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.
Britain’s carmakers deliver best September since 2020 but action needed to protect EV exports
UK car manufacturing rose by 39.8% in September with 88,230 vehicles leaving British factory lines – 25,105 more than the same month last year, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). It means September is a triple success for the sector, with it being the strongest month of growth in 2023, the best September since 2020, and UK car making now reaching 659,901 units year to date – some 14.9% above the same period in 2022.
Output increased for both domestic and export markets, with production for the UK up 65.9% to 23,503 units and overseas shipments rising 32.2% to 64,727 units. Notable growth was delivered in major markets: the US up 19.8% to 6,591 units; China up 28.2% to 4,776 units; and Turkey up 212.0% to 4,162 units.
However, the EU continues to be Britain’s leading trading partner by some distance, with 37,563 UK-built cars shipped to the bloc in the month, up 46.1% on last September and representing 58.0% of the sector’s overseas trade. Find out more at The Manufacturer
Airbus renews its transatlantic fleet with lower-emission ships
Airbus will renew the entire fleet of chartered vessels that transport aircraft sub-assemblies between production facilities in Europe and the US with three modern, low-emission roll-on/roll-off vessels, supported by wind-assisted propulsion.
Airbus has commissioned shipowner Louis Dreyfus Armateurs to build, own and operate these new, highly efficient vessels that will enter into service from 2026. The new fleet is expected to reduce average annual transatlantic CO2 emissions from 68,000 to 33,000 tonnes by 2030.
This will contribute to Airbus’ commitment to reduce its overall industrial emissions by up to 63% by the end of the decade – compared to 2015 as baseline year – in line with the 1.5°C pathway of the Paris Agreement. Find out more at Airbus
Anglo American provides updates on sustainable mining
Anglo American has presented its regular sustainability performance update, including how its integrated approach to sustainability in project development is securing our ability to deliver responsible long-term growth in future-enabling metals and minerals.
Duncan Wanblad, Chief Executive of Anglo American, said: “Our unwavering focus is on driving consistent, competitive performance to deliver our next phase of value creation – at the heart of which is our integrated approach to sustainability. One of our greatest challenges as an industry, though, is to bridge the clear gap between increasing recognition of the need for ever greater volumes of mined materials and society’s acceptance of the activity required to produce them.
“Our learned experience in delivering improved sustainability outcomes from successful projects such as Quellaveco is part of the solution and is integral to how we make our strategic and investment choices – across our current operations and projects in design and development – and to unlocking enduring value for all our stakeholders.” Find out more at Anglo-American
UK named eighth in global manufacturing rankings
Worcestershire is playing its part in helping to drive the UK further up the global manufacturing rankings.
Manufacturing plays a vital role in driving economic growth in the county which currently boasts advanced manufacturing employment rates that surpass both the national and West Midlands averages.
Latest stats from ‘Make UK’, which champions and celebrates British manufacturing and manufacturers, reveal that the UK has jumped up to 8th place in the global manufacturing rankings.
With output reaching £224bn, this cements the UK’s position as a key player in the industry and proves manufacturing is an important part of the national and local economy. The recent report by ‘Make UK’ also revealed that an overwhelming 93% of people believe manufacturing is crucial for the prosperity of the UK. Find out more at The Business Desk
The manufacturing frontline: 9 in 10 workers doubt business performance
New research has revealed that ‘deskless’ workers – including those working in the UK’s manufacturing sector – face regular operational issues, compounding doubts about business performance. Two-thirds (65%) of frontline workers say they observe operational issues monthly or more frequently, yet less than half (45%) see actions taken to address them within this timeframe.
The ‘Feedback from the Field’ report from global technology company SafetyCulture paints a picture of manufacturers being held back by ongoing operational challenges. Its findings, informed by a YouGov UK-wide survey of frontline workers, show that around 9 in 10 (87%) believe that the business they are working in is failing to operate at its full potential or they are unsure about its performance. Find out more at The Business Desk
ABB and Imperial College extend carbon capture collaboration
A dedicated carbon capture pilot plant will continue to train the net zero workforce, and engineers and scientists of the future, after ABB and Imperial College London signed a ten year contract to extend their successful partnership.
The plant is the only one of its kind in an academic institution in the world. More than 4,500 students have had hands-on experience of ABB’s technology solutions at the carbon capture plant since it opened in 2012 at Imperial College, which is one of the world’s top ten universities with a reputation for excellence in science and engineering.
With the agreement, ABB aims to equip today’s students with the skills needed to run tomorrow’s industrial processes by demonstrating how the latest technology can help to optimise plant performance and safely manage emergency situations in real-life applications. The collaboration between ABB and Imperial College gives the university access to some of the most advanced control and instrumentation technology available from any manufacturer. Find out more at The Manufacturer
