Hello listener, 2026 has begun with a few alarming news stories for manufacturing. That said, there are still some reasons for optimism, which we make a case for today.
That bad news, is a that the Leonardo Hellicopters site in Yeovil could be facing closure if a contract worth one billion pounds can’t be agreed with the Ministry of Defence. (MoD)
This would see three thousand jobs lost locally and the loss of Britain’s last military helicopter factory.
There was also some concerning news from Nestle, where eight hundred baby food products were believed to carry a toxin that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in infants. The contamination is believed to stem from a tainted raw material.
Thankfully, there was a global recall of the products, and no illnesses have been confirmed.
On a more positive note, the latest S&P Global UK Manufacturing PMI numbers for December showed sector growth, some promising investments and financing packages have been confirmed by UK businesses, and Siemens has successfully trialed a humanoid robot in one of its European factories.
There’s all this, as well as a look at industry news in US, in today’s episode.
Leonardo in trouble?
On Monday this week, we reported that thousands of jobs at Leonardo Helicopters could be at risk amid fears that its factory in Yeovil will not secure a long-awaited order from the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Read more on The Manufacturer
Disaster narrowly avoided?
A believed toxin within baby food products made by Nestle led to one of the largest global recalls in the company’s history. The toxin can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in infants and the contamination is believed to stem from a tainted raw material. Read more on The Manufacturer
PMI up for a third consecutive month
UK manufacturing output grew for the third consecutive month in December, while new orders rose for the first time since September 2024. Read more on The Manufacturer
I, Robot
A story to make you feel like you’re living in a sci-fi film, Humanoid, a UK-based AI and robotics company, and Siemens, have successfully completed a proof of concept (POC) demonstrating the use of humanoid robots. Read more on The Manufacturer
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