Britain’s last remaining train factory has been thrown a lifeline with the announcement of the four shortlisted bidders for the Crossrail rolling stock and depot contract.

The Derby-based Bombardier Transportation (UK) factory is up against bids from Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles of Spain; Hitachi Rail Europe; and Germany’s Siemens.

Crossrail will require around 60 new trains, each around 200 metres in length and able to carry up to 1,500 passengers, with key features to be air conditioning and inter-connecting walk-through carriages.

DuPont announced today an extension of its collaboration with the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG) to improve the productivity of cereal crops.

The expanded program brings a new focus on advanced cereal breeding through molecular markers, discovery research for agronomic traits and hybrid seed production in wheat. 

Failure to keep and maintain accurate supply chain data can spell disaster in the event of an emergency—or even contribute towards one, as Anurag Dixit explains.

Which category do you fall into? More importantly, which category do your employees fall into? Does the answer really matter? David Dumeresque thinks so—and here he explains why.

LOC Consulting’s Richard Savery discusses how mobile technologies and a combination of data from internal and external sources can free current BI initiatives from conventional constraints.

Business intelligence (BI) has been heralded as a powerful tool for aiding the decision-making process since the 1990s. Effectively implemented, it can drive efficiency and productivity throughout the business and ensure a more connected, proactive and responsive workforce.

Moya Air Conditioning has built its reputation upon meeting new challenges and delivering quality products. Director Quintin Davis talks about his plans for expansion and development.

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) are important under any circumstances, but when it comes to specialised laboratory environments their quality, efficiency and reliability are absolutely critical. And it’s under these conditions that the services of Moya Air Conditioning are particularly appreciated.

Barbara Mommen, chief executive officer of the Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative, talks about the development of this key strategic transit route.

Lindsay Shankland, managing director of Manitou Southern Africa, talks to Gay Sutton about building a materials handling brand for the mining sector and taking those products worldwide.

It’s not everyone who can say they truly love the business they are in; but Alan Swaby talks to one such manager currently working deep in the African bush.

Dhuruma Electricity Company is quietly and efficiently completing a large world-class power generating station in record time. It’s an interesting test case for the independent power plant model in Saudi Arabia.