AWI secures major nuclear quality accreditation

Successful accreditation to a prestigious quality standard is set to create £2m of global opportunities for Alloy Wire International (AWI).This UK manufacturer of precision drawn, flat and profile wire has taken just nine months to gain ISO 19443, the international benchmark for supplying critical components and material to the nuclear sector.

AWI recorded zero non-conformities during the assessment, with the business praised for its strong quality management systems, employee culture and enhanced communications strategy that was integral to the successful application.The firm’s 62-strong range of exotic alloys is in growing demand from the sector, with sales to this market increasing to 10% of the firm’s annual £16.5m turnover.

More informationwww.alloywire.com

German machine tool industry reports leveling off

After two years of noticeable reluctance to invest, the German machine tool industry is showing its first signs of stabilising, reports national association, VDW. Overall, however, incoming orders for 2025 remained slightly below that of the previous year. Orders declined 3%, with demand from the domestic market, in particular, still subdued.A slight recovery was recorded by the end of the year, however:in the fourth quarter of 2025, the total number of new orders was up 4% on the previous year’s figure. Experts at VDW are expecting further gains in the second half of 2026.

More information www.vdw.de

Unlocking untapped factory capacity worth £129bn

A new report from FourJaw Manufacturing Analytics reveals that UK manufacturers could collectively unlock hidden production capacity worth up to £129 billion in additional annual output without significant investment in new equipment or staff.The report, Return on Information, reveals that large manufacturers using best-practice production data approaches, such as real-time monitoring across the factory floor, typically achieve a 16% increase in output, while SME producers usually attain 30%. It estimates that industry-wide adoption could unlock up to £67bn per year for large UK plants and £62bn for SMEs.

More information www.bit.ly/41C6ydi

AMRC Launches Scale-Up Programme

The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) has launched AMRC Scale-up, a new programme to help high-growth deep-tech companies scale manufacturing in defence, aerospace and energy.Matt Farnsworth, commercial director at the AMRC, says: “AMRC Scale-up provides the technical runway for the UK’s most promising deep-tech companies to bridge the gap between prototype and global supply chain.”

Unlike early-stage accelerators, the programme focuses on companies moving toward industrial production rather than product validation.Through structured technical sprint engagements with AMRC engineers, participating companies will validate production systems capable of industrial scale, strengthen supply chain and certification readiness, and embed manufacturability into growth and investment strategy.

More information www.amrc.co.uk/pages/amrc-scale-up