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.
Toyota Corolla ready for service with the UK’s police
The Toyota Corolla is a proud new recruit to the UK’s police, and is ready for duty as a reliable and durable top-quality patrol car that also offers the fuel and emissions efficiency benefits of hybrid power.
To mark Corolla’s new role, Toyota Manufacturing UK (TMUK) recently hosted the equivalent of a passing-out parade for the car its Burnaston plant in Derbyshire, the production centre for all European Corolla models. More than 20 constabularies attended the ‘blue light’ event to learn more about the qualities that make Corolla a strong proposition for police fleets. More via Toyota
Made in Britain release the British Manufacturing Barometer
Made in Britain has announced the first-ever British Manufacturing Barometer, a report that shares UK manufacturing companies’ current views and voices on the economy and industry.
While all data and insights come from Made in Britain members, the Barometer is intended to be representative of UK manufacturing as a sector. The Barometer is separate to, but coordinated with Made in Britain’s Buying British and Exports Surveys. Reference to each of those is in this report, including that eight in ten UK companies now recognise the Made in Britain Trademark, and Europe continues to be the most popular export market for UK manufacturers. More via Made in Britain
Havering grows commercial fleet with new Alexander Dennis buses and coaches
Alexander Dennis has announced that it has worked with Mistral Bus & Coach to supply two new Alexander Dennis Enviro200 low-emission buses and a new Plaxton Leopard coach to the London Borough of Havering.
The council operation in East London continues to develop commercial opportunities for private hires and contracted work to meet local demand and to reduce the cost of meeting its statutory obligation to provide special educational needs and disabilities home-to-school transport. More via Alexander Dennis
France to have Europe’s first industrial scale quantum processor manufacturing facility
Finnish company IQM Quantum Computers has won French government funding to build what is claimed to be the first industrial-scale quantum processor production facility in Europe.
The factory was announced at last month’s Choose France summit, where foreign companies pledged to invest €15bn in the country and the €150m project will be part financed under the France 2030 investment plan. More via Scienece Business
Turkish Airlines considers branching into manufacturing
As part of its plan to stimulate Turkey’s aeronautical industry and address global chain supply bottlenecks, Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport) is looking to grow its aircraft component manufacturing business by sell parts it makes to other carriers, as well as partner with Boeing to domestically produce some seats and engine components, Bloomberg reported.
Turkish Airlines Chairman Ahmet Bolat said that a deal with Boeing would benefit everybody given the American OEM could make use of, “Turkey’s potential capacity so that we can provide a reliable source of supply,” as the entire industry faces delays and is forced to extend the life of older models. The carrier is currently negotiating with Boeing for a major aircraft order, which has been rumoured for months, notably since the company announced a deal for 220 Airbus aircraft, with 115 options in December 2023. More via CH Aviation
Biopax takes home honours for sustainability and manufacturing excellence
Republic of Ireland-based Biopax, a manufacturer of sustainable carton packaging, paper wraps, and self-adhesive labels, has been recognised for its dedication to environmental responsibility and manufacturing prowess.
Biopax claimed the coveted Sustainable Company of the Year award at this year’s Business Eye Sustainability Awards. More via Packaging Gateway
Kindeva drug delivery investing in greener manufacturing practices
Kindeva Drug Delivery is investing in a second manufacturing line to produce pressurised metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) products containing low-GWP (global warming potential) propellants in its Loughborough facility.
The new line will be capable of handling both HFA-152a and HFO-1234ze propellants, which have a 90% and 99.9% GWP lower than the industry standard HFA-134a (respectively), and is expected to be operational in 2026. Kindeva’s first pMDI manufacturing line, announced in 2022, is in its installation phase and will be completed later in 2024. More via Medical Product Outsourcing
SME clothing manufacturers in UK see 40% revenue slide in Q1
SME clothing makers in the UK saw revenues fall by 40% in the first quarter of the year according to figures from the Unleashed Manufacturers’ Health Index.
The assessment of SME manufacturers in the UK is compiled quarterly by inventory management software brand Unleashed and based on data from every purchase, sale and stock movement made by over 1,790 manufacturers over the last six years. Of all manufacturing categories, clothing suffered the sharpest decline. More via Just Style
Yahsat contracts Airbus for the construction of Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5 satellites
Al Yah Satellite Communications Company, the UAE’s flagship satellite solutions provider, has announced that it has contracted Airbus Defence and Space for its new geostationary telecommunications satellites, Al Yah 4 (‘AY4’) and Al Yah 5 (‘AY5’).
The significant step follows the signing of an Authorisation-to-Proceed with Airbus in Q2 2023 to commence initial activities in relation to the AY4 and AY5 satellite programme. Airbus will design and build the AY4 and AY5 satellites based on the Eurostar Neo platform, with each having flexible payloads and benefitting from the strong heritage of the Eurostar family.
The flexible multi-band payloads can be fully reconfigured while in orbit, capable of adjusting the coverage area, capacity and frequency ‘on the fly’ to meet evolving mission scenarios. More via Airbus
