Manufacturing in the UK

[Yokel]

One hates to report bad news, but here it is:

Alstom: Train manufacturer puts 1,300 jobs at risk in Derby - BBC News

More than 1,300 jobs have been put at risk at the UK's largest rail assembly factory.

Alstom is consulting on job losses at its Litchurch Lane site in Derby, which has no confirmed workload beyond the first quarter of 2024.

Work on trains for HS2 is scheduled to start at the plant in late 2026, but there is a gap in orders from early next year.

The BBC understands 550 permanent jobs and 780 temporary jobs are at risk.

An Alstom spokesperson said the company had been working with the government over the past six months in a bid to secure a "sustainable future" for the factory.

"No committed way forward has yet been found and therefore it is with deep regret that we must now begin to plan for a significant reduction in activity at Derby by entering a period of collective consultation on potential redundancies at Litchurch Lane," they said...

 

[Yokel]

Aerospace component manufacturing is another thing close to my heart:

British businesses to benefit from landmark South American aerospace partnership - UKEF

UK Export Finance (UKEF) has signed an agreement with Embraer which is expected to increase the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer’s spend on UK suppliers. The export credit agency issued a first, £89 million financing guarantee to Embraer in 2022 to support contracts with UK exporters.

This new agreement will now see UKEF link the value of future credit guarantees to the value of Embraer’s spend on the UK supply chain.

This is expected to boost the firm’s annual spend on UK goods and services, which already stands at approximately $60 million.

Embraer is the world’s third largest civil passenger aircraft manufacturer and delivered 159 commercial and executive aircraft last year alone. This new agreement will help UK firms – including over 120 existing suppliers – access the opportunities created by one of Latin America’s largest manufacturers...

 

[Yokel]

50 new jobs for Coventry as £11.3m battery production project fully charged - Coventry Telegraph

A £11.3m project, designed to scale up the UK’s battery pack manufacturing and supply chain capability, has been hailed a success with 50 new jobs being created in Coventry. The H1perChain project, funded by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), has developed an automated pilot line for module/pack assembly, cell joining and in-line testing.

Led by Hyperbat and working with main consortium partners Unipart Manufacturing, WAE, Coventry University and Direc-Tec, the challenge has also come up with a laser welding joining process for cylindrical cell formats, hundreds of skills development opportunities, and the creation of a digital platform to connect the battery value chain.

More than 50 highly skilled jobs have been created at the state-of-the-art production facility in Coventry, with the promise of another 25 on the way as it enters into its first commercial agreement to supply battery packs for a global customer. Jon Bell, Project Lead at Hyperbat, said: “We came into H1perchain with the overriding aim of developing a process and emerging supply chain capability for manufacturing high-performance batteries in the UK.

 

[Yokel]

Britain’s best summer for bus and coach fleet renewal since 2019 - SMMT

Britain’s new bus, coach and minibus market grew by 130.6% in the third quarter of 2023 with 1,739 vehicles registered, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Operator demand more than doubled compared with the same quarter last year, as passenger levels return to pre-pandemic levels for the first time – providing a confidence boost for UK road transport services looking to replace their older vehicles. The July to September period saw the greatest demand of any quarter since Q4 2019,2 with more of the latest, greenest models joining roads in towns and cities across Britain...

 

[Yokel]

Government action needed!

Five manufacturing trade bodies call for long-term industry plan - Production Engineering Solutions

With a general election coming up, the leaders of five of most successful manufacturing sectors, called the Manufacturing Five (M5), are calling on all political parties to unite around a long-term vision for UK manufacturing.

With a combined turnover of £309bn, the M5 has come together to propose an essential new ‘manifesto for growth,’ which sets out the critical actions needed to drive the competitiveness and growth of innovative manufacturing.

The five-point manifesto sets out the reforms necessary for the UK to close the gap with global competitors and unlock the potential for manufacturing to drive prosperity and pride across the UK.

The plan focuses on building the workforce of tomorrow, regulating for growth, supporting innovation, leadership in sustainability, and securing Britain's place as a leading trading nation.

The report underscores the critical importance of advanced manufacturing in shaping the UK's future. It stresses the need for a coherent, long-term strategy to ensure their continued success.

Vital for the UK economy, the M5 sectors span life sciences, chemicals, food and drink, automotive, aerospace, defence, security and space, and employ nearly one million people in roles that are 46% more productive than the national average. Moreover, these sectors are responsible for over £2 out of every £5 invested in research and development (R&D) by UK businesses.

Despite these strengths, the sectors have faced disruptions and changes in operating environments, resulting in significant challenges to overcome, in addition to a new era of global competition driven by targeted national industrial strategies.

To meet these challenges head-on, any future government must play a central role by creating the conditions for UK manufacturing to thrive and innovate. This approach is essential in generating new job opportunities, supporting British innovation, and encouraging investment across all nations and regions of the UK.

The report outlines five pillars to drive sustained growth:

1. Building the workforce of tomorrow - developing a skilled and adaptable workforce ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
2. Regulation for growth - implementing policies and regulations that foster innovation and growth within the manufacturing sectors.
3. Delivering an innovation nation - prioritising innovation as an essential element for manufacturing growth.
4. Harnessing Britain’s place in the world - capitalising on the UK's global presence to promote its manufacturing industries.
5. Delivering a sustainable future - working in partnership with businesses to support the transition to more sustainable manufacturing approaches.

 

[Yokel]

Oxford announces new AI Environment centre amidst wider UK investment - The Cherwell

The University has announced plans to open a new “Intelligent Earth Centre” focusing on theintersection between Artificial Intelligence and environmental sciences. The centre will be funded by a £12 million grant from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), with nearly £3 million more from the university itself and partners including Google DeepMind, IBM, the European Space Agency and the Met Office.

The “Intelligent Earth Centre” is intended to train almost 100 PhD students to use AI technologies to tackle environmental crises over the first eight years. The announcement follows the recent AI Safety summit which signalled the UK’s determination to regain its dominance in the AI field.

The centre is one of 12 new UKRI centres for doctoral training with over £117 million awarded, building on their previous 2018 investment of £100 million. Other centres include Biomedical Innovation at the University of Edinburgh, Sustainability at the University of Southampton, and Decision Making for Complex Systems at the University of Manchester...

 

[Yokel]

One for @REMEwalt here:

Region wins 5G Innovation competition funding to accelerate its adoption - The Business Desk

The West Midlands Combined Authority has won £4m to accelerate the adoption of 5G technology across manufacturing and smart communities.

Won through a joint bid between WM5G (West Midlands 5G), JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) and the WMCA, the funding comes from the Government’s £40m 5G Innovation Regions competition.

Advanced manufacturing and smart communities (which include social care and housing) are two key clusters identified in the West Midlands Plan for Growth, launched last year with the aim of boosting the regional economy.

Now, the partnership is looking to scale proven 5G use cases through the UK’s first adoption hubs in operational manufacturing and social housing facilities and then support many other organisations to benefit through adoption programmes.

Pushing the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies including 5G and data/AI in these clusters has the potential to create skilled jobs, boost productivity, transform wellness, and help reduce social inequalities says the WMCA. However, digital adoption in the region still remains low, primarily due to a skills gap...

 

[Yokel]

This has taken a long time - so why now?

Billions of investment for British manufacturing to boost economic growth - HM Treasury

Over £2 billion has been earmarked for the automotive industry and £975 million for aerospace, supporting the manufacturing, supply chain and development of zero emission vehicles, and investment in energy efficient and zero-carbon aircraft equipment.

Alongside this, the government has committed to £960 million for a Green Industries Growth Accelerator to support clean energy manufacturing, and £520 million for life sciences manufacturing to build resilience for future health emergencies and capitalise on the UK’s world-leading research and development.

With the entire manufacturing sector making up over 43% of all UK exports and employing around 2.6 million people, this funding is targeted at the UK’s strongest, world leading sectors; including where the industry is undergoing fundamental changes to remain at the forefront of the global transition to net zero, like the move to zero emission vehicles in the automotive industry.

The Green Industries Growth Accelerator investment will support the expansion of strong, home-grown, clean energy supply chains across the UK, including carbon capture, utilisation and storage, electricity networks, hydrogen, nuclear and offshore wind. This will enable the UK to seize growth opportunities through the transition to net zero, building on our world-leading decarbonisation track record and strong deployment offer.

The funding forms part of the Prime Minister’s pledge to grow the economy, and his focus on making decisions for the long-term, ensuring this funding doesn’t just focus on the most successful sectors today but looks ahead to how we keep pace internationally and build the UK’s expertise for the industries of the future.

Together with our existing manufacturing support and plans for net zero transition, this package will help unlock private investment, provide certainty to investors, boost energy security, and protect and create jobs. This approach has already mobilised £198 billion in public and private investment in low carbon energy deployment since 2010.

Today’s announcement comes ahead of the second Global Investment Summit later this month, which will showcase innovative companies from across the UK, with significant investment opportunities in sectors such as technology, sustainability, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and creative industries...

 

[REMEwalt]

One for @REMEwalt here:

Region wins 5G Innovation competition funding to accelerate its adoption - The Business Desk

The West Midlands Combined Authority has won £4m to accelerate the adoption of 5G technology across manufacturing and smart communities.

Won through a joint bid between WM5G (West Midlands 5G), JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) and the WMCA, the funding comes from the Government’s £40m 5G Innovation Regions competition.

Advanced manufacturing and smart communities (which include social care and housing) are two key clusters identified in the West Midlands Plan for Growth, launched last year with the aim of boosting the regional economy.

Now, the partnership is looking to scale proven 5G use cases through the UK’s first adoption hubs in operational manufacturing and social housing facilities and then support many other organisations to benefit through adoption programmes.

Pushing the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies including 5G and data/AI in these clusters has the potential to create skilled jobs, boost productivity, transform wellness, and help reduce social inequalities says the WMCA. However, digital adoption in the region still remains low, primarily due to a skills gap...

It's possible that I will be working on that project given my previous involvement with wireless at JLR. I led all the radio planning for the Lode Lane plant.

There's a lot of debate about what 5G in manufacturing really means. Other than coverage there's nothing that you can't do with WIFI, especially WIFI6. And a 3GPP network is actually incredibly complicated to manage, compared with WLAN controllers. 3GPP was designed for service providers, not end users. I've witnessed various 5G trials in the automotive sector (VAG in both the US and Germany) and in every case, they've swapped back to WIFI.

The other problem is that most of the machine-machine capabilities won't be on general release for another 12 months, which means the end point devices won't be available for 18 months. That leaves 5G as a very expensive backhaul solution.

 

[Yokel]

Did I miss this story on Friday?

Chancellor commits £4.5bn to UK manufacturing industry - The Manufacturer

The UK manufacturing industry is set to benefit from £4.5bn in government funding, according to a Treasury statement released late on Friday.

Per the emailed statement, key British manufacturers will be able to take advantage of the package of loans and grants from 2025, after the next general election (which is widely expected to occur next year).

The Treasury said the package, which includes £2bn for the automotive industry, £975m for aerospace and £960m for clean energy, would provide manufacturers with “longer term certainty about their investments” and ensure the UK “remains at the forefront of the global transition to net zero”.

The statement comes after the latest S&P Global/CIPS UK Manufacturing PMI figures show that industry continued its contraction in October. The UK manufacturing sector has now been in contraction territory for 15 months...

 

[Yokel]

Enviro200AV wins Vehicle of the Year as Alexander Dennis and partners scoop top honour at Self-Driving Industry Awards

Alexander Dennis has announced that its Enviro200AV autonomous bus for the CAVForth project has been recognised as Vehicle of the Year at the UK’s first dedicated awards for connected and autonomous vehicles.

In a collaborative achievement, bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis, autonomous system provider Fusion Processing, and public transport operator Stagecoach clinched the prestigious Vehicle of the Year award. The recognition highlights the importance of public transport when considering what the future of mobility could look like and honours the partners’ effort in launching the UK’s first full-size autonomous bus service...

 

[beemer007]

Recent South Korean should strategically reap benefits for UK, as reported in various media outlets.

UK and South Korea to launch talks on new trade deal as Korean businesses back Britain with £21 billion of investment

Talks launch tomorrow [Wednesday 22 November] on an upgraded trade deal with South Korea.

www.gov.uk

 

[Yokel]

Leaders unite to break ground on South Yorkshire’s innovation facility - Aerospace Manufacturing

Industry, academia and government leaders gathered in Sheffield recently to break ground for a University of Sheffield AMRC innovation facility and research project led by global aerospace company Boeing, which will put South Yorkshire at the forefront of UK aerospace manufacturing.

The Composites at Speed and Scale (COMPASS) research facility will house the Boeing-led Isothermic High-Rate Sustainable Structures (IHSS) project dedicated to developing and testing new technologies needed to meet future demand for lighter commercial aircraft and help the aviation industry’s commitment reach net zero by 2050.

The combined £80 million COMPASS facility and IHSS project, announced earlier this year in partnership with Loop Technology and Spirit AeroSystems, is jointly-funded by industry, key stakeholders and the UK Government’s Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme; a partnership between Department for Business and Trade, ATI and Innovate UK.

The undertaking will initially create around 50 jobs in South Yorkshire and based on forecasted aircraft demand, has the potential to create up to 3,000 UK jobs long-term, and around £2 billion annually in export opportunities...

 

[Yokel]

MasterMover Wins Product Innovation & Design Category at The Manufacturer MX Awards 2023

MasterMover, the market-leader in electric tug solutions and innovative handling solutions, has won the MX Award for Product Innovation & Design. Organised by The Manufacturer in partnership with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), The Manufacturer MX Awards are widely considered the gold standard in manufacturing awards and are the only peer-reviewed and judged programme of their kind for UK manufacturing.

Headquartered in Derbyshire, UK, MasterMover is a world-leading manufacturer of electric tug and tow tug solutions, designed to improve safety and operational efficiency when moving heavy-wheeled loads. MasterMover focuses on innovation, research and development to provide the widest range of electric tug products on the market. With businesses in France, Germany and North America, the Midlands-manufacturer serves an expanding global customer base, across sectors such as industrial manufacturing, aerospace and energy. This year, MasterMover was shortlisted for two MX Awards – Product Innovation & Design and International Trade.

The awards illustrate and honour a true cross-section of UK industry excellence, rigorously assessed across 11 categories. The gala dinner at The Exhibition Centre Liverpool on 15th November was attended by 500 industry leaders. The awards were the culmination of an intense three-month judging period, where experienced industry experts visited factories across the UK to benchmark the companies’ performance...

 

[Yokel]

Made Smarter national roll-out to turbo charge digital transformation for SME manufacturers - The Manufacturer

Made Smarter, a programme helping SME manufacturers access technology and digital skills, is to be rolled out nationally.

The Government has committed to expanding the Made Smarter Adoption Programme to all nine English regions in 2025-26 before working with Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland from 2026-27.

The announcement by HM Treasury, on Friday November 17, means hundreds of thousands more SME manufacturers will get access to technology advice, leadership, and skills training, as well as grant funding for digital internships and technology projects.

The commitment, alongside plans for £4.5bn in funding for British manufacturing, will also boost productivity, growth, and decarbonisation for SME manufacturers across the country.

Launched in the North West in 2019, the Made Smarter has engaged with 2,500 manufacturers and funded 334 technology projects, which are forecast to create 1,550 jobs, upskill 2,772 existing roles, and increase North West GVA by £242m.

The successful blueprint has since inspired Made Smarter adoption programmes in the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands, East Midlands, and West of England.

The announcement coincides with the publication of a new report by Made Smarter. ‘Delivering Impact: How Made Smarter Inspires Digital Transformation’ outlines the impact of the adoption model and proposes ways to make it even better...