Unit 2A Production

Unit 2A Production Lesson 5 Secondary production

What kind of industries are secondary industries?

Which of these are secondary economic activities?

So …. • Secondary industries use raw materials and components from else where to manufacture or assemble other things • Most of these are supplied to other industries that pass them to the consumer. • There are different kinds of industry …

Heavy industry: involves large quantities of materials, such steel-making, shipbuilding, car manufacturers and petrochemicals. • These used to be the core of work in the Midlands and North of England and the industrial regions of France Germany and around the Great Lakes in the USA. This was because they were close to the raw materials which bulky and costly to transport in the days before road transport • But this is no longer true – most of these items are now produced more cheaply elsewhere.

There is light industry. This is the manufacture of products that are light in bulk and use small amounts of raw materials, E.g. small domestic appliances, food processing, clothes. • Because they are less tied to a particular place, as they do not use bulky raw materials, these are also call foot-loose industries • Then there is high tech industry - Manufacturing involving advanced technology, such as the making of microchips and computers. It also includes genetic engineering, telecoms and information technology.

Why is industry situated where it is? • Factories might be built by an individual, a private firm, a large national company or a TNC (transnational corporation – can you name one?) • Before it can be built, decisions have to be made about what is the best site for its location. • It is unlikely that any one site will have ALL the best possible attributes • But certain factor are more important than others, depending on the nature of what the factory will produce. The bottom line will be, on which site will we make the most profit?

Here are the main considerations

Physical factors In the 19th century it was the physical factors that were most important • Raw materials – the bulkier and heavier they are to transport, the more like the factory will be close to the raw materials. • Power/ energy – in times of water and steam power the location near fast moving water or a coal mine would have been important – now electricity is nearly everywhere • Flat land and enough space to expand if necessary Why

Human and Economic Factors • Labour – the right number and of suitable quality in terms of skills. • Capital to invest • Market – you need somewhere to sell the goods – the closer to the market the less the transport costs – • One reason why Sony decided to make TVs in the UK was because it gave them easy access to the whole of the EU – 350 million and most of them well off!

Human and Economic Factors • Transport – easy access to a good transport network • Good IT access for on-line ordering and systems control (no good being up in the mountains with only a dial-up network) • Government Policy: governments often want to attract new factories to areas of high unemployment • The EU had a regional policy which gives assisted status to the poorest areas. This means tax holidays, training courses and investment grants are often available

It is human and economic factors that attract modern industry • Modern industries tend to be light and hi-tech in nature and so do not need lots of space or to be near the source of raw materials. • However good transport links, being close to the market and where there is government assistance is much more important!!

What do you know about these? Aluminium Smelter Jam Factory Car Plant Bakery Cement Works Electronic Product Manufacturer Aluminium is made by the electrolysis. It takes bauxite through which an electric current is passed and the aluminium is precipitated out. VERY HEAVY POWER NEEDS To see how cement is made: http://ysgol-rhyngrwyd-igcse.wikispaces.com/Unit+2A%C2%A0%C2%A0+Part+2+here Or http://www.cement.org/basics/images/flashtour.html

A) Located close to a good transport network. The factory depends on parts being delivered just in time, as only a small amount of stock is kept. The finished product also needs to be taken away Aluminium Smelter Jam Factory Car Plant Electronic Product Manufacturer Bakery Cement Works

B) Located close to the market because the product needs to be sold on the day that it is made. Aluminium Smelter Jam Factory Car Plant Electronic Product Manufacturer Bakery Cement Works

C) Located close to the one main raw material, which does not travel well Aluminium Smelter Jam Factory Car Plant Electronic Product Manufacturer Bakery Cement Works

D) Located close to the two main raw materials which are heavy, bulky and expensive to transport. The factory is usually sited exactly in the middle, between the sources of the two raw materials. Aluminium Smelter Jam Factory Car Plant Electronic Product Manufacturer Bakery Cement Works

E) Located where the government will help with the costs because it will be employing hundreds of people. It needs good transport links but the components and finished product are light and compact Aluminium Smelter Jam Factory Car Plant Electronic Product Manufacturer Bakery Cement Works

F) Located where there is a very cheap source of electricity (power) because a lot is needed to process the raw material. The factory may buy the power or produce it's own. Aluminium Smelter Jam Factory Car Plant Electronic Product Manufacturer Bakery Cement Works

Looking particularly at High-Tech • High-technology industry involves a highly-skilled workforce and its products require a high proportion of research and development. • High-technology industry is relatively footloose since access to raw materials is not very important. The ‘raw materials’ that are required are usually lightweight electronic components.

High-tech industry in the UK Where does high-tech industry locate in the UK? Silicon Glen Cambridge and the M11 corridor M3 corridor M4 Corridor

So what do you notice about the locations? • High-tech needs a highly trained workforce, up to degree level and beyond in many cases. • They need access to research establishments very often – this is where the new ideas are developed. • They like to hang together in groups – other firms may become suppliers, customers or collaborators. • They need good transport – road, rail & air • To attract the high-class workers, they are often sited in clean, healthy and pleasant environments – lets look at the M4 corridor

Which of the criteria just mentioned does the M4 corridor fulfil?

So the M4 corridor • Near the M4 and on a fast rail link to London with Eurostar links to the continent and with easy access to Heathrow • A large highly trained labour force – those who trained/worked in London will be happy to move out to a much pleasanter environment • Lots of high-tech industry sited in science parks that are close to the motorways on land that is cheaper than in city centres • Near to Bristol, Reading and Oxford universities • Attractive environment – Cotswolds, Mendips and Chilterns • Rich market concentrated around London and the South East.

This what is known as a geography mystery • You are given lots of pieces of information • Some of it is helpful • And some is just there to confuse the issue! • For your homework – sort the information out and use it to answer 2 questions

Unit 2A Production