BAE Systems is donating 145,000 face shields to the NHS in the coming weeks and is mobilising workers in Glasgow to help with the effort.

The defence giant said initially 4,000 will go to the NHS in Glasgow and 500 to care home staff in the city.

The early batches of personal protection equipment were sourced in Preston and Barrow and the company is also examining how it can use its facility in Scotstoun in Glasgow to produce more.

It said all its industrial-scale 3D printers are now producing face shields, with supplies being delivered every day, directly to frontline medical staff around the UK, along with a thank you note.

Smaller scale 3D printers such as in Scotstoun are "also coming online to support the PPE effort, producing face shields at a smaller volume as well as innovative ‘door claws’ that help care homes reduce the spread of infection through door handles".

The company said: "To rapidly increase the numbers arriving on the frontline, we are sourcing tens of thousands of additional face shields through our suppliers.

"Together with our 3D printed face shields, we have delivered more than 24,000 units to date, with another 40,000 due to arrive in the next week to local communities in Bristol, Glasgow, London, Kent, Manchester, Portsmouth, Preston and Southampton."

Richard Hamilton, manufacturing and support director at BAE Systems, said: “We’ve had an amazing response to our recent announcement that we’re donating PPE to the NHS.

"This has been a real team effort at a difficult time for everyone.

"Employees across our air, maritime and electronic systems sectors, as well as our suppliers, are all rallying to play their part in the national endeavour as we work together to ramp up and further increase the supply of vital protective equipment to the frontline.

“As a result of everyone’s collective efforts, we’ve been able to respond to requests to send equipment directly to medical staff in our local communities working in GP surgeries, the ambulance service and hospices, as well sending supplies to NHS hospitals and trusts.”

It is also part of the Ventilator Challenge, a consortium of companies rapidly producing ventilators in the fight against Covid-19.

Its role includes using its "Typhoon simulation training expertise to develop training materials for people completing factory acceptance testing of each ventilator before it is handed to the NHS".

A number of other projects are under way "as employees across the business continue to look at ways to help the country at this difficult time", it said.

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About 2,000 pubs, breweries and cideries are offering takeaway or delivery to help keep themselves afloat and keep customers served during the coronavirus lockdown, according to the Campaign for Real Ale. 

CAMRA has put together a directory of these initiatives as part of the Pulling Together campaign, launched in partnership with SIBA and Crowdfunder, to encourage beer and cider drinkers to support the industry during this time of crisis and shop locally for their favourite brew.

Over a thousand pubs offering takeaway and delivery services are searchable using the pub directory WhatPub, nearly 600 breweries and over 100 cideries are listed via the Pulling Together webpage, including in some parts of Scotland.

Ben Wilkinson, CAMRA national director, said: “This is the most extensive list out there of safe and legal takeaway and delivery initiatives offering beer and cider around the country. 

“Anyone who loves quality real ale or cider should use this resource to support local businesses, so they’re able to reopen once this crisis has passed.

"Many pubs are relying on our ongoing support to keep afloat right now, and the best way we can ensure they still exist once the restrictions are lifted is to keep giving them our business.”

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Chinese mobile phone component maker AAC Technologies has opened an Edinburgh office that could employ 30 within three years, it said.

The office at Exchange Tower will employ around 15 in its first year.

David Plekenpol, AAC chief strategy officer and chairman of the American and European region, said microphone centre in Edinburgh “strengthens our ability to continue developing innovative MEMS (micro electrical-mechanical system) microphone solutions in an evolving mobile marketplace Scotland that expands the company’s global footprint and reinforces its leadership position in the design of next generation microphone system-level solutions”.

AAC’s existing suite of MEMS microphone solutions is currently used by leading OEMs such as Amazon, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo. AAC Technologies (Scotland) Ltd. joins AAC R&D centers currently located in China, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the US.

Mr Plekenpol said: "AAC is starting off with a core R&D team that should reach 12-15 by this time next year. The scope of this office will extend to include systems level R&D and advance technology scouting within the UK which could see the office size growing to 30 by 2023."

 

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