Industry News Round-Up August 2018

The Impact Of The Next Industrial Revolution

Joe Kaeser, the head of Siemens is trying to warn companies and governments that the new industrial revolution is coming with its fair share of challenges. Up to 1/3 of the jobs will be lost as we transition from the traditional cars to electric vehicles. This change may end up taking place in the next decade or a bit after that.

While the tech advancements are great, they also come with their fair share of problems for our society. In this case, many jobs will become obsolete as technology can take care of them in no time.

The governments and companies need to figure out a solution in this perspective. One of the challenges is making sure that they retain the workers with good skills, even if those skills might not be relevant on the job market.

A solution here would be retaining businesses and governments as they try to find the right solutions. The governments need to create a framework and the private sector needs to complete that framework.

Of course, countries can also work with one another in order to counteract this type of problem. While Germany (where Siemens resides) might be hit by this, other countries would not have to worry about this type of issue too much. But with the right approach and a good set of systems the tech advancements will not bring in problems for the workforce. Yet Joe Kaeser is right, preparing for such an eventual outcome early on will help prevent issues.

For full information, please read the article below:
Story originally covered Courtesy of Guardian News by Angela Monaghan at The Guardian

Government chooses Essex-based Manufacturer For Promotion Of Start-Up Loans

Startup loans are very important for all UK startups, and many of them reach success with a good approach. That’s what JimJams managed to do, and they were chosen by the government to promote startup loans.

JimJams is a startup created by Kevin Bath and his wife Kellie. They created a unique low sugar alternative to the chocolate spreads. The government backed them up with 25000 pounds, and they got an annual turnover of 300000 pounds. This is clearly a huge success, and it goes to show that a good loan can help any startup reach amazing results. JimJams is now found in important supermarket chains like Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, among many others.

The Startup Loans Company was super important when it came to making JimJams grow, as without the money to get the venture off the ground, JimJams would not exist.

There are some challenging moments to deal with when you create such a startup, but the results can indeed shine if you do this right. The Startup Loans Company offered more than 50000 loans to the UK startups, which added up to 345 million pounds in total.

This goes to show that startup loans are available, and if you have a great idea you should consider investing in it right away.

Full story via EssexLive

 

£700m Contribution to UK economy From South West Food

Liz Truss, the Chief Secretary of the Treasury visited multiple food manufacturers in Cornwall recently. And during her visit, she showed that both agricultural and food exports are continuing to grow for the fourth year in a row. During the first 3 months of 2018, around £175 million worth of agricultural goods were exported from the South West to the entire world.

For the past year, the total amount of food exports from the South West alone was £700 million in total, a testament to the hard work that people in the SW region put in their agricultural projects.

In addition, the SW also has the second lowest unemployment rate, yet another thing that further boosts this approach. Another thing to note is that since 2010 the government worked hard to help businesses grow and expand. They cut the corporate tax, and now we can see some of the generated growth in that perspective.

While we still have quite a lot of 2018 to look forward to, the initial sales are very promising. And the South West food exports might very well surpass the £700 million total from last year, which is extremely exciting!

Want to know more? Click the links below for other coverage.

South West Food Exports Contribute 700M To UK Economy by The Manufacturer

700 Million South West Food Exports Are Vital To Economic Success via GOV News

10-point action plan to inspire next generation in Engineering UK

Future generations of engineers are constantly trying to find creative solutions to the current problems. But of course, they also have to think about growth, so creating a solid action plan may very well be right up their alley in this situation.

1. The government needs to promote the idea of generating work experience via “taster

days”. A lot of new engineers lack that and finding a new job is very hard for them.

2. Companies need to implement some practice days for students as the means to figure

out how an engineer works on the field and so on.

3. Politicians have to focus on championing the work experience placements.

4. Local communities need to show support and promote the local career fairs.

5. It’s crucial to have all the necessary career information online. Future engineers are avid

web users too, so it’s a lot easier for them to fully comprehend the situation and requirements.

6. Engineering students need additional funds from the government, especially since they

travel away from home or their region for a long time.

7. Politicians need to create more education colleges that have a focus on engineering
8. Companies have to work alongside the education providers to offer immediate work

placement.

9. The government and the engineering industry need to offer more information about the

career opportunities, all while delivering improved education too.

10. Companies and the government alike have to focus on championing technology and

design at every school.

One thing is certain, these ideas will help promote better engineering jobs for all upcoming students. And in the end, if we invest in the future engineers, we will only help ourselves as we grow towards a better tomorrow!

For more information, see the original articles below:

10 Point Action Plan To Inspire Next Gen and Engineering Campaign Launched by Engineering UK

Strong Order Books For June

As reported by the Confederation of British Industry, UK manufacturing output shot up for the start of British summer. This positive start allows sweat to be wiped from a few Brexit anxious brows, however economists differ on their predicted outcomes over the summer months.

A mild slowdown was predicted in the report, which may indicate this sudden and sharp growth is temporary.

U.K. Manufacturing Growth Bounces Back in June, CBI Says Originally reported by David Goodman of Bloomberg

Welsh Manufacturing

Press release from the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales and The Rt Hon Alun Cairns, MP. Secretary of State Alun Cairns highlights the successes of the Welsh manufacturing sector.

Welsh manufacturing has been seen to embrace artificial intelligence and innovations that are revolutionising the engineering and manufacturing sectors of Welsh industry. Welcoming such has bought new exciting projects that are encouraging production, technology advancements and the growth of specialist expertise.

Mr Cairnes wasn’t the only attendee with positive contributions, Simon Vittle, Head of Manufacturing for Barclays in Wales said, “Against a challenging back drop, UK manufacturers are surprisingly upbeat. Output is rising, order books are strong, capital investments are on the increase and “Made in Britain” is once again seen as a badge of quality.”

Alun Cairns highlights success of Welsh manufacturing The original GOV Press Release.

£4m initiative to bring space technology to Britain’s NHS

The National Health Service has been dealing with an abundance of difficulties in recent years, from scandals of companies overcharging to for drugs, to poor management within the system itself and even poor medical practices and ‘blunders’ that cost not only money, but lives. In order to tackle the growing problems, initiatives have been started from more innovative fields,

such as science, engineering and technology. Previous examples include apps to help aid skin cancer prevention and breast screening vans that are able to beam images to local centres for assessment.

The UK Space Agency is investing £4 Million to meet challenges such as being able to diagnose cancer earlier. For further details, see articles from the Institute of Mechanical Engineering and BusinessCloud.co.uk, below:

£4m initiative launches to bring space technology to the NHS

IMECHE.Org – NHS and Space Technology

Space Tech Could Solve NHS’s Greatest Challenges BusinessCloud

Ford Hits CO2 Emission Targets Almost A Decade Early

Now eight years ahead of schedule, Ford has hit its emissions targets, set on focus for the importance of renewable energies in the industry. The company claims emissions fell around 32% during the years of production 2010 to 2017. Other initiatives by Ford include installing LED lighting in their factories and updating painting operations to be more eco-friendly.

Operational water use is also looking to be cut up to 30% by the year 2020. The Sustainability reports Ford has achieved a 228 million pound reduction in CO2 emissions. For more information on the report, and to read what the Vice President had to say about the findings, visit below:

Ford hits CO2 manufacturing emissions target eight years early

BusinessGreen.com Article by Michael Holder