Each day The Manufacturer compiles the top manufacturing news stories from around the web. To make your life a little easier, we trawl through all the major trade publications, broadsheets and business magazines to find you the most important manufacturing news each morning. Don't forget to bookmark this page and check back daily.
Sunak scraps HS2 Manchester leg but promises to ‘reinvest every penny’ saved
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that the northern leg of the long-awaited HS2 high-speed railway project is to be scrapped.
Closing this year’s Conservative Party Conference in Manchester on Wednesday, Sunak blamed spiralling costs as the reason why HS2 will no longer link Birmingham and Manchester as previously planned. The government will now scrap the remainder of the project and passengers will need to rely on existing West Coast Mainline track from Birmingham to Manchester, instead of the proposed high-speed link. Find out more at The Manufacturer
Bentley Motors announces record number of vacancies for future talent
Bentley Motors has today announced a record number of trainee positions for the 2024 intake, 164 roles. Career opportunities across the company for Graduates and Industrial Placements are available on www.bentleycareers.com now, with Apprentice applications opening in February next year.
More than a third of the positions are focused on Bentley’s R&D department as the luxury brand looks for the industry’s brightest talents to support its Beyond100 strategy, seeking sustainable luxury mobility leadership. This includes a Five-in-Five plan, introducing five new fully electric cars in just five years and carbon neutrality across operations by 2030. Find out more at Bentley
HVM Catapult helps SMEs slash energy costs with new Manufacturing Energy Toolkit
The High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult has launched its pilot Manufacturing Energy Toolkit nationwide to support UK manufacturing SMEs with their energy costs.
As the winter sets in, the cost of energy will be a key concern for businesses of all shapes and sizes across the UK. With the Manufacturing Energy Toolkit, the HVM Catapult is opening its doors to help manufacturers make their processes more energy efficient, cutting their energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions while improving profitability.
The Manufacturing Energy Toolkit is a guided assessment or roadmapping process undertaken by HVM Catapult experts. The aim is to build a full understanding of an SME’s energy usage and energy sources in production, as well as potential efficiency-boosting solutions. Find out more at The Manufacturer
Nissan’s Sunderland battery factory to supply a third of UK capacity
Nissan’s fast-progressing EV360 battery factory near Sunderland, due to start producing low-cobalt lithium ion batteries by the middle of the decade, has the potential eventually to pump out more than a third of the 100GWh battery capacity the entire UK will need in 2030, according to Nissan insiders.
The new factory, which even in its first phase will occupy the same space as 23 football pitches and stand taller than the Angel of the North, is due to open by 2026 with an initial battery capacity of 9GWh, enough to cater for a new post-Ariya EV that Nissan has already announced it will make in Sunderland later this decade. Find out more at Autocar
Surrey-based manufacturer Respirex first to tap into £1bn solar panel opportunity
Respirex, a world leader in personal protective solutions, is the first company to use the brand-new solar panel funding of up to £1 bn from Electron Green. The installation, which started on 18 September 2023, will cut Respirex’s electricity grid usage and is projected to save the firm more than £500,000 over 25 years.
Electron Green is installing 238 rooftop solar panels on Respirex’s Redhill, Surrey, buildings. These facilities are used to manufacture and maintain gas tight suits; chemical splash suits; chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear; and other equipment for essential public and private sector industries. Find out more at The Manufacturer
MaRS and Innovate UK announce cohort for third advanced manufacturing incubator
Toronto-based innovation hub MaRS Discovery District has announced the third cohort of United Kingdom (UK)-based startups participating in Innovate UK’s advanced manufacturing incubator program.
MaRS says that by integrating these UK ventures into the MaRS ecosystem, the cohort will get a comprehensive understanding of the shape and needs of North America’s advanced manufacturing community. Find out more at betakit
GKN Aerospace receives order for RM12 engine upgrade for the JAS 39 Gripen
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has awarded GKN Aerospace a contract to develop and improve the RM12 engine, which powers the Swedish fighter aircraft JAS 39 Gripen C/D. The engine upgrade will be implemented in co-operation with FMV and SAAB.
GKN Aerospace has built a 90-year strategic relationship with the Swedish Air Force and holds OEM-level scope of responsibility for the RM12 engine. The £2m contract is the last part of a development project that GKN Aerospace has been conducting since 2019. Find out more at GKN Aerospace
