IDB Invest Supports Acelen Renewables' Fuel Production Expansion in Brazil
IDB Invest has approved a $109 million senior loan to Acelen Renewables for a new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in Bahia, Brazil. The facility, built next to the Refinaria de Mataripe, will leverage shared logistics to become one of the largest SAF producers in Latin America. The project aims to diversify aviation fuel supplies, restore degraded lands, and integrate smallholder farmers into bio‑energy value chains. IDB Invest will also provide advisory support to ensure ESG standards are met throughout the plant’s lifecycle.
Data Is the ‘Number One Challenge’ as Manufacturing Tech Evolves
Manufacturers are confronting a data deluge as they adopt automation, AI and advanced analytics, making data standardization the top operational challenge. Executives from Magna, Ford, Carpenter Technology and others highlighted that raw signals from machines overwhelm plants without cohesive data...
LEJU ROBOT, JINGDONG Property Establish Cooperation
LEJU ROBOT signed a strategic partnership with JD.com’s JINGDONG Property to build a robot‑focused industrial park that will host a post‑training ecosystem, data‑driven intelligent solutions, and talent development for embodied AI. The joint effort will also explore robot leasing, recycling...
EC Approves €66m for German SiC Facility
The European Commission has approved a €288 million (≈$314 million) state‑aid package for two German semiconductor projects. €66 million (≈$72 million) will fund Zadient Materials Europe’s new plant in Bitterfeld to produce high‑purity silicon‑carbide (SiC) source material using a circular gas‑recovery process. The remaining...
Amkor Expands Arizona Packaging Plans as AMD Joins Advanced Packaging Customers
Amkor Technology announced the acquisition of an additional 67 acres adjacent to its existing 104‑acre campus in Arizona, paving the way for a new advanced‑packaging fab slated to begin production in 2028. The company confirmed a partnership with AMD to...
India's Steel Ministry Flags Met Coke Shortage, Seeks Withdrawal of Anti-Dumping Duty
India's Ministry of Steel has asked the Finance Ministry to withdraw the provisional anti‑dumping duty on low‑ash metallurgical coke (met‑coke) imposed in December. The ministry says domestic met‑coke supplies are insufficient and prices have surged, raising input costs for steelmakers....
Assembly Plant Trends: China Gains, NA Losses, India Rises
Automotive World’s 2026 assembly plant database shows Chinese automakers expanding 6.6% in 2024‑25, with BYD, Geely, Chery and SAIC posting double‑digit growth. The gains came at the expense of legacy foreign brands, as BMW and Mercedes‑Benz volumes in China fell...
AI Smart Glasses Saving CO2 at Bangladesh RMG Factories
Bangladesh's ready‑made garment (RMG) sector has begun deploying AI‑powered smart glasses that guide workers on stitching, cutting and quality checks. Early pilots in 120 factories reported a 12% drop in energy use and an estimated 180,000 metric tons of CO₂...
Global Vehicle Assembly Plant Database – 2026 Edition
The 2026 edition of the Global Vehicle Assembly Plant Database compiles production data for nearly 60 vehicle groups, 140 brands and about 1,100 models worldwide. It lists every automaker group with light‑vehicle output above 500,000 units per year and also...
April Shows Global Steel Output Retreat
Global steel production slipped in April 2026, with the World Steel Association reporting a 1.9% year‑on‑year decline to 153.4 million metric tons. Output also fell 4% month‑on‑month, driven largely by a 3.9% drop in China’s output. Six nations posted year‑on‑year gains,...
Changan Begins Brazilian Production of Uni-T SUV
Chinese automaker Changan, together with Brazil's Kawa Group, started production of the Uni‑T SUV at its Anápolis plant, kicking off a $950 million investment phase from 2026‑2028. The new phase brings Changan’s total committed capital in Brazil to $1.52 billion and supports...
Primary Aluminum Competing with Scrap in Asia
Secondary aluminum producers across Asia are grappling with soaring scrap prices and limited supply, prompting Chinese primary aluminum makers to market aluminum wire as a substitute feedstock. The wire, produced from primary metal, is being sold to melt‑shop operators in...
UK-Australia Manufacturing Pilot Targets Faster AUKUS Submarine Sustainment
Babcock International and Truflo Marine have launched a UK‑Australia pilot to produce low‑complexity submarine valve components at Truflo’s Century Engineering facility in Adelaide, with engineering oversight, quality assurance and validation provided from the UK over an 18‑month period. The initiative...
Job Training for Robots: How China Is Getting Machines Ready to Join the Workforce
China is building a network of humanoid robot training centers where human instructors teach machines to perform factory, service and maintenance tasks. The effort is part of a broader state‑driven industrial policy that targets humanoid robotics as a strategic pillar...
Ease.io Releases First-Ever Layered Process Audit Benchmark Report
Ease.io has published its first Layered Process Audit (LPA) Benchmark Report, analyzing over 2.3 million audits from more than 2,200 manufacturing sites worldwide. The study shows that while average audit completion exceeds 80%, only one‑third of firms meet best‑practice on‑time completion...