Manufacturers Increasing Investments in Digital Technology; UK Economy: Manufacturing Sector Strengthens In December; Rebound in Eurozone Business Activity Overshadowed by Fresh Lockdowns; German Factories Prop Up Economy With Forecast-Beating Growth Read more from our blog. #manufacturing #usmanufacturing #ukmanufacturing #germanmanufacturing #eumanufacturing #mrpsoftware #mrpsystem #manufacturingsoftware #mrpeasy

1. WEEK 51 IN MANUFACTURING
NEWS

2. Manufacturers Increasing Investments in Digital Technology; UK Economy:
Manufacturing Sector Strengthens In December; Rebound in Eurozone Business
Activity Overshadowed by Fresh Lockdowns; German Factories Prop Up
Economy With Forecast-Beating Growth

3. The pandemic has sharpened the need for manufacturers to invest in digital technology to
better predict the unpredictable, Paul Wellener, vice chairman, U.S. Industrial Products and
Construction Leader at Deloitte, said as part of a December 8 briefing on Deloitte’s 2021
Manufacturing Industry Outlook.
In a post-election survey, 76% of manufacturers said they intended to increase their
investment in digital technology, roughly three times the rate of 2019, Wellener said.
Source: The Manufacturer
Manufacturers Increasing Investments in
Digital Technology in Response to Pandemic

4. There will be some relief surrounding the latest business confidence data, although manufacturing
was artificially boosted by supply issues and stock-building ahead of Brexit. There will be the risk of a
fresh setback early in 2021, especially if no EU trade deal has been agreed.
The Pound Sterling was still being driven by Brexit expectations with the Pound-to-Dollar exchange
rate trying to break above 1.3500/20 and the Euro-to-Pound exchange rate around 0.9025.
Source: Exchange Rates
UK Economy: Manufacturing Sector Strengthens
In December, Pound Focused On Brexit

5. Eurozone business activity rebounded faster than expected after services companies
benefited from a loosening of coronavirus restrictions in some countries and manufacturers
gained from rising exports, according to a widely tracked survey of companies. The IHS
Markit flash eurozone composite purchasing manager index, an average of services and
manufacturing, rose to 49.8 in December, outstripping consensus economists’ expectations
and climbing from 45.3 in the previous month.
Source: Financial Times
Rebound in Eurozone Business Activity
Overshadowed by Fresh Lockdowns

6. German manufacturing powered ahead in December, with global demand helping factories
post a better-than-forecast performance.
IHS Markit’s monthly index unexpectedly jumped to 58.6, the highest level in almost three
years, from 57.8. Orders across the goods-producing sector increased sharply, with many
firms citing stronger demand from China in particular.
Source: Bloomberg
German Factories Prop Up Economy With
Forecast-Beating Growth

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manufacturing-news-2/
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