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BRUSSELS AIMS TO BOOST FREIGHT ON INLAND WATERWAYS
The Ascenseur de Str?ąpy in southern Belgium lifts barges 70 metres above the Belgian countryside to connect them to the Rhine.
The €650m tower is a symbol of the under-used potential of Europe's inland waterways.
"This kind of project shows that the will is there to improve infrastructure," says Vincent Despiegeleer, a hydraulics supervisor. "It creates benefits for the whole economy."
The European Commission agrees. It has approved an action plan to ease congestion and delays across the European transport sys
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RISE IN WOMEN IN WORK
Women's employment has increased from a rate of 56 percent in 1971 to 70 percent in 2005. This equates to four or so million more women in work over the last 35 years. Some of this increase has been driven by the rise in working mothers. These are among the figures highlighted in Labour Market Review 2006, a new report from the Office for National Statistics.
Over the ten years to spring 2005, the employment rate for married or cohabiting mothers increased by six percentage points and the employment rate for lone mothe
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PERFECTING INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES THROUGH SCIENCE
Mass manufacturing of products, such as aluminium plate, requires millions of pounds worth of investment every year, and aluminium plate producers naturally seek to maximise the productivity and profitability of rolling mills. Now, scientists at the University of Reading, in conjunction with the University of Leicester and Alcoa, have developed a new state-of-the-art 'Fused Expert System' that has shown through plate rolling trials how mills could work at optimum performance levels.
Aluminium plates, used in the manufa
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ROADS ARE CRIPPLING SMALL BUSINESSES'
The cost of Britain's poor transport infrastructure to the nation's small business community has risen 40% to nearly £2 billion in the past year, new research
from Bibby Financial Services' annual transport survey reveals.*One in 10 owners and managers in the manufacturing industry now estimate they are losing up to £10,000 a year because Britain's roads and railways are simply not good enough.
And, not only are more businesses in the manufacturing sector suffering but the financial impacts they are experiencing
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LADA TO TAKE ON THE WORLD
Russia's Lada cars have such a bad reputation that they have their own category of jokes, but the car maker is out to wipe the smile off critics' faces by making its debut in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in a bold move that sums up Russia's new national mood. State-controlled Avto Vaz, manufacturers of Lada, say the reputation is outdated and latest models are a huge improvement.
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CLEAR BUSINESS
The wide range of risks that organisations face today are accompanied by increasing pressure to be responsible, transparent and accountable for corporate behaviour across the board.
Managing this new risk reality while guaranteeing consistent business results means staying ahead in all facets of Corporate Responsibility - environmental, social and economic. What's more, the accelerating activities linked to Corporate Responsibility shows it is here to stay, and it is now clear that the integration of environmental and
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A LONGER ROAD TO WEMBLEY
"The new Wembley stadium may not open until August, it emerged recently as the Football Association confirmed that the FA Cup final would be played in Cardiff."
"The announcement came after months of growing speculation that Multiplex, the Australian contractor building the £757m project, would not finish it in time for the May 13 match.<BR> Michael Cunnah, chief executive officer of WNSL, the FA-owned company that will run the stadium, said it was ''still too early'' to say when the venu
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SUBDUED UK MANUFACTURING GROWTH AS ORDERS FLAG
"Manufacturing activity in the UK grew for the seventh consecutive month in February but expansion was subdued as orders at home and from abroad disappointed. However, there was further evidence that producers are more able to pass on increased costs to customers as factory gate prices rose at their fastest in a year."
"The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, in conjunction with the Royal Bank of Scotland, said its purchasing managers index recorded a weaker than expected reading of 51.7 last m
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MORE VOCATIONAL COURSES WON'T IMPROVE INDUSTRY STANDARDS
"A compulsory minimum level of vocational qualifications is unlikely to lead to improved standards in skilled professions such as plumbing, electrical engineering, and care homes, according to workplace experts Croner. The advice follows City & Guilds' persistence for such industries to become licensed in order to improve standards. The training body also recommended compulsory reporting of training spend among publicly listed companies. "
"Croner's view is that vocational qualifications are not a fu
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NOT DOING THE RESEARCH- WESTERN R&D SPEND HINDERING PROGRESS
Manufacturers in Western Europe must increase their investment in Research & Development (R&D) and improve their innovative capacity if they want to survive.
"A report just out - from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), commissioned by KPMG International - claims that, with the exception of Sweden, Denmark and Germany, Western European countries are investing too little in R&D - as a percentage of overall GDP - to compete on the basis of innovation and technology and to protect themselves from inten
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| Brains and beauty |
Furness and West Cumbrias West Coast is about to experience a major investment that will strengthen the tourism and industry s ...
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| National Stadium, Beijing |
At the pinnacle of its construction, the National Stadium in Beijing had 7,000 workers toiling over the infrastructure. ...
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No smoke without fire
It seems that commentators, industry heads, central bankers and, dare I say it, Industrial Focuss own journalists have made so ...
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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 ...
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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.
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