Week 20 in Manufacturing News

U.S. auto industry workers return to jobs amid concerns of second virus wave; UK manufacturers push back against 14-day quarantine plan; European investment plunge raises fears for future growth; Due To COVID-19, Manufacturing Will Experience Five Years Of Innovation In The Next 18 Months.

U.S. auto industry workers return to jobs amid concerns of second virus wave

Factory workers began returning to assembly lines in Michigan on Monday, paving the way to reopen the U.S. auto sector but stoking fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections as strict lockdowns are eased across the country.

Much is at stake. The auto sector accounts for 6% of U.S. economic output and employs more than 835,000 Americans.

Source: Reuters.

UK manufacturers push back against 14-day quarantine plan

Key sectors warn of disruption to production, supply shortages, and more job losses

The government is facing growing opposition from industry over its plans to impose a 14-day quarantine on travelers arriving from overseas, with all five key manufacturing sectors (automotive, aviation, chemical, food and pharmaceutical industries) warning the measure could disrupt production, leading to supply shortages and further job losses.

Source: Financial Times.

European investment plunge raises fears for future growth

Investment in the eurozone has plummeted in recent weeks, creating a drag on the continent’s economy that economists warn is likely to last even after companies and workers emerge from coronavirus lockdowns.

Across the region, capital expenditure has contracted sharply, according to data for countries that have published detailed gross domestic product data, while borrowing to invest has dropped across the eurozone, reflecting businesses’ rising cash needs and plummeting output.

Source: Financial Times.

Due To COVID-19, Manufacturing Will Experience Five Years Of Innovation In The Next 18 Months

Between solutions that leverage the power of the cloud for visibility and automation that optimizes work, necessity will drive invention: manufacturers will do five years of innovation in the next 18 months.

• Adoption of cloud data will unlock remote oversight, remote work, and optimization
• Automation has an unprecedented opportunity
• Necessity will drive adoption first, then more innovation

Source: Forbes.