Packaging automation set to aid food manufacture growth in the wake of Covid-19

摘要

Automation is set to play an increasingly larger role in safeguarding the future of the UK's food manufacturing industry, and the Chancellor's recent super-deduction tax allowance on plant and machinery announcement is set to give the sector the boost it needs. While most UK food manufacturers understood the efficiencies gained from automa- tion, adoption was at a far slower pace than other countries. However, Covid-19 has emphasised the need to update manual manufacturing practices that will prevent many from recovering quickly once social distancing measures are lifted. According to a recent post by the International Federation of Robots (IFR) in comparison to several countries across the world, the UK was the only country, over a 10-year period, to report a 9 percent decrease in productivity per person.