Britain’s manufacturers are calling for the establishment of a Royal Commission to develop a long-term industrial strategy that would provide companies with a stable environment in which to invest, access talent and expand. This would be backed by an independent council to monitor the strategy, with the Cabinet Office being responsible for co-ordinating policy across Government.
The inaugural Talking Industry Live event held last month at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry attracted an enthusiastic crowd who were treated to more than 16 hours of content in the form of keynotes, panel discussions, workshops and seminars delivered by more than 20 experts.
Aston University in Birmingham is launching a Masters degree in smart manufacturing which will cover technologies such as digital twins and will teach hands-on skills needed to solve complex manufacturing problems. The post-graduate course will include topics such as production scheduling, predicting equipment failure and improving maintenance.
The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) – described by its organisers as being the world’s leading robotics event – is visiting the UK for the first time for five days at the end of May. More than 4,000 delegates from around the world are expected to attend the event at the ExCel centre in London’s Docklands.
RARUK Holdings has acquired the mechanical power transmission specialist Drive Lines Technologies for an undisclosed sum. Following the acquisition, Drive Lines Technologies has relocated from its Bedford base to RARUK’s headquarters in nearby Shefford, Bedfordshire.
Wigan-based Idem Safety Switches is one of the winners of the first ever King’s Awards for Enterprise (previously known as The Queen’s Awards). It has won an award in the Innovation category for an anti-tamper switch system with guard locking that prevents access to moving machinery.
Innovate UK has launched a programme to drive the take-up of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies in the UK. The BridgeAI programme will make £100m of funding available to companies working on AI and ML projects.
Yorkshire-based Sewtec Automation has designed and built three machines to produce the first plastic-free Remembrance Poppies for the Royal British Legion.
The MRO company Rubix UK has bought Bedford-based Gapp Automation, which distributes motion, control & automation (MCA) systems in the UK and Ireland. The acquisition will extend Rubix’s activities into the electrical MCA sector, alongside its existing mechanical businesses. Details of the transaction have not been revealed.
Sprint Electric, the Sussex-based manufacturer of DC drives, has secured investments totalling £2.5m to help it enter the AC VSD (variable-speed drives) market with a new range with regenerative capabilities, developed in conjunction with the University of Nottingham.
There were almost 800 acquisitions or mergers involving UK manufacturing businesses in 2022, according to data released by the accountancy and business advisory firm BDO. The 793 deals recorded represent a small increase on the 779 completed in 2021.
The UK-headquartered industrial automation and controls distributor, the Routeco Group, has acquired the Swiss business Swibox Automation for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition will strengthen Routeco's presence in the EMEA region and help to meet a rising demand for industrial automation products and services across Europe. The acquisition complements Routeco’s existing European locations in the UK, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Radwell International, the US-headquartered specialist in surplus and remanufactured industrial control systems, has bought the Blackburn-based automation repairs firm, Northern Industrial, for an undisclosed sum.
The UK Government is planning to raise Meps (minimum energy performance standards) and to strengthen energy labelling requirements for energy-using products, to help cut energy demand. This was revealed in the more than 2,000 pages of documents that accompanied the recent launch of its Powering Up Britain plan for the future of energy security in the UK.
The Welsh drives-maker Invertek has started work on a 2,771m2 extension to its manufacturing and distribution facility in Welshpool, Powys. The extension to the existing 5,500m2 facility is part of a £10m investment that also includes a new Application and Training Centre.
