5. TRENDS IN INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY 1.
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POSITIVE TRENDS Industry that is commited to the environment and society. Characteristics: Energy and raw materials - Less use of energy from non-renewable natural resources due to their high levels of pollutants - More use of renewable energy sources, (solar and wind power) - More efficient manufacturing processes. - Reused and recycled materials are used in manufacturing to lessen industrial waste. Technology and space - Technological advances allow us to produce more with less. - It necessary to invest in research centres and universities, which help produce knowdlegde. It is important to develop places where related companies can occupy the same space (cluster) reducing transport costs and making their processes more efficient. Consumer goods production - Producing healthy, durable and recyclable goods reduces the amount of waste and saves energy and raw materials. Good working conditions - Providing reasonable salaries, permanent contracts and the possibility of professional growth all attract a skilled workforce.
5. TRENDS IN INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY NEGATIVE TRENDS
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Some industrial companies act in ways that harm the environment. Energy and raw materials - They waste energy and raw materials in their manufactring processes. - They believe that the cost of these will continue to be low so they continue using inefficient and wasteful methods of production. Technology and space - Processing large quantities of raw materials using enormous amount of energy results in industrial areas with factories that produce a lot of pollution. - Negative impact on the environment. Consumer goods production - The aim (objetivo) is produce large amounts of goods as cheaply as possible. - In the market. These goods are competitive in terms of price, but they are very low quality. Lack of job security - Companies use a lot of unskilled labour - They cut labour costs by offering temporary contracts, no training and poor salaries.