August 2021

n NEWS July/August 2021 www.drivesncontrols.com 6 THE GOVERNMENT HAS picked robotics and smart machines as one of seven strategic technologies that it plans to back as part of a new innovation strategy that will see it invest £22bn each year in publicly-funded research and development. The Government believes that these technologies – which also include AI, digital and advanced computing, and advanced materials and manufacturing – are areas where the UK has globally competitive r&d and industrial strengths, that will transform the economy. Announcing the new strategy, business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said that “the countries that secure leadership in transformational technologies will lead the world – it’s our job to ensure the UK keeps pace with the global innovation race”. The Innovation Strategy is the government’s long-term vision to put innovation at the heart of “building back better”. It is hoping to boost private sector investment in r&d and to create the right conditions for businesses to innovate. The strategy takes lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic – including from the Vaccine Taskforce – and applies them to help solve some of the challenges facing the UK, including the decline in business r&d investment, skills gaps, and the need for “a pro-enterprise regulatory environment” to spur innovation. “The UK can look back on a proud history of changing the world through innovation,” says Kwarteng. “From the industrial revolution to the vaccine development of the past year, the impact on our everyday lives is undeniable. That spirit of discovery is still alive in this country today, but we have not always turned our genius for innovation into jobs and companies here in Britain. “Through this long-term plan,” he continues, “we want to rekindle our country’s flame of innovation and discovery, helping businesses to seize the vast opportunities that innovation can bring. If we get this right, we can build the foundations for the new industries of tomorrow, and ensure British firms are at the front of the pack to turn world- leading science into new products and services that are successful in international markets.” Through the Innovation Strategy, the government plans to: n raise annual public r&d spending to a record £22bn, and ensure that government procurement is supportive; n consult on how regulation can ensure that the UK is well-placed to extract value from innovation; n introduce new visa routes to attract high- skilled, globally mobile talent; n review UK organisations involved in research, development and innovation; n cut complexity for innovative companies by developing an online finance and innovation hub involving Innovate UK and the British Business Bank; n publish an action plan on Standards for the Fourth Industrial Revolution , promoting standards that will help innovation to flourish; n support 30,000 senior managers in SMEs through Help to Grow: Management to boost their business’s performance, resilience, and long-term growth. As part of effort, five projects will share £127m through the Strength in Places Fund . In one of them, £22.6m will help the Advanced Machinery & Productivity Initiative in the North of England to drive innovation for advanced machinery manufacturers, putting them at the cutting edge of technologies such as robotics. A further £25m of funding for the Connecting Capability Fund will help foster university-business innovation, while eight new Prosperity Partnerships will establish business-led research projects harnessing science and engineering to develop new technologies that benefit companies, with £59m of industry, university and government investment. The Government also plans to publish a National AI Strategy to support businesses and the public sector to adopt AI responsibly. In addition, it is launching an initiative called Help To Grow: Digital , to help 100,000 SMEs to adopt digital technologies that will save them time and money, and help them to recover from the pandemic. Government backs robots and smart machines in £22bn innovation plan p Danfoss has finalised its US$3.3bn acquisition of Eaton ’s hydraulics business in a move that will see the Danfoss Group grow by a third and establish itself as a leader in mobile and industrial hydraulics. Eaton’s hydraulics business will be combined with the Danfoss Power Solutions business, adding around 10,000 employees and US$1.8bn in sales. The deal will double the size of Danfoss Power Solutions, which claims it will have the broadest range of hydraulics products on the market. The sale leaves Eaton with four global businesses: Aerospace, Electrical, eMobility andVehicle. p Schaeffler has acquired Bega International , the Dutch manufacturer of tools for mounting and dismounting rolling bearings and other drive components, for an undisclosed sum. Bega exports to more than 60 countries. In a new strategy, Schaeffler is expanding its asset lifecycle products and services. p The UK electric motor developer andmanufacturer Saietta Group , which specialises in axial-flux technology (AFT) motors, has listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market, raising £37.5mwith a market capitalisation of around £102.1m. Oxfordshire-based Saietta says that its admission to AIMwill help to expand a pilot production facility, increasing its production capacity to 100,000 motors a year. p The Scottish engineering group RSE (Ross-Shire Engineering) is buying the Nottingham-based manufacturer and systems integrator Blackburn Starling & Co for an undisclosed sum. RSE sees the deal as pivotal to establishing itself as the UK’s leadingmechanical, electrical, instrumentation, controls and automation contractor to the water treatment and recyclingmarket. RSE has taken a majority share in Blackburn Starling, backing a management buyout led by operations director, Jason Smith. p Rotamec Engineering Services , the Somerset-based motor rewinds, pump and gearbox repairs, and drives specialist, has expanded into the Midlands by buying of the Leicester motor rewind and repair specialist, Covelec. p Europe’s largest supplier of industrial maintenance, repair and overhaul products and services Rubix has acquired CompCare Compressed Air , the Shropshire- based firmwhich focuses on extending the lives and improving the efficiency of compressed air systems. CompCare will continue to run independently. NEWS BRIEFS Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng: rekindling the UK’s flame of innovation and discovery