IN FOCUS

Manufacturers can design new products faster than ever, but scaling production reliably remains the real challenge. Finish Thompson executives Matt Walker and Dennis Barnard outline what separates companies that scale well: smart workforce planning, data-driven capacity decisions, disciplined shop-floor execution, and vertical integration — all built on cross-functional alignment and early preparation.

As another spell of exceptionally hot weather places pressure on water resources across the UK, DAB Pumps is urging the industry to pay greater attention to the performance and efficiency of the systems responsible for moving water around buildings.

Vacuum pumps are essential to many manufacturing and processing applications, but they are also a source of heat. While modern vacuum pumps are efficient and minimize this heat loss, a certain amount of heat generation is a natural by-product of vacuum generation that can never be completely avoided. Traditionally, much of this heat is allowed to dissipate into the surrounding environment.

The UK pump industry, like much of the wider engineering sector, is facing a growing challenge that threatens its long-term resilience: the shortage of skilled people. While the sector continues to innovate and adapt to changing market demands, its ability to sustain that progress will ultimately depend on attracting, developing and retaining the right talent.

Why flexibility, sustainability and automation are so important to the future of the food and beverage industries

From products to partnerships, as the water sector in England and Wales embarks on an unprecedented scaling of investment, Jason Hemingway, SIG infrastructure sales director, asks what can be learned from big infrastructure projects in other sectors.

The latest data from the UK water industry’s most ambitious chemical monitoring programme suggests targeted policy, collaborative science, and source control can successfully tackle forever chemicals. UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR)’s Chemical Investigations Programme (CIP) represents the UK water industry’s most comprehensive scientific response to tackling chemical substances in the water environment.

Protecting steel and concrete column bases from corrosion is crucial for maintaining the structural integrity and longevity of buildings and infrastructures. Corrosion is a significant issue, especially where steel columns and bolts connect to concrete bases.

The scale of the challenges for innovation has never been greater in the UK water sector – that was the message from the Innovation Summit jointly hosted by British Water and Bentley Systems in the City of London on 30 September 2025.

Circulation pumps may not grab headlines, but they are the beating heart of heating and hot water systems across the UK. In both homes and commercial buildings, their performance directly affects energy consumption, running costs, and long-term reliability. Yet our market is increasingly threatened by a flood of cheap, non-compliant imports from the Far East—products that fail to meet the safety and efficiency standards required by UK law. This is not just a technical problem. It is a consumer issue, a business issue, and an environmental issue that undermines the UK’s drive toward net zero.