AMufacture responds to Defence Investment Plan

The UK’s leading additive manufacturing contract manufacturer today warned the UK could not squander the defence dividend in the same way it had wasted the peace dividend.

Craig Pyser – chief executive of 3D printing specialist AMufacture – said today’s Defence Investment Plan (DIP) was “a long‑awaited step in the right direction” and that the additive manufacturing industry was ideally-placed to help deliver drone technology at speed.

But Pyser, who is also chair of the additive manufacturing trade association AMUK, said the government cannot afford to repeat past mistakes by failing to turn investment into real industrial capability.

“It’s positive that the plan has finally landed but we must be honest about the scale of the challenge. We squandered the peace dividend for 80 years. We cannot afford to squander the defence dividend,” he said.

“The first thing the government must do is fix defence procurement to ensure that agile, innovative, UK-based manufacturers such as ourselves can play a full part in modernising our defence capabilities. As it stands, the system is simply too slow and too traditional to deliver the technology we need at the pace we need it.

“While government has been preparing this plan, industry has already been moving. Defence manufacturers – especially SMEs – have been developing programmes, building capability and preparing to deliver at the pace the DIP demands. I urge the government to recognise this capability.

“Give us the chance to deliver and the country can start to reap some of the dividends the Prime Minister talked about.” Portsmouth-based AMufacture already supplies components for drones and autonomous systems across air, land, sea and underwater domains and Pyser says it can play a leading part in delivering the £5bn of new autonomous machinery highlighted in the plan.

“The proof is there when it comes to our ability to support a massive uptake in drone technology,” Pyser said. “We’re doing it now. We can do it at speed. We can do it at scale.

“There’s no need for significant amounts of traditional tooling to make every component. We have developed one of the largest fleets of advanced polymer 3D printers in Europe, which enables rapid, precise and repeatable production.

“And it’s agile enough to allow us to develop parts at rapid pace so that drones can be adapted as circumstances change. You only have to look at Ukraine to know how vital that agility is.”

Pyser also pointed to the MOD’s “hub and spoke” vision for forward‑deployed manufacturing. “Instead of shipping a spare part from the UK, you print it where it’s needed. That’s how you build sovereign capability at speed.” He added that the UK is NATO’s lead nation for additive manufacturing adoption – “a strategic advantage we must fully leverage.”

He also called on the government to support its plan with real incentives for defence‑focused businesses, including business rate discounts and tax reliefs for defence‑related employment and investment.

“Backing British must mean backing the entire supply chain. If we are to truly maximise the defence dividend then it has to be easier to employ more people and the support has to be available to make those new jobs sustainable in the long term.”

AMufacture was founded by Pyser and former naval architect and Olympic sailor Will Howden. The company has invested significantly in HP Multi Jet Fusion technology and production-scale automation and operates one of the largest 3D printer fleets in the UK. Defence has grown to become the company’s largest revenue sector in 2026.