June 2020

T he COVID-19 pandemic is a difficult time for everyone; none more so than those on the NHS front line. Businesses and workers across the globe have had to adapt in ways that may have seemed unimaginable just a few months ago. Whether it’s been adapting to work from home or the shutting down of entire sectors, leaving staff furloughed or unemployed, the challenges have been both numerous and often testing in the extreme. But the shock to the economy of COVID-19 has also possibly made us all more resourceful and open to change. From keeping teams and customers connected through technology, to identifying ways to adapt, the Coronavirus has forced business owners and employees to find new, innovative ways of working and serving their clients. This worldwide “pause for thought” has put business strategies under the microscope as never before. Many have since rallied themselves, using their entrepreneurial spirit to seize this critical moment as a chance to consider diversifying into new markets, or growing smaller 18 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk June 2020 Insight COVID-19 – how business is adapting in the face of adversity Alistair Binks, general manager of technical and life sciences translation specialists Albion Languages, explains to Plant & Works Engineering how the COVID-19 pandemic has driven businesses to focus inwards, looking with a critical eye at their more “fragile” business areas, or those markets which they may have relied upon too heavily so far.