Jon Hughes


  • Conroe modernises water network with Schneider automation

    Conroe expands water infrastructure using Schneider Electric’s open automation. The city is deploying EcoStruxure Automation Expert across 19 facilities to cut costs, accelerate scaling, and build resilience into one of the fastest-growing municipalities in the United States.


  • Unlocking the potential of digital pressure transmitters

    Digital pressure transmitters are reshaping how industries manage measurement. These devices reduce wiring complexity, enable remote monitoring, and adapt to diverse applications across manufacturing, energy, and heavy machinery. With protocols like CANopen and IO-Link, they bring reliability and flexibility to systems where precision and safety are paramount.


  • Key Developments in the Industrial Equipment Sector

    The industrial equipment market is accelerating through a wave of automation, safety innovation, and sustainable design. From cranes with IIoT-enabled monitoring to energy-efficient lifting systems, manufacturers are re-engineering heavy equipment to meet stricter standards while supporting larger, more complex projects across construction and manufacturing.


  • The End of Industrial Replacement Culture

    Stuart Thompson of ABB Electrification Service warns against replacement culture. Intelligent asset optimisation is proving far more effective than wholesale replacement — cutting emissions by half, slashing maintenance costs, and extending asset lifespans by decades.


  • TraceGains expands into DACH food and beverage market

    TraceGains has expanded into the DACH region. The move reflects rising compliance pressures, shifting regulation, and demand for supply chain transparency.


  • Chris McDonald confirmed as new UK construction minister

    Chris McDonald becomes the 27th construction minister in 25 years. The Stockton North MP takes on an overloaded brief across DBT and DESNZ, with the construction industry now watching for signs of stability and focus in a role long marked by ministerial churn.


  • ABB extends IE5 SynRM range to smaller motors

    ABB expands its SynRM IE5 motor line, adding smaller frames. The extended range spans 0.75 kW to 450 kW and delivers magnet- and rare earth-free Ultra-Premium efficiency in pumps, fans, and compressors. Energy losses can be cut by 40% compared with IE3 motors.


  • Huawei unveils chip and compute roadmap through 2028

    Huawei has published its first detailed roadmap for AI chipmaking. The plan covers successive Ascend processors and Atlas supernodes through 2028, signalling China’s drive to cut dependence on U.S. technology and challenge Nvidia’s dominance in global AI computing.


  • Taking Brands from Concept to Production at London Packaging Week 2025

    The BCMPA is making its way to London Packaging Week on October 15-16 2025, ready to connect brands with outsourcing partners.


  • UK food inflation climbs as shrinkflation spreads

    UK food inflation reached an 18-month high in August. Higher interest rates and policy costs are driving household pressures, with shrinkflation now widespread across staples from chocolate to butter. Agronomics warns only food technology can provide long-term resilience.