5th December 2023
The REWIND23 campaign is our unique way of collecting the stories, themes, and moments that made our year.
Whilst not exactly totally home and dry from navigating the cocktail of disruptions that have surfaced over the past couple of years, and in particular, post-covid supply chains; there has been a feeling that the UK manufacturing community has become more accustomed to planning in this new reality, and some stability on parts availability has driven confidence up.
As a result, it is fair to say that UK manufacturing has enjoyed a relatively strong 2023. At PP Control & Automation, we have seen significant growth after riding the challenges of 2022 and can be very satisfied that we’re on the right trajectory.
The year has still thrown up challenges for manufacturers, notably the crisis that has been evolving over years of underinvestment in skills, education, and technology: manufacturing still has a people puzzle to solve. But despite this, some significant opportunities in other areas have come into focus.
One common theme was that of sustainability and more determination to better understand the impact we’re having as an industry and where we can improve against ESG measures. 12-24 months ago, awareness of the topic was certainly high, but 2023 has felt like a turning point for understanding its relevance and relativity. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see ESG factors in manufacturing create and sustain the same industry-wide noise and buzz that industry 4.0 has enjoyed in recent times – that can only be a positive thing.
The sustainability agenda will intensify further in 2024 and beyond. This is an exciting time, make no mistake. The UK is still a powerhouse of exemplary capabilities in manufacturing and boasts some of the world’s leading universities taking ‘green’ seriously. The drive towards sustainable manufacturing and net zero will drive innovation. The opportunity there is huge, and not out of the question to envisage it sparking true collaboration across public-private sector and across disciplines, whereby working better together will be the success story we reflect on in the very near future.
Now, rewind and press play on 2023.
10 key stories of the year depicted as chart-topping cassette albums.
A Spotify playlist for the UK manufacturing community to enjoy (or endure depending on your tastes), with songs reflective of the year and the stories published by PP C&A.
A free 40+ page e-book with the stories behind the record sleeves, all conceptual artwork and a forward (and fast forward) from CEO, Tony Hague.
And a chance to win a framed A1 poster ‘designed-to-order’ based on your favourite REWIND23 sleeve art.
Launching mid-campaign will be an exclusive REWIND23 podcast episode where you can enjoy an informal chat between Marketing Manager, Richard Spears and CEO, Tony Hague of PP C&A on all things 2023.
One of the UK’s leading strategic manufacturing specialists is tapping into the UK’s unprecedented investment in upgrading the electricity grid.
As Britain accelerates investment in grid infrastructure, protection and control capacity could become a critical delivery constraint.
The appointment of a new Prime Minister inevitably brings renewed debate about the direction of the UK economy and what it could mean for business.
Ian Knight, Chief Information Officer at PP Control & Automation (PP C&A) challenges the prevailing, often vague narrative around AI adoption and reframes the conversation around a more practical starting point: operational constraints.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept for manufacturers. It is already being explored across quotation, production planning, engineering, quality, supply chain and customer service functions. Yet, for many organisations, the gap between experimentation and meaningful operational impact remains difficult to close.
A leading aquaculture specialist – that is changing the way fish are vaccinated safely – has signed a major manufacturing deal.
On paper, defined discipline-specific suppliers can look organised. However, every additional supplier introduces another handoff, and every handoff creates another point where time, quality, communication and accountability can be lost.
Very rarely does growth not surface because an OEM lacks ambition. Shortcomings arise because operating models built to support such ambition don’t evolve quickly enough.
