Brexit clarity sought as engineers stay upbeat

Scotland’s engineering sector has reported a positive quarter in the face of a number of headwinds but industry leaders have repeated their call for clarity over Brexit.

Scottish Engineering, the support body for engineering and manufacturing north of the Border, said the past three months had been positive overall, “albeit with some declining indicators also evident”.

Order intake, exports and optimism all remained positive, while staffing numbers and capital investment showed double-digit positive indicators.

Chief executive Paul Sheerin said: “With clarity on our future trading relationships as a result of Brexit still no clearer, maybe it’s time to turn our attention to a subject that can add a helpful direction for our industry. The much discussed productivity puzzle is a complex challenge, but effort understanding the relevant factors for each business will aid competitiveness.”