by Nuno Caldeira-Pereira | Jan 17, 2019 | Themes, Themes 2018
It is six years since George Osborne, then Chancellor, set a target for British companies to double exports to £1 trillion by 2020. In 2018, trade secretary Liam Fox shelved that ambitious goal, admitting it was “unlikely to be achievable”. With Brexit looming –...
by Nuno Caldeira-Pereira | Jan 17, 2019 | Themes, Themes 2018
A destructively high level of takeover activity has characterised UK manufacturing for many years, both ‘domestic’ acquisitions by UK companies, predominantly quoted or private equity, and ‘inward’ acquisitions by foreign companies. Exhibit 1 shows the longer-term...
by Nuno Caldeira-Pereira | Jan 17, 2019 | Themes, Themes 2018
Despite pressure on margins within the manufacturing sector salaries continue to rise, driven by skill shortages and the need for a new breed of high-tech workers The British Chamber of Commerce’s economic survey for the final quarter of 2018 highlights the challenges...
by Nuno Caldeira-Pereira | Jan 17, 2019 | Themes, Themes 2018
THE PICTURE IS PATCHY AS BREXIT CASTS A SHADOW Nervousness mixed with optimism: that sums up the mood among manufacturers as they contemplate the investment picture in 2019, as Brexit looms. Over the past year many industrial groups have put off capital spending or...
by Nuno Caldeira-Pereira | Jan 17, 2019 | Regions, Regions 2018, Themes, Themes 2018, West Midlands
Above: The Ironbridge Gorge, where the Industrial Revolution started FROM THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION TO INDUSTRY 4.0 The pace of change in manufacturing is faster than ever before. But as the sector embraces the opportunities of Industry 4.0 it can draw inspiration...
