|
|
MORE UK COMPANIES HIRING FROM AN ENLARGED EU
A rising share of British companies are taking on workers from the new European Union countries just two years after it expanded to 25 members, a global employment agency recently said.
The figures, published by Manpower, could play into the hands of critics who say an expanding EU means fewer jobs for Britons but may also go some way to explain tame wage gains despite an expanding economy and rising energy prices.
The share of 2,191 UK companies polled by NOP who said they employed workers from new EU member state
READ MORE |
|
SCHIPHOL AIRPORT TO EXPAND
Amsterdam airport operator Schiphol Group may increase its number of flights and expand further if it meets noise-level conditions, the Dutch cabinet has decided. "In the first place the cabinet wants to maintain Schiphol's position as one of the most important hubs in northwest Europe," the traffic ministry said in a statement.
Schiphol may increase its number of flights to 520,000 from 400,000 currently, news agency ANP reported. The traffic ministry said it would disclose the exact number of flights and other de
READ MORE |
|
FOREIGN BUYING OF UK FIRMS HITS FIVE-YEAR HIGH
The value of takeovers made by foreign companies of British firms picked up sharply in the first three months of this year to its highest since the third quarter of 2000, official data has revealed.
The Office for National Statistics said spending by foreign companies on acquisitions in Britain soared to £9.4bn from £15.5bn in the October-December period last year.
Low interest rates and stable equity markets have fuelled a rise in company takeovers across the world. Britain has attracted more demand than most, t
READ MORE |
|
NEW NANOTECHNOLOGY CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE OPENS
Cutting edge micro and nano technology projects and the future of the UK??s micro and nano technologies (MNT) is being further enhanced with the creation of a new Centre of Excellence. This initiative aims to help accelerate the integration of micro and nano technologies into products and processes.
The £4.3m funding is part of the DTI??s MNT Capital Facilities Programme and is the latest money allocated from a £90m fund aimed at unleashing the commercial potential of these technologies.
The Systems Engineering In
READ MORE |
|
SEEKING A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
The Freight Transport Association is seeking major improvements to the way in which the proposed London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) will work when it is introduced in 2008. The LEZ is presently designed to improve air quality by controlling the types of engine quality used by lorries, coaches and buses operating within the M25. All European cities, including London and other urban centres throughout the UK, are obliged to adhere to the requirements of the EU Daughter Directive (1999/30/EC) on air quality which seeks clean
READ MORE |
|
EURO PUMP PRICE INCH TOWARD RECORD HIGHS
Fuel prices across Europe are close to breaking fresh records, forcing up costs for motorists and transport companies. The spike tracks new records of well over $71 a barrel on London and New York crude oil futures as fears intensify that the West's nuclear dispute with Iran may lead to a supply cut from the world's fourth largest exporter.
"Prices are still going up, and unless something unexpected happens we'll get to the record," said Jose Blanco, analyst at UK-based fuel consultancy OPAL. "Retail margins are slim,
READ MORE |
|
R&D TAX CREDITS HAVE STING IN TAIL
Announcements in the Budget statement regarding research and development (R&D) tax relief are only partly welcome in the SME sector, as problems with the scheme will remain, time limits are slashed, and the competitive advantage previously targeted at small and medium companies will be diluted.
The Chancellor Gordon Brown announced that he was extending the Research and Development (R&D) tax credit by doubling the size of companies able to claim large company credit, from 250 employees to 500. He also announced tha
READ MORE |
|
UK GROWTH STEADY AS INDUSTRY MAKES UP FOR RETAIL DRAG
The British economy grew at a steady pace in the first three months of 2006 as industry put in its strongest performance in six and a half years, offsetting a sharp slowdown in the services sector due to flagging retail sales.
The Office for National Statistics said that first-quarter GDP growth came in at 0.6 percent, the same as in the last three months of 2005, with the annual rate of growth edging up to 2.2 percent, in line with forecasts.
"Over the past six months GDP has been basically growing at trend and in
READ MORE |
|
BRITAIN BOOSTS BIOMASS
Britain has announced measures to promote the production of electricity and heat from biomass, including a capital grant scheme for ?´green?? boilers and continuing support for energy crops.
"There is enormous potential for biomass to generate renewable energy to help the environment and to provide another possible market for our farmers," farm minister Lord Bach said in a statement.
Biomass, coming from forestry, energy crops and a variety of materials that might otherwise be treated as waste, currently gener
READ MORE |
|
FRANCE TO FUND NEW INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS
President Jacques Chirac has announced new funding for six big projects to revive French industry, aimed in part at improving the fortunes of the government which withdrew an unpopular job law this month. Chirac said the Agency for Industrial Innovation, set up last year, would be given €
"These big programmes will focus us on technological challenges that are essential for our future," he said in a speech. "These (new innovations) will reinforce the excellence of our industry and our services to create new high
READ MORE |
|
| |
| Brains and beauty |
Furness and West Cumbria’s West Coast is about to experience a major investment that will strengthen the tourism and industry s ...
|
| National Stadium, Beijing |
At the pinnacle of its construction, the National Stadium in Beijing had 7,000 workers toiling over the infrastructure. ...
|
|
|
No smoke without fire
It seems that commentators, industry heads, central bankers and, dare I say it, Industrial Focus’s own journalists have made so ...
|
Innovation for the nations
Hope for the future has arisen from the turmoil of the last few months, as industrial technologies have spun out some marvels o ...
|
|
|
 |
HIGH
LOW
|
Supposedly the construction
materials of the future, composites are increasingly seen in
applications where optimum efficiency is paramount including
aircraft construction and renewable energy. As two research
examples show in this video, composites really are the future
for efficiency.
|
|
|
|
