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.
Made Smarter drives £22m tech investment among SME manufacturers
SME manufacturers have invested £22m in technology, backed by Made Smarter’s trailblazing adoption programme in the North West.
300 businesses have now secured £6.5m matched funding from the government-funded, industry-backed initiative, adopting technologies as diverse as sensors, robotics, 3D printing and artificial intelligence (AI). More via The Manufacturer
Airbus Helicopters delivers solid sales performance in 2023
Airbus Helicopters logged 410 gross orders (net: 393) in 2023, highlighting a steady market recovery with a strong performance this year for the light twin and medium twin helicopters. Orders came from 179 customers in 47 countries. The Company delivered 346 helicopters in 2023, resulting in a preliminary 54% share of the civil and parapublic market. More via Airbus
State-of-the-art telescope paves way for space tech cluster at Heriot-Watt
Heriot-Watt University’s milestone plans for a £2.5m, state-of-the-art telescope station at its Edinburgh campus have been approved by The City of Edinburgh Council, helping the university take its first major step towards creating a ‘space cluster’.
The Hub Optical Ground Station (HOGS) aims to demonstrate and test satellite quantum secure communications to counter cyberattacks and is part of a collaborative effort involving the Universities of Bristol, Heriot-Watt, Strathclyde, and York, with space engineering expertise provided by the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s RAL Space Facility. More via The Manufacturer
More than 70 jobs saved at major Scots business after last-minute buyout
More than 70 jobs have been saved after a Scots window business was bought out of administration.
Evoframes, which was established in 2020, is a major supplier to trade customers across Scotland, including trade counters, builders, joiners and window fitters. More via The Scottish Sun
Wayland Additive secures another £4.2m in funding
Metal additive manufacturing (AM) company Wayland Additive has announced it has successfully secured 4.2 million GBP in funding to expand its operations.
The UK-based electron beam 3D printing specialist says the funding will be used to enable the growth of its global customer base and increase in-house production for its Calibur3 metal AM systems, launched in 2021. More via TCT Magazine
The Vita Group acquires Paustian Airtex
Metzo – part of The Vita Group – a supplier into the aviation and rail industry, is thrilled to announce the successful acquisition of Paustian Airtex.
Paustian Airtex, a leading aviation business that covers all leather and textile products in the aviation industry, produces seat covers, pockets, curtains, flooring, panels and more. More via The Manufacturer
Coventry-based packaging firm offers plastic-free cups after signing deal with UK manufacturer
A Coventry-based environmentally-friendly packaging company has signed a deal with a UK manufacturer to supply trailblazing plastic-free cups.
Purple Planet Packaging, which is run by Mark and Joanna Farr, is working with Green Rock Manufacturing Group to create its own Planetware products, starting with a 100 per cent recyclable, fully compostable disposable cup. More via The Business Magazine
Leonardo awarded new British Army contract
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has placed a new contract through the Aurora Engineering Delivery Partnership (EDP) for a programme targeted to improve the survivability and protection of Land Armoured Vehicles in the British Army. More via Leonardo
