A leading exporter of high-tech equipment says its operations risk being “strangled” by inconsistencies over government rules designed to control shipments of sensitive items that UK officials fear could end up in nuclear or biological weapons. London-based Cryogenic makes powerful magnets and ultra-low temperature cooling systems of the sort that could in theory be used in […]
Bluetree is a UK manufacturer that has diversified from rapid-turnround printing into making sophisticated hospital masks and other forms of medical protective equipment, including the highly-prized “meltblown” material used for masks that is rarely produced in Britain. It has set aside £18m for investments in machines and research and hired more than 200 new employees […]
An innovative recycling process for carbon fibre, developed by a UK company, could unlock a new source of the expensive “wonder material” – helping to accelerate the transition to an energy-efficient future. Carbon fibre is both extremely light and strong, which gives it many potential applications, notably in products designed to reduce energy consumption. But […]
Asked about her job, Demi Stacey, above, replies simply. “I love welding,” says the 19-year-old. She is speaking during a break in her apprentice training at In-Comm, a business based at Aldridge in the West Midlands that is leading the way in efforts to equip the workforce of the future with vital technical skills.A report by the […]
The green energy revolution has many foot soldiers and in a factory at Cockermouth in Cumbria, one such champion has achieved technology advances that are proving vital for the huge offshore wind turbines that are springing up around Britain’s coastline and beyond. [This article first appeared in Made Here Now in 2023.] Due to the […]
A century-old furniture maker known for its “cool classic” designs is championing “hybridised” production – splitting manufacturing between high- and low-wage locations to combine the benefits of both. For many manufacturers, this represents a more sophisticated way to remain competitive than simply “offshoring” production abroad or bringing factory operations back onshore. Ercol, which is family […]
Two fifths of the output of UK manufacturing can be categorised as “hardtech” with the capability to invigorate the economy. Hardtech is essentially manufacturing plus technology. Businesses in this sector combine a range of technological skills to design and make products, with manufacturing-related services often a big part of their activity. Hardtech fairly features in […]
Two fifths of the output of UK manufacturing can be categorised as “hardtech” with the capability to invigorate the economy and contribute to the government’s “levelling up” agenda, a seminar in November will be told. Hardtech businesses combine a range of technological skills to design and make products, with manufacturing-related services often a big part […]
From a small island off the coast of southern England, Mart Drake-Knight offers his own perspective on the trends driving the “circular economy” in which products and processes are re-designed to create a systematic way to cut materials use and pollution. Drake-Knight – still in his 30s – is co-founder and director of Isle of […]
The government has abandoned plans to back a novel type of anti-viral face mask, denting the ambitions of a group of innovative UK manufacturers and developers as Covid cases rise. Among the products affected by the decision are UK-made Brilliansee masks, which have been tried out by patients and carers at Alder Hey children’s hospital […]
A “green-tech” leader and an electrical equipment pioneer have teamed up to champion a potentially ground-breaking energy-saving fix for manufacturing machines, highlighting how small changes in industry can help to combat global warming. The innovation could be relevant for 10,000 UK metal-cutting machines that make items from cars to kitchen equipment, lowering their power consumption […]
The chief executive of Brompton Bicycle has issued a call for the UK’s “best brains” to work in manufacturing and technology, after unveiling plans for the biggest expansion in the company’s history. Will Butler-Adams said: “The world is facing some big problems and they won’t be solved by people manipulating currencies or creating bitcoin. We […]
