It is common for UK companies, particularly for Tier 1 electronics supply businesses, to design and engineer products here in the UK and then set up manufacturing elsewhere in the world. There are well understood, tried and tested economic arguments for this approach, but sometimes, the cost of separating design and manufacturing and company values override direct cost differences. Let me explain.
My decades in the automotive industry meant that, when it came to deciding where Warwick Acoustics should make its innovative, world first electrostatic speakers for the automotive industry, I had some very relevant experience to share with the team. I have had significant involvement in projects with JLR to set up production around the world, from full manufacturing plants to assembly facilities. The reasons to ‘offshore’ manufacturing, were many, but included mitigating tariff barriers to exporting cars from the UK, to accessing lower manufacturing costs and to providing a shorter route from the factory to retailers and customers.
The electrostatic automotive speakers Warwick Acoustics has designed and engineered are a genuine world first, the biggest shake up to in-car audio since the first radio was installed in a car in the 1930s. Electrostatic speakers aren’t new, per se, having existed in very specialist home audio since the 1950s. However, nobody had used them in a car due to their size, and lack of robustness. What Warwick Acoustics has done, after years of research and development, is enhance their output power per square cm allowing the panels to be miniaturised, and made them robust and maintenance free.
In addition, and as part of Warwick Acoustics ‘clean sound’ revolution, the remarkable and immersive listening experience delivers significant whole-vehicle benefits including increased EV range, weight reduction and sustainability gains owing to no rare earth elements used in the product. And all while matching, and even exceeding, the demanding standards of premium and luxury automotive OEMs.
Having perfected this new patented, world-first technology – the question of manufacturing location was top of the agenda. Would it be sensible to sub-contract out our manufacturing, or, to establish a factory on the other side of the world?
What follows is an insight into some of our thinking:
1/ We advocated from the very beginning to manufacture within the same building as engineering. This ensures our innovative design process is faithfully translated into the manufactured product and that the quality of every panel is perfect. It allows our engineering, manufacturing and operations teams to closely work together and continuously refine the product, systems and processes. My experience from the automotive industry reinforces how important this is. Our production staff are vital to our product and our brand, so having them close by may cost more, but delivers the quality that matches the unrivalled acoustic performance of our products. The cost of poor quality cannot be underestimated. Hence, any approach with a new process which de-risks quality shortfalls is to be embraced.
2/ The UK also has a rich talent pool of skilled and experienced people, with excellent and relevant experience in high technology manufacturing environments. The UK boasts multiple renowned global leaders in F1, automotive design, manufacturer, and pioneers in electrification, and as a result, we feel it is the perfect place to introduce the world to a cutting edge, high precision technology.
3/ The prevalence of reverse engineering and copying within many manufacturing industries is difficult to ignore. Involving third parties inevitably provides more people an insight into your innovations. Sharing how we make the world’s best automotive audio speaker was not something we thought sensible. It should not be understated how revolutionary our speaker technology is, with 46 global patents covering various aspects of the creation of our electrostatic panels. Hence, we pay close attention to protecting and securing our Intellectual Property and know how.
So, although making our product in Warwickshire could be perceived as higher cost, the secure facilities of Horiba-MIRA help us protect our processes and product from unwanted attention before the product is even in a vehicle which is on sale (that comes later this year). The process of manufacturing our panels is part of the “secret sauce” of how we have brought this light, efficient, thin and sensational sounding speakers to the automotive market.
4/ Manufacturing location is perhaps an even hotter topic now given the geopolitics of the day, and therefore we need to be mindful of and flexible in responding to global trade dynamics. We may in the future require the active element of our electrostatic transducers to be manufactured in the UK, but final module assembly closer to the vehicle manufacturing plant. With this future in mind, it is also worth noting the light weight and completely flat nature of our ultra-thin speakers; qualities which makes exporting them for final assembly orders of magnitude easier than a traditional cone and magnet approach.
5/ Supplier onboarding in the automotive industry demands increasingly stringent supplier assurance compliance. By prioritizing "Made in Britain," we secured a 100% renewable energy manufacturing site featuring state-of-the-art environmental waste management systems. This approach ensures sustainability, regulatory compliance, and supply chain resilience while reinforcing commitments to green manufacturing and responsible sourcing in a competitive global market.
There were many other arguments, both for and against being ‘Made in Britain. Please feel free to comment below.
We are proud to design, engineer and manufacture our products in the UK, with a highly skilled and motivated team working with us to deliver the world’s best automotive audio.
‘How Important Is It to Be Made in Britain?’ In Warwick Acoustics’ case, and as a proud example of a British innovator, about to enter the world stage with Britishness as a central component of our brand (we’re called Warwick Acoustics for a reason!) then perhaps the more pertinent question is ‘Why wouldn’t you manufacture in the UK?’.
Ian Harnett
Chairman, Warwick Acoustics Ltd.
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