Working in partnership with leaders of industry, business at all stages of development, investors, universities, research institutions, and national, regional, and local government - Sheffield truly is a city which is inspiring this incredibly important, multi-disciplinary approach to applied innovation and modern manufacturing.

What goes around comes around

You can go right back to the 12th Century and find archaeological evidence showing Sheffield has always been a city of makers, but city's story of inspiring change through manufacturing really begins to be told with Benjamin Hunstman.

Huntsman discovered the crucible process of making larger amounts of high quality, high strength steel in the 18th Century, shortly before Thomas Boulsolver also discovered Sheffield Plate, which both resulted in the rapid expansion of trade. 

Around 100 years later, Henry Bessemer then invented the Bessemer Converter in the mid 19th century, which can still be seen in grand scale at Kelham Island Museum to this day. Once again, this innovation had significant economic effects on the manufacturing trade across the world. 

image of Harry Brearley from Joined Up Heritage Sheffield

Sheffield metallurgist, Harry Brearley's discovering of stainless steel in the 20th century, then changed the landscape once again, with one of the biggest products of manufacturing since the industrial revolution.

Immediate gains saw an expansion of the city's traditional cutlery trade and brought affordable cutlery to the masses, but the legacy is far greater with stainless steel considered one of the most important inventions in history and continues to be used the world over in unlimited ways.

Locations, processes, and market demand have all changed since then - and, as is well documented in section 2.2 of this European Bank report, the de-industrialisation of European cities led to hardship, unemployment, and population decline.

The ensuing regeneration of many cities has created new economies, which is of course true of Sheffield as well. However, what hasn't changed here - for the good - is the attitude and acquired knowledge base of the people, as well as the infrastructure to provide the best facilities in the creation of a more modern form of manufacturing.

The custom built, highly technical commissions involving engineering and construction, through to the extreme precision and light-weighting materials research and product creation are all made possible in Sheffield now, thanks to what came before.

And so, once again, Sheffield is inspiring new ways of making, moving, adapting and shaping the industrial requirements of the modern world in this incredibly high value sector.

Made in Sheffield and The Company of Cutlers

The Made in Sheffield mark is a unique mark of origin and quality applied to products that are manufactured here (and has even been extended to some cultural exports too!). It is convened and overseen by a number of city stakeholders, including the Council and Chamber of Commerce, and has even registered "Sheffield" as a trademark in many foreign countries to ensure that it could not be used on any other products.

Playing a huge role in all things Made in Sheffield, and the continued evolution of Sheffield's steel and manufacturing past and present, is the Company of Cutlers, who were established by a Parliamentary Act in 1624. They preside over the impressive Cutlers Hall as well as a huge body of impressive artefacts of industry, and work as a body representing the manufacturing businesses (and heritage) of the city.