A study on the development of statistical data on the European security technological and industrial base has shown that the UK’s security sector is in a promising era of growth, says the BSIA.
The study, commissioned by the European Commission DG Migration and Home Affairs, was aimed at developing statistical data that would give a clearer picture of the technological and industrial base of the security industry in Europe.
The research took into account existing statistical data, whilst also carrying out a company survey in seven Member States (UK, Germany, Estonia, Spain, France, Italy and Poland), with the results extrapolated to compile an assessment of the size, structure and performance of the overall EU security industry sector and market.
From these results, the outlook for the UK’s security industry looks very positive. According to the research, UK turnover growth has grown by more than any of the other Member States surveyed, with 35% of UK respondents citing that turnover has increased by more than 25% over the past five years. A further 15% of UK respondents reported growth of up to 25% and only 13% stated that they have experienced a decrease in growth.
Looking ahead, according to the research, the UK’s security industry can expect growth of 16% over the next five years, well above the average growth rate for all respondents of 10%.
Perhaps most strikingly, are the figures quoted for the UK’s security industry turnover and employment. The total turnover for all security products and services, as defined by the research, is €25.4 billion (not including defence), and an estimated 352,000 people are employed by the UK’s security industry.
Commenting on the results, James Kelly, Chief Executive of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), said: “This research demonstrates the economic importance of the UK’s security industry and it is pleasing to see data that supports the notion that the UK’s security industry is growing. The statistics show that our industry is performing well domestically as well as wider afield in global markets, positioning the UK as a global leader in security products and services. This is something that we should be proud of, the ‘Great British brand’ is in demand and I expect that this will continue to grow as more and more UK companies expand their business overseas.”
Indeed, the research also tells a compelling story when it comes to export market share in total sales of security products and services. The UK has the strongest export share in total sales, with approximately 55% of UK respondents admitting to having a degree of export exposure. Interestingly, 15% of UK respondents claimed to have an export share of between 75-100% of total sales.
