Annual report 2026
Take a look at our Annual Report 2026 to discover how we’re driving innovation, supporting UK manufacturing and creating impact across industry.
Foreword by Steve Bagshaw CBE
Steve Bagshaw CBE, Chair
High Value Manufacturing Catapult
"For the first time in a generation we have an industrial strategy that matches ambition with investment, immediate action, cuts to regulation, a commitment to emerging technologies like AI and clarity on where innovation is needed most."
Introduction by Katherine Bennett CBE
Katherine Bennett CBE, CEO
High Value Manufacturing Catapult
“Guided clearly by the government’s modern industrial strategy, there is no reason why the next 15 years cannot eclipse the previous 15 as we continue to work with Innovate UK to drive growth.”
Our impact since 2011
The High Value Manufacturing Catapult celebrates its fifteenth anniversary in 2026. In that time, we have invested £1.2bn of UK government funding to generate over £5bn in cumulative GVA – the equivalent of £142,000 additional GVA per company assisted.
43,875
companies
21,954
were SMEs
£5bn+
of cumulative GVA for the UK economy
£142,000
additional GVA per company assisted
Our 2025-26 impact
in numbers
Generated…
£326.7m
of income outside core grant
We provided…
9,563
companies with innovation/supply chain support
Of which…
43%
were SMEs (4,106)
After working with HVM Catapult in 2024-25, in 2025-26 SMEs raised:
£117m
of private investment
£18m
of public grants
SMEs that worked with HVM Catapult during 2023-24 reported, by the end of 2025-26, an average:
26%
increase
in turnover
14%
increase
in number of employees
Our national programmes
Pages 22–23
MOD alliance helping to grow defence manufacturing supply chain
The initiative is part of government’s commitment to the biggest increase in defence spending in a generation, providing a step change in the UK’s defence industrial capability.
Pages 24–25
Building Britain’s nuclear manufacturing future
The High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult is helping UK industry capture the economic, industrial and strategic benefits of the nuclear renaissance ahead of the biggest period of investment in the sector in more than half a century.
Pages 26–27
A technology strategy shaped by industry
The High Value Manufacturing Catapult technology strategy gives UK industry unprecedented clarity on how we will prioritise taxpayer investment to pull through technologies in response to long-term industry needs.
Pages 28–29
HVM Catapult technology chief to drive AI adoption
UK government has announced plans to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across UK manufacturing at scale, supercharging economic growth and productivity while making workers safer and focused on higher value tasks.
Pages 30–31
From wind innovation to industrial scale
The High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult is turning the UK government’s wind energy ambitions into industrial delivery by reducing rate, unit cost and scrap to anchor supply chain capability in the UK, including in next generation floating offshore wind.
Pages 32–33
A national mission to transform how the UK builds
The High Value Manufacturing Catapult is the delivery partner for an £85m national challenge which is set to overhaul how Britain delivers sustainable social housing, schools, hospitals and public infrastructure.
Case Studies
AMRC · Leyland Trucks
AI revolutionises manual production line
The AMRC has developed an AI-based quality inspection system that is helping one of Britain’s leading automotive companies detect faults in its production line in seconds.
NCC · Pinkmans Bakery
Digital transformation unlocks time and revenue
NCC engineers helped an artisan bakery improve productivity by utilising digital technologies, releasing 45 hours of skilled labour each week and generating over £100,000 of increased annual revenue.
CPI · RNAssist
Unlocking global access to RNA vaccines
CPI worked with UK-based SME, RNAssist, to develop a revolutionary new method for storing life-saving RNA vaccines without needing a freezer.
MTC · Ortotec
Bringing health tech production to the UK
MTC helped relocate a health tech company’s operations from Finland to the UK by developing a scalable manufacturing solution that derisked the migration of production.
NMIS · Renewable Parts
Transforming wind turbine repairs with advanced additive remanufacturing
Experts at NMIS have worked with a specialist in refurbished wind turbine components to extend the life of high-value parts, reducing waste and cutting carbon emissions.
WMG · Coventry Very Light Rail
Coventry Very Light Rail
Pioneering research at WMG has enabled the development of the battery-powered Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR): an affordable, efficient and sustainable solution to urban transport challenges, laying the tracks for global adoption.
Our priorities for 2026
The High Value Manufacturing Catapult is a key agent for change in manufacturing, helping businesses large and small become more productive, competitive and profitable.
01
Healthy living
It is our ambition to make the UK the leading place to design, scale and manufacture technologies that enable healthier lives, spanning advanced medicines, personalised healthcare, bioengineering and sustainable agriculture.
02
National security capability
Our vision for national security capability is to strengthen the UK’s sovereign industrial base so it can innovate, scale and respond at pace to evolving threats, while driving economic growth and resilience.
03
Net zero: clean energy transition
The clean energy economy could be worth up to £1tn by 2030. However, manufacturing, skills and grid challenges remain with supply chain constraints slowing progress and industrial capacity gaps hindering delivery.
04
Industrial sustainability
Sustainability is the cornerstone of a strong, successful and enduring industrial base and our vision is for a competitive, resilient UK manufacturing sector that supports new skills, good jobs and stronger communities.
Annual report 2026
The High Value Manufacturing Catapult celebrates its fifteenth anniversary in 2026.
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