The Guardian Manufacturers around the world enjoyed a pick-up in activity last month, bolstering hopes the global economy is gathering steam. A raft of surveys suggested production and demand rose in Asia, the United States and among Britain's manufacturers in October, but economists were quick to warn a variety of obstacles risked knocking back the pace of growth.

Design News Engineering plastics continue to be designed into more and more parts and components for a broad variety of applications. Their versatility, durability, light weight, and easy customization make them appealing to engineers for solving design problems in a number of industries, from tiny medical devices to huge offshore oilrigs.

Manufacturing.net A group of 22 U.S. senators has come together to launch a campaign to get Washington to refocus on manufacturing jobs. The Manufacturing Jobs for America initiative aims to build bipartisan support for legislation that will modernize America’s manufacturing sector, help American manufacturers grow and create jobs, and assist American workers in getting the skills to succeed in the next generation of manufacturing jobs.

Manufacturing.net Any facet of aerospace, from production to the actual act of flying massive jets around the world, would appear, at face value, to be in direct opposition to sustainability, or being kind to the environment. And while that’s true to a degree — one cannot escape the necessary burning of fuel to get commercial airliners and fighter jets alike off the ground — it would be ingenuous to state that there’s no concern for the environment among any of the wide array of companies involved in the aerospace industry.

Leading Company The Australian economy has been tipped to lose $21.5 billion should automotive manufacturing leave Australia, according to a new study commissioned by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. The study found Melbourne and Adelaide would suffer most in terms of job losses and Australia would experience a long-term fall in GDP.

2point6billion.com Indian manufacturing’s share of GDP has been stagnating. Some of the industry’s problems stem from a business culture of hierarchy and bureaucracy. But competitive pressure is forcing a transformation, and the new management models now being adopted can change how investors and customers perceive Indian companies.

Manufacturing.net What does technology that allows us to view Earth from the International Space Station as it orbits around the planet have to do with supply chain management? Or technology that helps authorities pinpoint and deploy vital resources during a catastrophic natural disaster? The ability to track and analyze big data in real-time.

Manufacturing Business Technology Innovation doesn't exist in a vacuum. If you want to innovate, there must be a compelling case for innovation; innovations are also propelled by a conducive market dynamic fueled by consistent sectoral growth. This brings us to the manufacturing sector in the U.S. and the lack of innovation in a country that was once the hotbed of cutting-edge research.

HispanicBusiness Advances in 3-D manufacturing technology are heralding the next Industrial Revolution, declare researchers and executives of large regional jet engine manufacturer GE Aviation.

Drive Toyota Australia has followed Holden by asking its employees to compromise on workplace terms and conditions in an effort reduce the cost of producing cars locally. Weeks after announcing 100 redundancies at its Altona production line, senior executives today met with union representatives to discuss an "urgent action" plan, flagging imminent variations to the existing workplace agreement and future workplace agreements.

Aerospace Manufacturing and Design Boeing and Korean Air have finalized an order for five 747-8 Intercontinentals and six 777-300ER (extended range) jetliners that was announced as a commitment during the Paris Air Show in June. In addition, Korean Air has also announced an order for one additional 787 Dreamliner. The value of the combined order is valued at $3.9 billion at current list prices.

Automotive Business Review French automobiles manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroën has opened its EUR893m engine production line at the Française de Mécanique plant in Douvrin, France, for the production of EB Turbo PureTech. The company will start producing its new EB Turbo PureTech engines in March 2014, with an expected annual production capacity of 320,000 engines.

Domain-b.com Australia`s federal government has granted approval to India`s GVK group for its gigantic coal mining project in Queensland state, in the country`s northeast. Environment minister Greg Hunt on Friday announced the government's decision to approve the 37,380 hectare Kevin`s Corner project.

Mining.com China's government says it will simplify approval processes and management of mining and mineral resources within its borders in a bid to encourage more foreign investment into the sector. Simplification of approval and management will build on its 2000 mining sector reform, which allowed foreign companies into China for mineral exploration.

South China Morning Post Chinese power equipment manufacturers may be running out of steam in India after a dream run as they come to terms with a punishing import duty, currency depreciation and murmurs of complaints over quality.