Issued in 2002 this gives the government’s view of the manufacturing and what needs to be done for UK firms to compete. It stresses that manufacturing is and will remain critical to the UK economy. Moving up the value chain to high skilled, knowledge-intensive manufacturing operations is seen as the key to the future in an increasingly competitive world. The strategy identifies “Seven pillars for manufacturing success” including macroeconomic stability, investment in technology and equipment, the spread of best practice and raising levels of skills and education.