ROUND-UP JUNE 2019
In Brief
Investment
Wren announces expansion
Wren Kitchens will create up
to 1,200 new jobs at its Bartonupon
Humber headquarters
as it prepares to invest over
£120 million in its fourth
manufacturing facility in the
Humber region. The company
has submitted planning
application to build a new,
85,000m2 factory on its main
180-acre site.
FANUC UK
FANUC to grow by 25%
Automation specialists FANUC
has shared plans for expansion
to its UK headquarters during
a visit from West Midlands
Mayor Andy Street (above).
UK managing director Tom
Bouchier announced plans to
expand the company’s
10,000m2 site in Coventry by
25% over the coming 12 months.
£4bn deal for Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
has won a £4 billion contract
to build, operate and maintain
a major new monorail network
in Egypt. The rolling stock
for the project will be built at
Bombardier’s factory in Derby,
securing the long-term future
of over 100 staff at the plant.
“This shows that the British
rail industry is world-class and
can compete and win in global
markets,” said Phil Hufton,
UK president of Bombardier.
The deal will involve investing
in a new, dedicated monorail
production line at the factory.
UK industry has
self-confidence
The vast majority (82%)
of UK manufacturers
believe the country
will be considered an
industrial world-leader
by 2025, says a new,
wide-ranging report
released by Sage.
The report, called
Riding the wave of
uncertainty: How
process manufacturers
are planning for a
brighter future in 2019,
provides a detailed
picture of a sector
poised for change in
areas of technology,
services, skills and, in
the UK particularly,
where goods and
materials are sourced.
The good news
doesn’t stop there,
with an overwhelming
99% of all process
manufacturers who
took part in the
research across the
UK, US and Canada
saying they are actively
preparing for growth,
suggesting a trans-
Atlantic can-do attitude.
Challenges remain,
however: almost
two-thirds of those
surveyed (62%) say
regulatory changes
are affecting their
business, with 82%
warning that the threat
of import/export
shake-ups around
Brexit is having a
significant impact
on decision-making.
“Contrary to
prevailing sentiments
about the decline of
manufacturing in the
UK, our research
reveals attitudes are
anything but
downbeat,” said Sabby
Gill, MD for the UK &
Ireland at Sage.
People & Skills
Santander has provided
£30 million of funding
support for MK:U, the UK’s
first university dedicated to
digital skills. The university,
which is expected to open
in Milton Keynes in 2023, is
being developed by Cranfield
University and a host of
industrial backers.
Automation
Human-inspired robot
Cambridge Consultants has
developed Hank, a robot
with flexible robotic fingers
inspired by the human hand.
Billed as the most dexterous
industrial robot in history,
Hank can emulate the human
ability to grip delicate objects
using just the right amount
of pressure. It is hoped the
technology will revolutionise
warehouse automation.
More than a third of the
working population wrongly
think the National Minimum
and Living Wages should not
be paid for the time they spend
travelling during working
hours, according to a poll
conducted by BEIS as part of
a campaign to raise awareness
around wage compliance.
UK robotics growth stalls
Installations of industrial
robots in the UK fell by 3% to
2,306 units in 2018, according
to the preliminary World
Robotics Report 2019. In the
previous year, robot sales
in the UK had risen by 31%.
Across the EU, figures rose by
12%. The UK now ranks 22nd
worldwide for robot density,
with 85 units per 10,000
manufacturing employees.
Hot topic
A report released by business advisory
firm, BDO, has warned that too much
focus on Brexit and the skills shortage
means UK manufacturing is lagging behind
global competitors on digital adoption.
Business
SMEs’ funding woes
Almost half (46%) of SME
manufacturing firms have
faced challenges when looking
to raise finance, according to
a Wyelands Bank study. The
research highlights how the
difficulties in raising finance
to support their growth has
both stopped UK mid-sized
manufacturers from winning
contracts and hampered the
creation of new jobs.
Car production plummets
Latest SMMT figures show
that UK car production fell
by 44.5% year-on-year in
April. Manufacturers were
caught out by closing their
factories to mitigate against
Brexit – which didn’t happen
when expected. “Prolonged
instability has done untold
damage, with the fear of ‘no
deal’ holding back progress,”
said SMMT chief, Mike Hawes.
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