Good News Matters! – Bruderer UK

 So here we are just over mid-way through 2022 – despite more pressure from events here in the UK and overseas, we are still seeing that there is a great deal to feel positive about. Investment across UK Manufacturing continues at pace, and other good news is out there, showing that the future is incredibly positive. 

Please feel free to share these stories and news articles from recent months and keep pushing to get the message out there loud and clear – UK Manufacturing is Great, Britain is Great! 

For us at Bruderer UK Ltd, business has been great this year so far and we include in this edition of our Good News Stories, some highlights from recent months from our Company. 

Rug pulled from under EU as British businesses leave bloc in dust 

 UK BUSINESS confidence has remained higher than the rest of Europe, despite previous fearmongering that the bloc exit would decimate the economy, according to a new report. 

According to a new business outlook report by Accenture/S&P Global UK, UK business confidence fell to a joint record low in June but beats a slew of EU countries with considerably lower business confidence. 

The report found a net balance of 28 percent more private sector firms forecast their activity to increase over the coming year, but this is half the level recorded in February, when confidence stood at 56 percent. 

Both the EU and global averages are below the UK at +16 percent and +22 percent respectively.

 

New ‘Global Britain’ IS bouncing back 

As Tory politicians knock seven bells out of one another in the Westminster village, Britain’s businesses and workforce are actually getting on with the job of ensuring that the economy and trade keep growing. 

The latest data shows the economy is defying the doomsters and continuing its post-Covid recovery despite inflation. 

Much has been made by Remainers of the apparent self-harm done to UK plc by Brexit. Yet the nation’s exports to Europe are surging as a result of the persistence and ingenuity of British firms which have overcome many of the early obstacles. 

The data for May shows exports of goods to the EU climbed to a staggering £16.9billion — the highest level since the Office for National Statistics (ONS) started collecting the data in 1997. 

Even if the impact of inflation is stripped out, exports are back to levels last seen in December 2020. As impressive as the improvement in trade performance is the total output of the economy, or GDP. 

The American investment bank Goldman Sachs has upgraded its forecasts for this year and believes that the UK has very good odds of avoiding a recession. 

The reality contrasts sharply with Labour’s constant attacks on the Government in which the party quotes an OECD survey suggesting Britain is the weakest of the industrialised economies bar Russia. 

 

Double boost for UK

Output beats forecasts to allay fears of recession AND Exports to EU hit an all-time high of £17bn. Britain’s economy enjoyed a double boost as output climbed and exports to the EU jumped to a record high. The economy grew by 0.5 per cent in May, according to the Office for National Statistics, surprising experts who had predicted output would flat-line. 

It means the UK has only experienced one month of decline so far this year, allaying fears of a recession, after March and April’s figures were also revised up to growth of 0.1 per cent and a contraction of 0.2 per cent respectively. 

And the UK’s exports to the EU hit an all-time high of £16.9billion – up £400million on a month earlier – making a mockery of claims that Britain’s trade with its European neighbours would fall off a cliff post-Brexit. Economists had forecast a grim reading on output for May as households struggled through the cost-of-living crisis and businesses reined in spending. 

But analysts at investment bank Goldman Sachs said the data had drastically reduced their predictions that the UK would tumble into a recession – defined as two consecutive quarters of economic contraction. 

Goldman is now pencilling in a 35 per cent chance of a recession this year, down from 45 per cent and well below the eurozone at 50 per cent. 

 

£2.35 billion Typhoon upgrade sustains 1,300 British jobs

UK Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets will be fitted with the world’s most advanced radar, as part of a £2.35 billion investment announced at the Royal International Air Tattoo. 

The state-of-the-art European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk 2 radar will further transform the Typhoon’s control of the air, bringing a world-leading electronic warfare capability which will allow the aircraft to simultaneously detect, identify, and track multiple targets in the air and on the ground. 

It will support operations in the most challenging situations, equipping pilots with the ability to suppress enemy air defences using high-powered jamming and engage targets whilst beyond the reach of threats. 

Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin, said: 

“It is vital the UK remains at the forefront of military capabilities to be able to deter and defend. These technological enhancements will maintain the cutting-edge capabilities of Eurofighter Typhoon and help underpin the development path towards the Future Combat Air System.” 

The work also ensures the aircraft can integrate additional capabilities and weapons later in the decade to counter emerging threats until 2040 and beyond. 

 

Integrated Graphene to invest £8m to scale-up manufacturing

Integrated Graphene, a Scotland-based technology development and integration company, has announced plans to invest up to £8m in scaling up its 3D graphene foam (Gii®) manufacturing process to meet surging global demand from the human diagnostics and energy markets. 

Founded in 2016, Integrated Graphene has developed a commercially viable graphene manufacturing process that is currently scaled to high volumes. The company says that its novel process eliminates the scale-up challenges commonly associated with chemical vapour deposition (CVD) graphene and graphene powder. As well as direct manufacturing, Integrated Graphene is designing manufacturing processes for blue-chip companies to effectively bolt-on to existing lines, and has a team dedicated to supporting organisations to adapt graphene technologies for their products. 

The company’s investment plan will focus on scaling-up the manufacturing of its market-ready graphene enhanced electrodes and super capacitors which are currently being piloted by global blue-chips in human diagnostics point of care testing and smart label asset tracking applications. 

 

Keep an eye out for next week’s segment of Good News by our member Bruderer UK and follow MMMA on our socials!