New York Times: The Vaccines Will Probably Work. Making Them Fast Will Be the Hard Part.. “The promising news that not just one but two coronavirus vaccines were more than 90 percent effective in early results has buoyed hopes that an end to the pandemic is in sight. But even if the vaccines are authorized […]
Politico: Game-changing coronavirus medicine gears up for production. “Amid alarming spikes in infections and a wave of new restrictions announced across Europe, some good news is emerging: Monoclonal antibodies are likely to be the first game-changing therapy against COVID-19. Big drugmakers have ample experience in manufacturing these kinds of medicines, and their existing facilities can […]
Bloomberg via Al Jazeera: US consumers brace for COVID-19 surge by hoarding food – again. “American consumers who’ve worked their way through the trove of shelf-stable meals they frantically bought back in March are at it again. This time, food makers are prepared. General Mills Inc., the maker of Cheerios and Annie’s boxed mac and […]
Bloomberg: Vaccine Makers Can Skip U.S. Inspections. “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspects a few thousand drug manufacturing plants every year to ensure their standards are up to par. Many of those inspections are required before a pharmaceutical company can gain approval of a new drug. They serve as a check on whether drugmakers […]
New York Times: Despite Claims, Trump Rarely Uses Wartime Law in Battle Against Covid. “President Trump has sweeping powers to compel companies to produce protective gear and to guarantee that the federal government will pay them for it — and as his election campaign intensifies, he has been boasting about aggressively using them. But in […]
BNN Bloomberg: Kosher Crisis Hits $19 Billion Market With Rabbis Stuck at Home. “There’s a lot more to the kosher food industry than Hebrew National hot dogs and Manischewitz wine. Kosher food was a $19.1 billion industry in 2018, according to Allied Market Research, which projects it will grow to $25.6 billion by 2026…. While […]
DuurZaam Nieuws : Database reveals worst polluters in Europe. “The Industrial Plant Data Viewer allows users to access and compare data from over 3,000 large combustion plants across the EU, and check whether they are doing their job to prevent pollution. It was launched by the European Environmental Bureau to help fill the dramatic transparency […]
Washington Post: The U.S. forced major manufacturers to build ventilators. Now they’re piling up unused in a strategic reserve.. “Months into a $3 billion U.S. effort to manufacture tens of thousands of ventilators to stave off coronavirus deaths, the government stockpile is facing a glut. General Motors and Ford by early May began delivering the […]
RTE: IEA launches database of companies producing PPE. “The Irish Exporters Association has launched a database of companies producing personal protective equipment. The initiative is led by the Chair of the IEA’s Western Regional Network Group, Dr John Carr.”
NIST: How Automation and AI May Help Level the Playing Field for Women in Manufacturing. “Women make up about 29 percent of the manufacturing workforce despite filling 47 percent of the positions in the overall workforce, according to the Manufacturing Institute. While there have been periods of growth and decline, the dynamic is mostly unchanged […]
New York Times: China Is Using Uighur Labor to Produce Face Masks. “A Times video investigation identified Chinese companies using a contentious labor program for Uighurs to satisfy demand for P.P.E., some of which ended up in the United States and other countries.”
Radio Prague International: Czech Firm Switches From Car Production To Helping Make Ventilators For Us. “Czech carmakers and associated industries have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Faced with this challenge, one family-run firm is now drawing on its expertise to fight Covid-19 itself, helping the production of much-needed ventilators in the US.”
Reuters: Exclusive: Vaccine alliance finds manufacturing capacity for 4 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines. “An influential foundation focused on preparation and response to epidemics that is backing nine potential coronavirus vaccines has identified manufacturers with capacity to produce four billion doses a year, the group’s top manufacturing expert told Reuters.”
The Verge: 3D Printers Are On The Front Lines Of The Covid-19 Pandemic. “The US continues to struggle to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, both at a state and federal level. So DIY efforts from academics, hobbyists, manufacturing experts, and professional firms have coalesced around COVID hotspots like New York City to meet the needs […]
FoodDive: Tracking coronavirus closures at food and beverage factories. “While food and beverage manufacturers scramble to keep up with demand as consumers stock their pantries, many now must also contend with coronavirus outbreaks in their factories. The reactions are varied. Some are shutting down plants indefinitely until all workers can be tested. Others have reduced […]