill in November 2026; the bill is designed to accelerate growth and innovation by reducing administrative pressures on businesses when it comes to regulatory compliance.
In short, a more flexible approach to testing new instruments and technologies will enable businesses to test new technologies more easily within a controlled environment, reducing red tape and allowing new equipment and products to be brought to market much more quickly.
The Regulating for Growth Bill is underpinned by the Product Safety and Legal Metrology Act 2025, which, amongst other things, granted the government more power to update the legal metrology frameworks, accommodate modern technologies and enable the UK Government to mirror or diverge from EU regulations. The combination of the two is designed to drive innovation within the UK while ensuring testing takes place in a safe and controlled environment.
What does this mean for my Certifications?
Nothing has yet been confirmed, but it is advised that:
1) Businesses should prepare to have the UKCA marking: regulations around this have changed several times since its introduction in 2021, and many businesses have continued to use the EU’s CE marking. As the Government shifts to a more sovereign approach to regulation, it’s thought that UKCA will become the required standard, particularly for businesses who want to test, innovate and grow.
2) Better reporting and accountability measures should be put in place: Operating within a more relaxed framework doesn’t mean there is more room for error; the focus is on quality and growth. Any innovation or testing of new products or equipment that takes place within a controlled environment will need to be underpinned by a digitalised framework and quality system that is well documented, understood by all involved and easily accessible.
3) ISO 9001 Certification will become increasingly important: Part of ‘Delivering the Industrial Strategy: year one’ was the continued commitment to helping SME’s grow by awarding more than half of government procurement contracts to smaller businesses. To tender for these contracts, you will need to demonstrate that you have robust quality systems in place, are committed to growth and development and have a plan in place to future-proof your business.
We will aim to keep you informed via our emails and social media of any legislative changes that arise and any confirmation of the proposed changes.
In the meantime, if you would like to find out more about achieving UKCA or ISO 9001 certification to ensure you are prepared for the upcoming legislative changes, then do get in touch to see how we can help. Subject to the scope of your audit, we aim to have you fully certified in 4-6 weeks.
To find out more about becoming certified, making changes or transferring your certificate you can visit the application section of our website by clicking here.
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