Manufacturing Downtime to Cost UK and EU £80 Billion in 2025
Key points
Recent research from IDS-INDATA sheds light on the staggering costs associated with manufacturing downtime in 2025, emphasizing the pressing need for digital transformation.
Here are some key takeaways:
- The Heavy Equipment sector is projected to face the highest downtime costs, estimated between £50–60 billion across the EU, largely due to energy-intensive operations and lengthy restart times.
- Pharmaceutical companies experience the longest disruptions, with downtime events averaging over 8 hours and losses soaring to £5 million per hour.
- Automotive manufacturers report the highest frequency of breakdowns, with 20–25 incidents each month, leading to an annual total of up to £12 billion across the UK and EU.
This new research from IDS-INDATA highlights the significant financial and operational impact of unplanned manufacturing downtime in the UK and EU. In 2025, manufacturing firms are expected to lose more than £80 billion due to equipment failures, compliance delays, and cyber threats.
The study underscores the critical need for predictive maintenance and a shift towards industrial digital transformation as manufacturers grapple with aging machinery, cyber vulnerabilities, and supply chain disruptions.
A Multi-Billion Pound Crisis
The findings reveal a costly crisis affecting various sectors, including Automotive, Food Processing, Pharmaceuticals, and Chemicals. Issues like outdated operational technology (OT), labor shortages, and regulatory hurdles are driving up downtime figures.
The Automotive sector could see losses of up to £12 billion in 2025, while Pharmaceuticals are anticipated to face downtime-related losses ranging from £500 million to £1 billion due to prolonged shutdowns.
“Manufacturers are grappling with aging infrastructure that not only leads to mechanical failures but also increases vulnerability to cyber attacks,” said Ryan Cooke, Chief Information Security Officer at IDS-INDATA. “Without a proactive approach to predictive maintenance and digital resilience, these disruptions will continue to escalate.”
What’s Behind Downtime in Manufacturing?
This report highlights specific vulnerabilities in different sectors that lead to downtime:
- Outdated equipment: Industries like Food Processing, Textiles, and Packaging often rely on old machinery that’s prone to breakdowns and inefficiencies.
- Cybersecurity threats: Sectors such as Automotive and Electronics, which rely on just-in-time (JIT) processes, are particularly at risk from cyber threats and system interdependencies.
- Delays due to compliance: Pharmaceutical and Chemical manufacturers often face extended shutdowns because of strict safety and validation protocols.
- Shortages in labor and skills: A lack of experienced workers across various industries slows down maintenance response times and problem resolution
Sector breakdown: The true cost of downtime: IDS-INDATA’S research identifies the scale of disruption by sector:
| Sector | Average downtime frequency | Average duration per incident | Cost per hour of downtime | Total projected downtime cost (2025) | Peak downtime periods | Why is the sector vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive | 20–25 incidents/month | 3–4 hours | £1.6M–£2M | £10–12 billion (UK/EU) | August (retooling), supply chain crises | Highly integrated, JIT, cyberattack risk |
| Food Processing | Multiple minor stoppages/week (~442 hrs/year) | 1–3 hours | £18k–£25k | £4–5 billion (UK) | Year-end, pre-holiday, CO₂ supply events | Machinery age, hygiene sensitivity, supply delays |
| Heavy Equipment | ~23 hrs/month (2–3 major events/year) | 5+ hours | £150k–£300k | £50–60 billion (EU-wide) | Summer shutdowns, energy crises | Energy-intensive, long restart time, legacy OT |
| Pharmaceutical | ~225–400 hrs/year | 8+ hours | £1M–£5M | £500M–£1B (UK) | December holidays, quality issues | High regulation, batch loss risk, validation downtime |
| Chemicals | ~400–600 hrs/year (continuous process lines) | 4–8 hours (can be longer for reactors) | £250k–£1M | £8–10 billion (EU) | Planned maintenance in summer, winter freeze risk | 24/7 process, strict controls, explosive potential |
| Electronics | Frequent minor stops; highly sensitive cleanrooms | 1–4 hours (some incidents longer due to cleanroom reset) | £100k–£500k | £6–8 billion (EU) | Q4 demand rush, cleanroom maintenance cycles | Precision-dependent, small faults = full stoppage |
| Textiles | ~180–300 hrs/year (dependent on automation) | 1–2 hours | £10k–£50k | £2–3 billion (UK/EU) | End-of-season shifts, equipment changeovers | Often, older systems, cost-driven maintenance |
| Aerospace | Few major events/year (highly controlled lines) | 4–6 hours (some downtime includes inspection delays) | £250k–£1M | £2–4 billion (UK) | Q1/Q3 audits, long-lead maintenance windows | Complex QA, long value chains, compliance bottlenecks |
| Packaging | High frequency; short disruptions weekly | 30 mins – 2 hours | £10k–£30k | £3–5 billion (UK) | Pre-holiday surges, year-end planned overhauls | High throughput, quick-fail systems, margin pressure |
Comparing the Sectors: Who’s Affected the Most?
- Automotive vs. Electronics: The Automotive sector experiences more frequent disruptions, while Electronics is more susceptible to precision errors that can lead to complete halts.
- Food vs. Pharmaceuticals: Food Processing tends to have more frequent but shorter downtimes, whereas the Pharmaceutical industry deals with fewer but more expensive long-term outages.
- Chemicals vs. Aerospace: The Chemicals sector has higher overall downtime due to its 24/7 operations, while Aerospace experiences downtime less often, but it’s significantly impacted by compliance requirements.
Expert Insights from IDS-INDATA
IDS-INDATA recommends that manufacturers embrace AI-driven predictive maintenance, real-time monitoring, and integrated data solutions to enhance their digital resilience.
Regarding the findings, Ryan Cooke, Chief Information Security Officer at IDS-INDATA, adds:
“These figures highlight the critical need for manufacturers to invest in predictive maintenance and digital resilience. Downtime is not just an inconvenience – it’s a multi-billion-pound problem impacting supply chains, production efficiency, and profitability. Sectors that rely on highly integrated systems, such as Automotive and Pharmaceuticals, must prioritise real-time monitoring and contingency planning to mitigate these costly disruptions. By embracing digital transformation, manufacturers can anticipate failures before they happen, protect against cyber threats, and ensure operational efficiency.”
If you're looking for more details, check out the study here: https://idsindata.co.uk/manufacturing-downtime-costs-and-forecasting/
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