IN FOCUS

Drought in summer, burst pipes and leaks in winter: volatile weather is putting UK water companies under growing pressure. Tony Gwynne, leakage solutions director at Ovarro, explains why more utilities are turning to managed services, in which a specialist provider takes on tasks such as leak detection and data analysis and delivers agreed outcomes.

When it comes to purchasing industrial equipment, few principles appear more straightforward than getting the best price. Yet when applied to pumping systems, an excessive focus on initial purchase cost can ultimately prove to be a false economy.

Power grids, electric vehicles, and data centers are increasing global copper demand. At the same time, ore grades are declining, and roughly half of all copper mines are located in regions with high water stress. This increases the water requirement per ton of copper – and the treatment, recycling, and reuse of process water are becoming increasingly important in the mining industry.

The global water market is facing a structural transformation. In its 2025 study, “Six growth trends transforming the global water market,” the management consultancy Roland Berger identifies six growth areas that will benefit from water scarcity, aging infrastructure, population growth, and stricter regulatory requirements.

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.