Features
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Britain’s smaller manufacturers are at a crossroads. The UK trails its global peers in robotics and AI adoption, ranking just 24th in robot density worldwide with around half the automation of the European average. At the same time, output values are nudging upward while productivity is slipping, with output per hour worked falling 0.8% year-on-year…
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When the First-tier Tribunal handed down its decision in the Empire Square case this summer, it marked more than the latest skirmish in the post-Grenfell push for safer buildings. For developers, it removed further barriers for applicants and potentially opened the door to a wave of further claims. The Tribunal confirmed that it may issue…
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The new transatlantic trade deals have left European and UK manufacturers grappling with higher costs, uneven tariff regimes and supply chain volatility. While the agreements avoided a full-scale trade war, they locked in tariffs at levels not seen in decades — 15% on most EU exports to the United States, 10% for the UK with…
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Construction workers face the highest risk of fatality, with one in two Brits saying HSE training is skipped due to time pressure. One in ten employees fund their own health and safety training Government data reveals construction workers are most likely to suffer a work fatality Half of employees say that health and safety training…
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In a significant move to accelerate housebuilding, the UK government has announced a package of potentially significant reforms to the makeup of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). These changes are aimed at addressing growing concerns from industry stakeholders about delays and inefficiencies in the current system, which have impacted and continue to impact project delivery…
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Europe’s industrial backbone is facing a silent divide. While automation headlines are dominated by “lights-out” factories and billion-euro investments, the real test is unfolding on the shop floors of small and mid-sized manufacturers. For every multinational with a data-driven smart plant, there are dozens of European SMEs wrestling with legacy kit, skills shortages, and the…
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Scaling a construction business beyond the £1M mark often feels like climbing a mountain. Despite ample opportunities in housing developments and infrastructure projects, many SME construction firms struggle to overcome common growth barriers. Understanding and openly addressing these challenges is crucial for sustainable success. Greg Wilkes, with over twenty years of experience running construction companies,…
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A new survey has revealed increasing optimism in the Construction sector with project professionals anticipating project growth, higher budgets and a further investment in skills. Over half (70%) of project professionals working in the Construction industry expect to increase the number of projects they are working on over the next five years, highlighting a strong…
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By Nadja Lourenço – Head of Sustainability and Governance at Envirotainer Sustainability is playing a key role in influencing how the pharmaceutical industry approaches its day-to-day operations. With the 2030 deadline for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals approaching and many organisations setting science-based targets to hold themselves accountable, the industry finds itself at a…
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On April 28 2025, the Iberian power system collapsed. A cascade of generator trips and uncontrolled voltage surges swept across Spain and Portugal, knocking out over 15 gigawatts of load in a matter of seconds. Within moments, automatic defences had exhausted their options, synchronisation with the rest of Europe was lost, and the blackout became…
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