After a couple of months away from the mic, we are back with the latest episode of The Manufacturer Podcast. This week’s main talking point – the impact of the cyber-attack on Jaguar Land Rover.
Key takeaways
- This should be a reminder just how much a large manufacturer means to both local and national economy
- Yet another monumental hit in a series painful events for the UK’s automotive industry
- Does this move cyber-security up the priority list for manufacturers?
- Our MX Awards judges were greatly impressed by the finalists in this year’s Operational Excellence category
- Finalists in the awards are essentially accessing “free consultation,” according to one judge
FAQs
- Who is being impacted most by the JLR cyber-attack?
- What is being done to protect the smaller companies in the supply chain?
- Why should your company enter The Manufacturer MX Awards?
- Who is Tim Peake?
- Why are reclining airplane seats a problem?
Have a listen
After just over a month of complete shutdown across JLR’s three UK sites, in Solihull, Wolverhampton and Halewood, we reflect on the impact this has had.
Of course, JLR is directly affected. Around 34,000 people in the UK work for the company, many of those people have been placed on leave. JLR is reportedly losing £50 million in profit a week, and an expected £2.2 billion in revenue.
This has also hugely impacted the automotive supply base, the companies that provide various parts to JLR. We’ve spoken to a few of them in recent weeks, and even visited some of the currently idle factories.
Those visits were made by editorial team members on the road for The Manufacturer MX Awards judging weeks. In round two of the process, judging teams entered the facilities of finalists across various categories.
The Operational Excellence category was judged by Jon Tudor of True North Excellence, Alison Beard-Gunter, an independent consultant and the chair of this year’s Manufacturing Leaders’ Summit, as well as Anish Varkey of Lotus. All three of them share their experiences and insights from their judging week.
The top story on The Manufacturer website this week is Molly Cooper’s trip to the Goodwood Festival of Speed to check out the latest innovations at the FOS Future Labs.
While there, she had the chance to chat with Tim Peake about his career, getting young people into STEM and what technologies he thinks will change the world.And in this week’s ‘Made by a Moron,’ James Devonshire has trouble on his flight back to Philippines, which forces him to question the point of reclining plane seats.
The latest on the JLR situation
The UK Government has announced a loan guarantee to unlock up to £1.5bn in private financing for the company, aimed at stabilising its supply chain following the cyber-attack.
Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle confirmed the support on 28 September, saying the Export Development Guarantee (EDG), provided by UK Export Finance, will back a commercial bank loan to JLR. The five-year facility is intended to bolster the carmaker’s cash reserves so it can continue supporting suppliers impacted by the disruption.
Kyle described the cyber-attack as “an assault on an iconic British brand” and said the government’s action would help safeguard jobs across the country. Chancellor Rachel Reeves echoed the sentiment, calling JLR “a jewel in the crown of our economy” and emphasising that the intervention would help protect “thousands of jobs” across the automotive sector.
The funding announcement followed visits by ministers this week to JLR’s Gaydon headquarters and to Webasto, a key supplier, where they met with company leaders, employees and supply chain representatives. West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker described the loan guarantee as “vital” to the region, saying it would keep people in work and provide stability while production remains paused.
Further reading on The Manufacturer
CBM calls for urgent support package for downstream JLR suppliers
AI and cyber security: highs, lows, woes and foes
Peake practice: A conversation with Tim Peake on STEM, space and future tech
Listen to more episodes of The Manufacturer Podcast
