New Report Exposes Supply Chain Risk for Firms
SCALA’s new "Resilience Gap" report warns that many UK firms face heightened supply‑chain risk due to heavy reliance on a few manufacturing regions, transport routes and major customers. The survey of senior supply‑chain leaders shows that 47% of companies generate over half of their revenue from their top three customers, while only a third have fully implemented resilience measures. Concentrated footprints in China, Europe and the UK amplify exposure to geopolitical, climate and logistics disruptions. SCALA recommends diversification through multi‑sourcing, alternative production sites and comprehensive risk mapping to close the resilience gap.
Tamil Nadu MSMEs Face 50% Output Cut as Polymer Prices Soar Amid US-Iran War
Polymer prices surged about 70% in March as the US‑Iran war disrupted oil markets, forcing Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry plastic MSMEs to slash output by roughly 50%. Over 8,000 manufacturers, employing around 200,000 workers, are confronting raw‑material shortages and soaring costs....
Aliko Dangote: The Nigerian Billionaire Industrialising Africa
Aliko Dangote’s $20 billion refinery near Lagos, capable of processing 650,000 barrels of crude daily, is now operational and attracting premium fuel prices amid geopolitical tensions. The International Monetary Fund estimates the plant could lift Nigeria’s non‑oil GDP by 1.5% and...
Pharma Industry Should Reduce Dependence on Import of Raw Materials: Rajesh Agarwal
India’s pharmaceutical sector, valued at roughly $60 billion, is being urged by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal to lessen its reliance on imported raw materials, especially active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). While full import substitution may be unrealistic, the push is for maximum...
Easter's Chocolate Giants: The EU Nations Fuelling the Global Industry
Europe remains the world’s largest chocolate producer and exporter, with the market valued at $52 bn last year and projected to reach $65.8 bn by 2031. Germany dominates the region, generating roughly $10.9 bn in sales and shipping over 4 million tonnes of cocoa‑based...
Supply Shocks and Fiscal Math: How the War Is Stress-Testing India’s Economy
In a recent Businessline State of the Economy podcast, Union Bank of India's chief economic advisor Kanika Pasricha dissected the early economic effects of the Ukraine‑Russia war on India. She highlighted a steep decline in the manufacturing PMI caused by...
STG Aerospace Takes Green Approach to Cabin Lighting
STG Aerospace is expanding its “Eco Everything” concept to cover the full range of emergency floor path marking (FPM) products, using recycled and biodegradable materials across four widths. The saf‑Tglo® eco E1™ line, launched in 2024, now contains over 85% recycled...
Muirhead Brings Circularity In-House
Muirhead announced the launch of an in‑house BioPRO foam production facility within the Scottish Leather Group, moving full‑scale manufacturing of its circular foam under one roof. The patented foam incorporates 20% reclaimed protein from Muirhead’s own processes, reducing reliance on...
Al Taweelah Smelter Repair to Take up to a Year: EGA
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) announced that repairs to its Al Taweelah aluminium smelter could take up to twelve months after a missile and drone strike on 28 March caused extensive infrastructure damage. The facility, which produced 1.6 million tonnes of cast metal in...
Charleston Looking for Retailer Shippers to Revive Port’s Growth
The Port of Charleston is launching an aggressive campaign to attract retail goods shippers and is open to co‑investing with them to revive stagnant container volumes. For the first eight months of the 2026 fiscal year, the port’s throughput sits...
Most ERP Projects Fail Before They Start. Staudt Solutions Launches to Fix That.
Research shows 55‑75% of ERP projects in manufacturing miss their goals, often due to operational gaps that exist before software selection. Staudt Solutions, launched in Temecula, California, offers independent advisory services focused on data integrity, process alignment, and organizational readiness...
Statistical Investigation on the Failure of Misaligned Contaminated EHL Rolling Contacts Using Response Surface Methodology
Researchers used a Box‑Behnken experimental design and response surface methodology to model wear and surface roughness in misaligned, contaminated elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) rolling contacts. Tests on steel disks varied misalignment angle, rotational velocity, load and contaminant concentration, revealing that rotational...
Hankook Truck Tire Production Line to Begin Rolling in July
South Korean tire maker Hankook will begin producing truck and bus radial (TBR) tires at its Clarksville, Tennessee plant in early July 2026, marking the first U.S.-based manufacturing of its truck tires. The Phase 3 expansion, part of a $1.6 billion investment,...
FMC Again Rejects Maersk Petition to Waive Notice Period for Emergency Fuel Surcharge
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has again denied Maersk’s petition to waive the statutory 30‑day notice required before imposing an emergency bunker fuel surcharge on U.S. trades. The carrier’s request, filed on March 11, was unanimously rejected, meaning Maersk cannot apply...
Textile Exporters Urge Govt to Waive Cotton Import Duty
Indian textile exporters have asked the government to suspend the 11% import duty on cotton, citing a recent 7‑8% rise in domestic cotton prices and an 11‑12% jump in ginned cotton costs. International cotton prices have also climbed 12‑15%, squeezing...
CEA-Leti, CEA-List and PSMC Collaborate to Integrate RISC-V and MicroLED Silicon Photonics Into 3D Stacking and Interposer for...
CEA‑Leti, CEA‑List and Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) announced a strategic partnership to fuse CEA‑List’s RISC‑V design expertise with CEA‑Leti’s silicon‑photonic microLED technology into PSMC’s 3D‑stacking and interposer platforms. The joint effort will embed short‑reach, high‑bandwidth optical links and customizable...
APM Terminals Wraps up $73M Rail Expansion at Port of Los Angeles
APM Terminals finished a $73 million upgrade of its Pier 400 terminal at the Port of Los Angeles, adding 31,000 linear feet of new rail track and more than doubling its rail capacity. Weekly rail lifts jumped from roughly 5,000 to 11,000, a 104 percent...
Italy’s Argotec Plans to Scale Florida Satellite Facility to Meet Rising US Demand
Italy’s Argotec has opened a 465‑square‑meter satellite production plant near Kennedy Space Center, backed by a $25 million investment. The facility will initially staff about 20 engineers and plans to triple that headcount within two years, enabling simultaneous assembly of more...
Senators Urge Trump to Bar Chinese Automakers From Building Cars in US
Three Democratic senators—Tammy Baldwin, Elissa Slotkin and Chuck Schumer—urged President Donald Trump to bar Chinese automakers from building vehicles in the United States and from importing cars assembled in Mexico or Canada. They cite national‑security risks and an unfair competitive...
NETZSCH Launches AI-Powered Polymer Qualification Tool for Recyclate Quality Control
NETZSCH Analyzing & Testing has launched Proteus Now Quantify, an AI‑driven software that turns a single differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) run into a quantitative polymer composition report. Trained on calibrated polyolefin blends, the tool can identify PP, HDPE, LDPE and LLDPE and...
Control-Loop Diagnostics Undergo Software System Integration
Control Station has partnered with Dimension Software to integrate its PlantESP control‑loop performance monitoring platform with Dimension’s Asset Intellect operations‑intelligence environment. The integration surfaces loop diagnostics on unified dashboards that also display production, maintenance and energy data, enabling engineers and...
Manufacturing Employment Bounces Back in March, Adding 15K Jobs
U.S. manufacturing employment rebounded in March, adding 15,000 jobs—a 400% year‑over‑year increase after earlier losses. The transportation equipment and fabricated metal products sectors drove most of the gains, while the chemical industry posted the largest decline. Unemployment in manufacturing rose...
PH7 Technologies Targets Tough Ores with Cleaner, Closed-Loop Processing
pH7 Technologies is expanding its Vancouver facility to scale recovery of platinum‑group metals and strengthen Canadian critical‑metal supply chains. The company secured up to C$4 million ($2.8 million) in NRC IRAP funding to accelerate its proprietary organo‑electrochemical platform that extracts PGMs without...
Colombo Dockyard Begins Orange Marine Cable Vessel
Colombo Dockyard PLC laid the keel for Yard No. 0263, a new cable‑laying and repair vessel commissioned by France’s Orange Marine. The 100‑metre, 1,800‑DWT ship, designed by Norway’s VARD Design, will feature advanced station‑keeping and low‑fuel consumption systems. Construction began...
Wemech BladeScanner Concept Shifts Composites NDT Toward Standardized, Data-Supported Workflows
Wemech S.r.l., the Italian robotics and engineering spin‑off of Meccanica Besnatese, has kicked off an experimental program to apply acoustic analysis for nondestructive testing of composite airfoil components. The initiative leverages the BladeScanner platform, protected by U.S. Patent 12,391,407 and...
Steel Cooling: Steel Costs Steadily Decline After Pandemic Price Shock
Steel prices have continued a steady decline, with the national average for structural steel falling to roughly $2,344 per ton in January 2026. That represents a 5.38% drop from the previous quarter and a 7.18% decrease year‑over‑year, extending a correction...
Global Battery Materials Ships First Graphite Samples to US Customer, Opens Quebec Processing Lab
Global Battery Materials (GBM) has shipped its first natural graphite samples from the Kearney Mine in Ontario to an unnamed U.S. customer for qualification testing, marking the inaugural step in a North American supply chain. Simultaneously, GBM opened a new...
Restore Robotics Cleared to Remanufacture 2 More Da Vinci Xi Instruments
Restore Robotics received FDA 510(k) clearance for two additional da Vinci Xi instruments—a permanent cautery hook and a permanent cautery spatula—bringing its total FDA‑cleared remanufactured instruments to four. The clearances follow earlier approvals for da Vinci scissors and expand the company’s portfolio of...
GT Wings Secures Momentum Across Maritime Sector
GT Wings is moving its AirWing Jet Sail wind‑assisted propulsion from demo to commercial deployment. The company secured Lloyd’s Register verification of its performance methodology, announced a strategic manufacturing partnership with China’s Zunsion Technology, joined the INTERCARGO association, and landed...
C8 Corvette Hit With Stop-Sale Order Over Brake Light Module Issue
General Motors has issued a stop‑sale order for select 2025 and 2026 model‑year C8 Corvettes after discovering a rear brake‑light module that does not alert drivers when the lamp fails, breaching FMVSS 108 Section S9.3.6. The issue affects roughly 2,886 2025 units...
MODEX 2026: Cimcorp to Showcase Dreamfield for Seamless Grocery Distribution
Cimcorp will unveil its Dreamfield automation platform at MODEX 2026 in Atlanta, demonstrating how modular robotics, intelligent software, and lifecycle support can modernize grocery distribution. Dreamfield is engineered for ambient, refrigerated, and frozen environments, offering scalable, phased upgrades and standardized...
Amrize Wins Dual Honours for Low-Carbon Concrete Innovation
Amrize captured two top honors in the Lower Carbon Concrete category at the Slag Cement Association’s April awards ceremony in Chicago. The first award recognized a collaboration with Meta and the University of Illinois that used Meta’s open‑source AI models...
GE Carbon Fiber Composites Are Ready for the GEX9 Aeroengine
GE Aerospace announced that its next‑generation GE9X engine, destined for Boeing's 777X, is ready to move from testing to operational service. The engine relies on carbon‑fiber composite fan blades and a composite containment case, technologies refined over 300 million flight hours...
Amrize Projects Honored by SCA
The Slag Cement Association honored Amrize Projects with two top awards in its Lower Carbon Concrete category, recognizing breakthroughs in mix design and material optimization. One award celebrated an AI‑optimized concrete blend created for Meta’s Rosemount data center, delivering high...
TSMC’s Kumamoto Fab Upgrade: A Security-Driven Reconfiguration of Indo-Pacific Chip Competition
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will upgrade its Kumamoto, Japan fab to a 3‑nanometer process, targeting 15,000 12‑inch wafers per month and mass production by 2028. The $20 billion investment, backed by $4.62 billion in Japanese subsidies and equity from Sony, Denso...
Carbon Upcycling Secures $10M Financing
Carbon Upcycling Technologies has secured up to $10 million in asset‑secured financing from ATEL Ventures. The capital will fund its flagship project at the Ash Grove Mississauga cement plant, where captured CO₂ will be converted into low‑carbon supplementary cementitious materials. Once...
The USMCA Review Is Shaping up to Be a Grind, Not a Grand Bargain
The six‑year USMCA review, due July 1, is shaping up to be a protracted negotiation likely spilling into 2027. Mexico is leaning into deeper U.S. integration while Canada hedges by diversifying trade partners, creating divergent bargaining positions. Washington is pressing for...
Vulcan Shield Global Partners with Nanyang Technological University to Advance FRP, MMC Materials
Vulcan Shield Global (VSG) has teamed up with Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University to co‑develop high‑performance alumina‑fiber reinforced polymers and metal matrix composites for aerospace, electronics and industrial uses. The partnership will pursue new processing methods, extensive testing and joint IP...
JJG Aero Targets $100 Million Revenue in 5 Years, Focuses on Deepening Relationships with Existing Clients
Bengaluru‑based JJG Aero announced a goal to reach $100 million in revenue within five years, targeting a mid‑30% compound annual growth rate. The plan is backed by a $30 million Series B round led by Norwest Venture Partners, which will finance a new...
West Asia Conflict Hits Surat Textile Hub Hard as Input Costs Rise; Operational Days Cut Down
The ongoing West Asia conflict has driven raw material and coal prices up 30‑35%, forcing Surat’s man‑made fabric sector to slash output and limit operations to five days a week. Industry leaders report daily losses of roughly Rs 100 crore (≈ $12 million), with...
Uncovered: Turning Nuclear Waste Into Glass
The Hanford Site’s new vitrification plant, which went online in October 2025, is converting the complex, low‑level nuclear waste stored in 177 underground tanks into stable glass logs. By mixing waste with glass‑forming frit and melting it, the process immobilizes radionuclides,...
Exel Develops a Fire-Rated Composite Material Suitable for Use in Construction
Exel Composites has launched a halogen‑free, fire‑rated pultruded composite that meets Euroclass B‑s2,d0 under EN 13501‑1 and mechanical class E23 under EN 13706. Independent British and French labs confirmed low flame spread, minimal smoke, and no flaming droplets. The material is applicable...
Roland DGA Launches 64-Inch UV Flatbed Printer
Roland DGA has launched the VersaOBJECT LO-640-F3, a 64‑inch UV flatbed printer that can handle substrates up to 9.5 inches thick. The machine delivers up to 332 sq ft per hour in CMYK×2 mode, roughly three times faster than its predecessor. It supports...
EVST Expands Industrial Automation Delivery with Engineer Dispatch and AI Workflow Support
China‑based industrial robotics firm EVST announced an expanded delivery model that includes engineer dispatch services and selected AI workflow support for global manufacturing projects. The new offering bundles on‑site and remote technical personnel—ranging from PLC and mechanical engineers to algorithm...
TSMC to Bring 3nm Production to Second Japan Fab by 2028
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) will equip its second Japanese fab for 3 nm production starting in 2028, targeting a monthly output of roughly 15,000 12‑inch wafers. The plant joins an existing Japanese facility that began mass production in late 2024,...
MGC Raises Semiconductor Materials Prices 30% as Packaging Material Costs Rise
Japan's Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) announced a roughly 30% price increase across its electronic materials portfolio, including copper‑clad laminates, prepreg, and resin‑coated copper, effective April 1, 2026. The company attributes the hike to higher raw‑material costs, rising labor expenses, and increased...
BYK-Gardner Introduces Color2go Portable Spectrophotometer
BYK‑Gardner USA has launched the color2go portable spectrophotometer, a lightweight, rugged device that combines precise color measurement with 60° gloss assessment and digital standard support. The instrument features a 2.8‑inch touchscreen that operates with gloves, a protective garage for storage,...
SCANOLOGY Introduces SIMSCAN-S Gen2
SCANOLOGY unveiled the SIMSCAN‑S Gen2, a palm‑sized, fully wireless 3D scanner that delivers metrology‑grade accuracy of up to 0.015 mm. The device captures dense point clouds at 8.1 million measurements per second and 180 FPS, enabling rapid, high‑resolution inspections of holes, cylinders, and...
Why Manufacturers Must Transform EHS Management Now
Manufacturers are confronting mounting regulatory, economic, and labor pressures that expose the weaknesses of fragmented environmental, health, and safety (EHS) programs. A recent EY study shows only 20% of firms use a unified EHS platform, while 67% of EHS leaders...
BioNTech Starts Shuttering Singapore mRNA Manufacturing Site Amid Pipeline Pivot
BioNTech announced it will shut its Singapore mRNA manufacturing plant by the end of February 2027, ending a venture that began with a $355 million investment in 2022. The site, originally slated to create over 100 jobs and produce several hundred...