2021 Directory

Appraisal In this edition of the Yearbook, some contributors have provided their views on what they consider to be some of the likely technological trends that will have a pronounced impact on the fluid power sector and industry in general over the next decade. The highly insightful article by Ed Keenan, Head of Process of Integrated Food Projects, is one such welcome example. I feel it is also important to relate these trends to the socio-economic impact that these types of trends could have upon our sector and indeed all areas of society and the economy. I believe this stance is entirely justified, as it creates the economic back-drop against which all BFPA members and other companies in every sector will have to operate. However, this topic is not always popular. For example, vote- sensitive politicians are often happy to talk about the innovative use of automation in improving productivity and GDP, but they can become paranoid about any references to the social impact such trends might have upon society – not least of all the impact upon jobs. I have observed that the word ‘robot’ seems to have been all but abandoned by many of our more prominent public servants. The same could be said of several other inexorable technological trends, but more of that later… What about COVID-19? What makes any discussion of technological trends all the more interesting in 2021 is the obvious impact that 18 months under the cloud of a global viral pandemic has had in terms of moulding public opinion on so many aspects of our lives. This has been made even more complex by an increasing awareness of the need to address environmental issues if we; or more specifically, our children, are going to enjoy the benefits of the current technological revolution in years to come. This has been brought into a sharp focus by the increase in wildlife during the pandemic and the acute reduction in airborne pollution. It is also worth noting from the outset, that the major trends impacting the fluid power sector are having a similar impact upon most other sectors even outside engineering because technology has now become so pervasive as to impact every aspect of our lives. The delineation between our working lives and our private lives has become more and more blurred to the point where we now depend upon the very same technology for our leisure time as that used in our workplace. The most obvious case is the use of the smartphone and tablet PC. The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated this process. Two years ago, I would struggle to persuade colleagues and friends to use video calls or even facetime on their phones. It was obvious that the adoption of such technology was inevitable over time but there was an inexplicable but all too common resistance to change; an emotional if understandable response that has inhibited the adoption of too many technologies for far too many years. When faced with isolation during the pandemic, the old adage ‘adversity is the mother of invention’ came into its own and a year later we not only embraced video calls as a great and highly efficient way to conduct both our business and social lives but going forwards we will also embrace a new suite of hybrid working practices that optimise our ever more valuable time and resources whilst saving money and avoiding vast amounts of environmental damage. So where is this taking us? This point in the discussion is one of those interesting junctures where the temptation to become controversial becomes almost irresistible if not necessary. There is an inevitability about the trends that we have just articulated. Much as many individuals almost pine to go back to the ‘way it used to be’, any such step can only ever be temporary – Heralding a new decade of innovation – but it won’t be without its challenges 16 www.bfpa.co.uk BFPA CEO Chris Buxton shares his views on the technological and socio-economic trends impacting upon the fluid power sector and beyond over the next ten years.  Chris Buxton: “Fluid power companies need to recognise the overarching impact that new technologies are going to have upon their working practices and the markets that they address.”