Today's Manufacturing Pulse
Stellantis to pour $1.08B into next‑gen EV line at Mulhouse plant
President Emmanuel Macron announced Stellantis will invest more than €1 billion (about $1.08 billion) in a next‑generation electric‑vehicle production line at its Mulhouse facility, slated to start in 2029 as part of France’s push to electrify two‑thirds of new cars by 2030.
Also developing:
By the numbers: TIEA Connectors raises $8M Series A
SaidText Brings Voice-Driven AI to Industrial Operations
SaidText is launching its voice‑driven AI platform in the United States, targeting industrial and manufacturing plants. The solution lets frontline workers record updates by speech, automatically transcribing and structuring the data for real‑time dashboards and analytics. Managers receive AI‑prioritized alerts, daily reports, and exportable datasets, turning informal handovers into actionable insights. Early pilots report a 5%‑10% drop in equipment downtime thanks to faster request automation.
ATN International Inc (ATNI) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
ATN International reported fourth‑quarter 2025 revenue of $1.2 billion and full‑year revenue of $4.6 billion, the strongest top line since 2012. Adjusted EBITDA reached $232 million in Q4 and $859 million for the year, lifting the margin to 19.7% and surpassing guidance. Management guided...
Daktronics Inc (DAKT) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Daktronics reported a 12% year‑over‑year increase in orders and a 36% jump in its product backlog to $321 million, delivering three straight quarters of top‑line growth. Net income rose 25% on an adjusted basis to $17.5 million, while operating margin edged toward...
Don’t Forget To Question First Principles and Design the User Experience
The article urges supply‑chain leaders to revisit first‑principles and apply design‑thinking before adopting AI‑driven tools. It contrasts traditional, metric‑focused planning with a newer model that prioritizes adaptive, bi‑directional flows and user experience. The author shares personal anecdotes to illustrate how...
TGA Seeks Public Feedback on New Manufacturing Rules for Medicines, Medicinal Gases
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has launched two concept papers for public consultation, proposing revisions to PIC/S GMP Annex 6 for medicinal gases and Annex 15 for qualification and validation processes. The Annex 6 update seeks to reflect modern manufacturing technologies and computerized...
Hardware for Humanoid Robots: New Perspectives for Industrial Value Creation in Europe
Humanoid robots are emerging as a high‑growth market that could outpace the automotive sector, especially in Europe where manufacturers are seeking new value streams. A Fraunhofer‑IPA and P3 white paper reveals a fragmented hardware landscape lacking standardized architectures, with key...
Circulose and Spinnova Are Getting Back Together
Circulose and Spinnova have revived their partnership to combine Circulose’s cellulose‑rich dissolving pulp with Spinnova’s mechanical, chemical‑free spinning technology. The collaboration aims to produce fully recycled textile fibers at commercial scale, leveraging 2023 trial success and expanding the consortium to...
Kenworth Unveils C580, Replacement for C500
Kenworth unveiled the C580 vocational tractor at ConExpo‑Con/Agg 2026, positioning it as the successor to the long‑standing C500. The new model features a modern cab platform with a larger windshield, digital display, and upgraded driver comfort. Powered by an EPA‑compliant Cummins...
Ayar Labs Closes $500M Series E, Accelerates Volume Production of Co-Packaged Optics
Ayar Labs announced a $500 million Series E round led by Neuberger Berman, bringing total funding to $870 million and valuing the company at $3.75 billion. The capital will be used to scale high‑volume production and testing of its co‑packaged optics (CPO) solution, expand...
TPM26: Buffer Capacity Being Taken Out of Gemini Network: Hapag-Lloyd CEO
Gemini’s ocean alliance has sustained roughly 90% schedule reliability, allowing Hapag‑Lloyd to trim the buffer capacity built into its 2025 service. The carrier says the reduction yields faster, more competitive transit times without sacrificing predictability. Shippers such as Dollar General and...
Top 5 ERP Software for Singapore’s Building Material Businesses in 2026
Singapore’s building‑material sector is entering a digital modernization wave, making ERP systems mission‑critical for finance, logistics, and compliance. A recent e27 report ranks the top five ERP platforms chosen by local distributors, emphasizing deep integration with Singapore’s GST, InvoiceNow e‑invoicing,...
A Roadmap for Equipment Health Scoring Across Multiple Plants
Chris LaCorata outlines a step‑by‑step roadmap for building an equipment health‑scoring system that spans multiple plants. The approach uses the DMAIC Six‑Sigma framework, a beta‑plant audit, and FMEA‑based risk scoring to translate condition data into financial impact metrics. Finance then...
TPM26: Flexport CEO Sees AI’s Impact on Logistics Accelerating
Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen announced that artificial‑intelligence tools can trim roughly 10% off the back‑office component of ocean freight costs, enabling logistics firms to scale without proportionate hiring. He revealed that Flexport entered a "code red" mode in November 2025,...
Cisco: AI Is a Double-Edged Sword in Industrial Networks
Cisco’s 2026 State of Industrial AI Report reveals AI is a double‑edged sword for industrial networking teams, simultaneously creating security challenges and offering defensive benefits. While 40% of surveyed professionals cite cybersecurity as a major barrier and 48% list it...
Simplify Choosing the Correct Type of Bearing. A How-To Guide From Emerson Bearing.
Emerson Bearing, a Boston‑based supplier with more than six decades of experience, has released a complimentary e‑book titled “Choosing the Correct Type of Bearing for Your Application: A Selection Guide.” The guide outlines two primary and seven secondary factors influencing...
United Semiconductors Reserves Payload Space with Starlab to Advance Commercial-Scale In-Space Semiconductor Manufacturing
United Semiconductors has secured payload space on Starlab’s commercial space station to transition its micro‑gravity semiconductor crystal growth from the International Space Station to sustained, commercial‑scale production in low Earth orbit. The partnership leverages Starlab’s rapid, no‑assembly launch architecture and...
TPM26: Global Trade ‘Still Strong’ Despite Uncertainties: Hellmann CEO
Hellmann Worldwide Logistics CEO Jens Drewes told the TPM26 conference that global ocean freight volumes remain robust despite heightened geopolitical risks, including ongoing trade tensions and the expanding Middle East conflict. He highlighted continued strength in worldwide trade and pointed...
On Launches Third-Generation Cloudmonster Shoes with 3D Printed Upper for Performance and Propulsion
Swiss brand On unveiled the third‑generation Cloudmonster line, adding three models—Cloudmonster 3, Cloudmonster 3 Hyper, and LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper. The LightSpray version incorporates a robot‑crafted 3D‑printed upper that trims weight and boosts energy transfer. Each model targets a specific running segment, from daily trainers...
Pharmaceutical Executive Daily: Novo Nordisk Commits $506 Million to Ireland Manufacturing Site
Novo Nordisk announced a $506 million investment to expand its manufacturing site in Ireland, aiming to boost capacity for diabetes and obesity therapies. The expansion addresses rising global demand and enhances supply‑chain resilience. The announcement coincides with industry focus on measuring...
Air Freight Backlog Set to Gridlock Asia Airports Amid Middle East Conflict: K+N CEO
Air cargo originating in Asia for the US and Europe will soon pile up at regional airports as the expanding Middle East conflict grounds a sizable share of available capacity. Kuehne + Nagel CEO Stefan Paul warned that backlogs will materialise by...
Xometry Tightens Grip on AI Sourcing
Xometry is upgrading its AI‑driven marketplace with a new lead‑time prediction model and enhanced dynamic pricing logic. The lead‑time model, trained on a dataset four times larger, now incorporates supplier certifications, material requirements and specialized finishing specifications, improving forecasting accuracy...
Scanifly Is Official Design Platform for CertainTeed’s SunStyle Solar Roof
Scanifly has been appointed the official design platform for CertainTeed’s premium SunStyle solar roof systems. The new SunStyle Designer lets contractors create 3‑D layouts, generate real‑time production estimates, and export full installation reports across Scanifly’s remote and drone‑based environments. Automated...
Reliability and CMMS Are Reimagined at Fluke Xcelerate 2026, the Leading Predictive Maintenance Conference
Fluke Corporation is hosting Xcelerate 2026, its flagship predictive‑maintenance conference, in Austin, Texas from March 9‑11. The event blends high‑energy keynotes, hands‑on pre‑conference training on eMaint CMMS and Fluke condition‑monitoring tools, and networking sessions for maintenance professionals at all career stages. Speakers...
From Operations to Orchestration: The CSCO’s Nexus Role in a Synergistic C-Suite
The chief supply chain officer (CSCO) is transitioning from a traditional logistics and cost‑control role to an enterprise‑wide orchestrator, linking finance, technology, and marketing. This evolution, termed "Nexus Leadership," reflects the need for coordinated execution across the C‑suite in an...
Tatsoft Launches FrameworX AI Designer: The Biggest Shift in SCADA Development in 30 Years
Tatsoft unveiled FrameworX AI Designer, an industrial development platform that lets engineers describe SCADA and IIoT requirements in plain language while AI generates the full configuration in real time. The tool automates tag databases, communication channels, alarms, displays and historian...
Digital Twins Turn Real Factories Into Optimized Virtual Models
🤖 Imagine a video game version of your factory—except it’s real data. That’s a digital twin. Digital twins replicate real factories in virtual models for optimization, predictive maintenance, and efficiency. #DigitalTwin #SmartManufacturing #Innovation #FutureOfWork https://t.co/AXe1XCU7Sz
Mouser's Autonomous Vehicle Online Resource Center Addresses Real-World Deployment Challenges
Mouser Electronics has expanded its Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Online Resource Center to help engineers tackle real‑world deployment hurdles. The hub consolidates technical articles, eBooks and product data covering perception, deterministic networking, functional safety, cybersecurity and ethical decision‑making. It emphasizes software‑defined,...
Introducing Conveyor Connect: How Chef Robots Communicate With Different Conveyors
Chef Robotics unveiled Conveyor Connect, a capability that lets its AI‑driven Chef robots communicate directly with any type of conveyor, from continuous belts to indexing lines. The system uses a wireless Conveyor Companion Box attached to the conveyor’s VFD, providing...
From Human-in-the-Loop to Human-on-the-Loop: An AI Agent Architecture for Proactive Planning
The paper proposes a shift from traditional human‑in‑the‑loop supply‑chain planning to a human‑on‑the‑loop AI agent architecture. Coordinated agents continuously ingest demand, supply and disruption signals, enabling event‑driven, proactive plan adjustments. This approach surfaces risks earlier, reduces the latency of corrective...
NAPA Expands Use of Warehouse Robots
NAPA Auto Parts is expanding its warehouse automation by deploying over 100 AI‑powered mobile robots from Brightpick at a new distribution center. The rollout follows a 2025 pilot that demonstrated reduced picker travel time and improved order accuracy. Brightpick will...
White House Executive Order Focuses on Restoring U.S. Maritime Dominance, Launch Maritime Action Plan
President Trump signed an Executive Order in April 2025 to restore U.S. maritime dominance by launching a Maritime Action Plan (MAP). The MAP directs the Defense Department to leverage the Defense Production Act, imposes new fees on foreign vessels, and...
DS Smith Invests €13.4M in Grenaa Packaging Facility for the Provision of Solutions in Denmark
DS Smith, an International Paper subsidiary, announced a €13.4 million (DKK 100 million) investment to upgrade its Grenaa, Denmark packaging plant. The upgrade adds a high‑speed rotary die‑cutting line with five printing units, boosting annual corrugated board capacity by up to 15 million m². The...
Suppliers Can Evaporate: Five Ways to Improve SCM Risk Management
Supply chain volatility is prompting firms to shift from reactive to proactive risk management. The article outlines five low‑cost tactics, including predictive financial monitoring, streamlined contracts, centralized insurance data, scorecard‑driven portfolio optimization, and supplier diversification. By assuming some suppliers will...
March 2026: The Extreme Solar Construction Issue
ELITE Solar unveiled a $115 million solar cell and panel factory in Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone, completing construction in under 12 months. The Middle East’s low‑tariff environment and rapid build‑out contrast sharply with the United States, where projects like Q‑cells’ Georgia...
Pleora Launches eBUS SDK 7.0, Delivering a Unified, High-Performance Platform for Next-Generation Imaging Systems
Pleora Technologies announced the release of eBUS SDK 7.0, a unified platform for high‑performance image acquisition, display, and transmission across Windows, Linux and embedded systems. The SDK adds .NET 8, GStreamer, ROS2, ROS‑Industrial, expanded GenDC support, and memory‑optimized GigE Vision transmission, enabling...
Allied Vision Helps Reset the Speed Barrier for Thin-Film Quality Control in Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing
Allied Vision and TU Wien have introduced the first inline imaging‑ellipsometer for roll‑to‑roll (R2R) production, using the EXO250ZU3 polarized camera to deliver real‑time, full‑area thickness maps at line speeds over 100 m min⁻¹. The system replaces bulky refractive optics with large‑aperture Fresnel...
New Manhattan High-Rise Looks to Pioneer Robotics-Enabled Construction
Westvue Manhattan, a 24‑story residential tower at 9th Avenue and 37th Street, is positioning itself as a technology showcase by deploying the Skyeforge Alliance—a consortium of more than a dozen robotics specialists working alongside traditional contractors. The project leverages AI‑driven...
Networks, Not AI, Remain the True Competitive Moat
AI May Disrupt Software, But Networks Are the Real Moat - https://t.co/LqKYpiRYXJ @joinindago @ManhAssocBNL @Appian #SCON #supplychain #logistics #businessnetworks #AI
Detoxified Asbestos Cement Becomes PLA Filler For 3D Printing
Researchers propose converting detoxified asbestos cement into a mineral filler for PLA composites used in fused filament fabrication. The treated filler is intended to curb PLA’s thermal depolymerization, improving melt viscosity and dimensional stability during printing. By up‑cycling hazardous cement...
Propel Software Marks Best Year in Company History Fueled by DesignHub, Propel One Solutions
Propel Software reported a record‑breaking fiscal year ending January 31, 2026, with bookings up 42% year‑over‑year and a strong Q4 surge. Growth was powered by its DesignHub multi‑CAD integration and Propel One agentic AI platform, which attracted manufacturers seeking to replace legacy...
Third-Party Software Marks New Phase in 3D Concrete Printing Development
Third‑party software for 3D concrete printing (3DCP) has emerged with Portugal‑based CAMADA. The platform converts 3D models into G‑code optimized for robotic‑arm or gantry printers and even allows basic model creation. Historically, 3DCP operators relied on proprietary slicers supplied by...
Learn How to Get Started with Warehouse Automation
Automated Warehouse is hosting a live webinar tomorrow at noon ET titled “How to Get Started With Warehouse Automation.” The session will outline a phased adoption strategy that begins with a detailed operational assessment and targets high‑impact, low‑risk tasks such...
Ferguson Marine Secures Award to Build Four Vessels
The Scottish Government will award Ferguson Marine contracts to build four vessels, creating a guaranteed five‑year pipeline of work. The package comprises a new Marine Protection Vessel, a Marine Research Vessel for Marine Scotland, and two passenger ferries for Caledonian...
Noble Machines Emerges From Stealth, Ships and Deploys Industrial General-Purpose Robots
Noble Machines Inc., founded by engineers from Apple, SpaceX, NASA and Caltech, has emerged from stealth and shipped its first industrial general‑purpose robots to a Fortune Global 500 customer within 18 months of launch. The company’s integrated AI‑hardware stack lets...
3D Printed Ghost Guns Are Hard to Trace. Researchers May Have Found a Way In
Australian researchers at Curtin University have demonstrated that infrared spectroscopy can reliably differentiate the three most common 3D‑printing polymers—PLA, ABS and PETG—used in ghost‑gun production. By analyzing 67 filament samples, they showed distinct chemical signatures for each polymer type, though...
Laredo Secures $58M Rail Grant to Speed up Texas Border Freight
Texas Transportation Commission awarded $160.4 million from the new Off‑System Rail Grade Separation State Fund, with Laredo receiving the largest share of $58.51 million for a CPKC grade‑separation project on Santa Maria Boulevard. The grant will eliminate at‑grade crossings in one of...
Lawmakers Push for Elimination of Indian Duties on US Cotton Amid Stalled Trade Deal
A bipartisan group of House members led by Rep. Jodey Arrington sent a letter to USTR Jamieson Greer urging the removal of India’s 11% tariff on U.S. cotton as a priority in the pending U.S.–India trade talks. They cite the...
Denim Deal’s Waste-to-Jeans Pilot Reveals Recycling’s Barriers—And Opportunities
Denim Deal’s year‑long pilot in the Netherlands turned 800 post‑consumer jeans into market‑ready circular denim, testing a full reverse‑supply chain from sorting to fabric. The initiative, part of a pledge to deliver one billion jeans with at least 20% recycled cotton...
Accelerating Green Transition to Boost Industrial Resilience
Such a pleasure joining @EIB for this year's #EIBForum. Together with EIB's VP Ambroise Fayolle, @AfDBPresident and @bertrandpiccard, we discussed how to accelerate the green transition thus reinforcing industrial resilience, driving innovation and ensuring sustainable growth. https://t.co/MsNKt7m58K
Corvus Robotics Deploys Autonomous Inventory System at Dermalogica Global Headquarters
Corvus Robotics has rolled out its Corvus One autonomous inventory system at Dermalogica’s global headquarters and distribution hub in Carson, California. The drone fleet conducts 52 aerial scans per year, boosting inventory imaging frequency by 600 percent while freeing roughly...