Global competition, shifting customer demands and a surge in digitalisation are just some of the trends changing the face of modern manufacturing. To keep up with this change of pace, many manufacturers are now starting out on their own digital transformation journeys. While there is no magic formula, there are some common stumbling blocks, which can be avoided.
Each year in Britain 2.5 billion coffee cups are used and thrown away, enough to stretch around the world roughly five and a half times. One female entrepreneur has created a coffee cup coating that negates the need for plastic.
A seamless circular economy is an enviable strategy for businesses. One manufacturer reaping the benefits of such a mindset is the world’s oldest cheddar maker, Barber’s, whose cheesemaking by-products are being made into infant formula products, used in energy creation and even turned into vodka.
Last year saw the UK’s CO2 emissions fall for the sixth consecutive year, according to Carbon Brief. This continued pattern marks the longest run of reduction since records began in 1850.
Unmanned aerial vehicles, aka drones, are increasingly being manufactured and trialled for many applications across industries, as the technology seems poised to hit the mainstream.
Imagine boarding a flight which enables a journey from London to Sydney to take only four-and-a-half hours? One UK-based company is building an engine to power aircraft for hypersonic flight in the atmosphere.
Every hour, two people in the UK are told they have Parkinson's disease. A device created via additive manufacturing has enabled the precise delivery of a new drug candidate that could potentially reverse the condition.
A framework has been published showing how blockchain technology can be used to enhance the security, privacy and manageability of IoT devices and networks.
Dr Paul Stead of Brewery Group is not just a regular columnist in The Manufacturer magazine. Paul has also helped some of the biggest names in global manufacturing design not just better products but the business processes that shape them. Now he wants to do the same for UK manufacturers.
Dr Paul Stead explores why entering award programmes matters and provides some top tips for getting onto the shortlist. Who knows, you may even become a future winner!
