Qimtek Buyer Insights - 18/03/16

UK to trial ‘driverless’ lorries

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) is set to trial HGV platooning, where a group of lorries are electronically linked and driven by a lead driver, meaning they operate as a single unit.

The trial, due to take place sometime this year, aims to ease congestion and take advantage of the slipstream effect to save fuel. A spokesman for the DfT has commented: “New technology has the potential to bring major improvements to journeys and the UK is in a unique position to lead the way for testing of connected and driverless vehicles.”

Driverless technologies are just one of the myriad of opportunities available to halt the pressures of rising e-commerce and expanding supply chains, so to find out more, head here.. http://ow.ly/ZFCiI

Brexit could spark a ‘food factory crisis’

According to research by the Food Research Collaboration (FRC), more than a quarter (26.9%) of the food manufacturing workforce is from the EU, compared to 6.1% of the workforce of the UK as a whole. This has fuelled fears that the industry could plunge into crisis in the event of a Brexit.

The report argues that the food industry should be at the heart of the debate because of the potential implications leaving would have. One of those implications is that imports would likely become more expensive if the UK were to leave, as currently the country is only around 60% self-sufficient in terms of food.

What do you think? Will the UK’s food industry thrive or fall in the event of a Brexit? For more information, head here.. http://ow.ly/ZFCwd

UK running out of warehouse space

A new report from property consultancy, Lambert Smith Hampton, has highlighted the issue of a shortage of logistics warehouse space, which could be set to put distributors under sustained pressure before the end of the decade.

The research discovered that the supply of industrial and logistics space fell to a record low of 200m sq ft last year, with this then contributing to strong rental growth across the country. Prime rents have increased by 3.9% on average, but the largest single location increase was recorded by Liverpool at 16.7%.

To take a look at the key points from the report, head here.. http://ow.ly/ZFCn9