"Europe's machine tool production in 2010 amounts to one third of the world's output, while a year earlier CECIMO members accounted for 43%. This clearly and strongly demonstrates the dynamic development in the Asian markets", Frank Brinken, Chairman of CECIMO's Economic Committee says. CECIMO is the European Association of the Machine Tool Industries.

Knowledge is power. Lack of knowledge entails inefficiency - not least and particularly when it comes to the production processes of the future and their chances for success on the global markets. This, at any rate, is the firm conviction of the researchers at the Stuttgart-based Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation (IPA). IPA Director Prof. Dr.-Ing. Engelbert Westkämper, for instance, never tires of pointing out that "up-to-the-future production systems demand utilisation of knowledge on all levels of the hierarchy".

The UK's newly-appointed Minister for Trade & Investment, Lord Green, visited CADCAM developer Delcam on 2nd March. He attended the Aerospace Opportunities 2011 event being held at the company's Birmingham headquarters and also toured the site.

Creaform, leader in portable 3D optical measurement technologies and 3D engineering services, has had its best year since inception, with annual sales of $27.3 million for 2010, which makes for a growth of 25% over 2009. 2010 Q4 sales of $9.6 million have set a new record in the history of the company, representing a 49% increase from fiscal year 2009.