What's happening: WITRON posts record order intake, expands AI toolkit
WITRON announced a record‑breaking order intake, driven by new contracts with major food retailers REWE, Tesco, Walmart and Ahold Delhaize. The company also shifted to a dual‑foundation governance model to cement independence, while rolling out AI‑driven tools for master data, image recognition and equipment maintenance.
Also developing:

Fractilia announced that its FAME 300 stochastic metrology system is now in‑line at a top‑five semiconductor device maker, marking the first full‑scale deployment of automated stochastic control in production. The solution monitors more than 200 metrology steps, generating real‑time SPC charts and lot disposition without human intervention. By embedding FILM‑based measurements into the fab’s host and MES, the customer can capture linewidth roughness, line edge roughness and local CD uniformity instantly. The rollout highlights the industry’s shift from treating stochastics as an R&D issue to a production‑critical metric.

National Fortune Shipping Group, a Chinese firm incorporated in April 2025, announced the acquisition of two second‑hand capesize bulk carriers—NF Fortune and NF Future—at $18.5 million each. The vessels, the 177,200‑dwt Mikata and the 185,900‑dwt Ally, were built in 2005 and...

Supertails, a Bengaluru‑based pet‑care marketplace, lost its entire inventory when a fire engulfed three warehouses, including its own, on February 22. The blaze forced the company to cancel its flagship WTF Sale just after recording its highest ever revenue. Within...

Retailers now bear direct responsibility for delivery performance, as a UPS Capital 2025 report shows consumer blame shifting from carriers (39 % vs 83 % in 2022) to retailers. Fast delivery ranks above price for 31 % of shoppers, and 85 % of merchants...

Southeastern has replaced its two‑part epoxy floor system with Henkel’s single‑component Teroson MS 9320 SF adhesive for carpet and rubber flooring on train carriages. The new polymer adhesive is spray‑able, meets fire‑safety standards and eliminates on‑site mixing, cutting cure time to 3‑6 hours instead...

Knutsen LNG France has selected Syroco Live, an AI‑driven routing platform, for fleet‑wide deployment after a successful 2024 trial on four vessels. The system promises to boost navigation safety, cut fuel consumption by roughly 10% and lower greenhouse‑gas emissions while...

Petronas Carigali awarded a 15‑year firm charter to Singapore‑based OceanSTAR Elite for a new‑build FPSO supporting the Sepat Integrated Redevelopment Project offshore Peninsular Malaysia. OceanSTAR will design, construct, install, operate and maintain the vessel, the third unit using its standardized...

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has launched the Powering the Regions Industrial Transformation Stream (ITS), a $400 million fund to cut greenhouse‑gas emissions from regional industrial facilities. The program, part of the broader Powering the Regions Fund, supports projects that...

Companies face mounting sustainability regulations and consumer scrutiny, yet their legacy supply‑chain systems hold fragmented, inconsistent product data. The article outlines five actions—gaining product visibility, feeding tools with clean inputs, extending traceability beyond distribution, building compliance‑ready data infrastructure, and treating...

CSIRO has teamed with the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF) Connect to launch "Innovate to Grow: Advanced Manufacturing," a free eight‑week online program aimed at Australian SMEs. The initiative blends self‑paced learning, expert coaching and peer discussion to help firms...

The rise of distributed supply chains has turned vendors into ongoing operational dependencies, prompting the need for a structured Vendor Relationship Management (VRM) framework. By distinguishing day‑to‑day vendor management from strategic Supplier Relationship Management, companies can ensure reliability while fostering...
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has renewed Wilson Logistics' exemption allowing commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders to serve as team drivers without a front‑seat trainer, extending the waiver through February 2031. The renewal adds a 30‑day limit on...

Gunderson Marine & Iron’s McMurdo Docking Pier has reached Antarctica after a 9,159‑nautical‑mile, 69‑day tow from the Pacific Northwest. The structure, designed by Glosten for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, endured 30‑foot seas and route adjustments to avoid Southern...
JD Sports has signed a multiyear agreement with Checkpoint Systems to deploy the ItemOptix RFID platform across its European footprint, beginning with more than 400 UK and Ireland stores by the end of 2024 and scaling to nearly 1,000 locations...

The first Australian‑made AS9 Huntsman self‑propelled howitzers have rolled off the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Geelong, marking the next phase of the LAND 8116 programme. The debut follows an earlier batch built in South Korea and initiates...

PAC Strapping Products will exhibit at PACK EXPO East 2026, showcasing its SM‑65 FA fully automatic strapping machine, the DSP‑TOOL ergonomic cart, and a range of polyester strapping solutions. The company will also preview a new horizontal strapping machine with an...

Altech Corporation has launched a new range of pluggable terminal blocks designed for rapid, tool‑free installations and field wiring. The hybrid design merges spring‑clamp security with plug‑in convenience, offering instant connections that resist vibration and eliminate common assembly errors. Blocks...

La Trobe University, together with Breakthrough Victoria’s Eagle Fund, has moved its YieldX hydroponic system from lab to commercial scale. The technology now runs in a 4,000‑square‑metre greenhouse at Butler Market Gardens, capable of producing up to one million basil...
Dental City, a 30‑year dental supply distributor, partnered with Infios to embed Locus Robotics autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) into its warehouse management system. Within three months the 40,000‑sq‑ft facility saw pick rates triple, enabling same‑day fulfillment and a two‑day nationwide...

NorthStandard released a white paper outlining the rapid uptake of biofuels in commercial shipping, noting a twelve‑fold increase in testing volumes to over 1 million MT between 2021 and 2025. Current 5‑10% bio‑blend usage satisfies the 2022 FuelEU Maritime requirement, but upcoming...

Joe Weiss argues that network‑focused breach statistics, such as those in the 2025 Verizon Data Breach Report, do not capture the reality of control‑system cyber incidents. While IT and OT network teams track data loss, ransomware and malicious traffic, control‑system...
Project44 has introduced an AI Freight Procurement Agent within its Intelligent Transportation Management System to automate carrier selection, rate benchmarking, and negotiations across multiple modes. The agent replaces periodic bid cycles with continuous, AI‑driven sourcing using live market data, and...
Coco Robotics unveiled Coco 2, its next‑generation autonomous delivery robot that moves beyond sidewalks into bike lanes and permitted roadways. The new platform halves delivery times and triples uptime, thanks to upgraded edge‑computing hardware and a dataset of millions of...
American manufacturers are accelerating reshoring to cut costs, shorten lead times, and mitigate geopolitical risk. Xometry’s 2026 outlook shows 29% have reshored and 45% are actively planning it, citing tariffs and rising costs as primary motivators. Thomas, with a 125‑year...
Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastava urged a fundamental recasting of India’s customs rules to deliver speed and certainty for exporters. He highlighted that expanding trade volumes, deeper global value‑chain integration, and a booming digital commerce ecosystem demand more efficient, transparent procedures....
Investigative reporting reveals that Chinese firms are profiting from the illicit extraction of Venezuela’s “black sands” – coltan, niobium and tin – by partnering with armed groups. The minerals travel via river and land routes into Colombia, where fraudulent paperwork...

The Additive Manufacturing Alliance, uniting the AM I Navigator and Leading Minds, was announced at AMS 2026 to accelerate industrial adoption of additive manufacturing. The partnership will coordinate knowledge exchange, joint industry communication, and practical support for companies moving from pilot projects to...

The upcoming webinar, hosted on March 26, 2026, tackles the persistent challenges of fragmented supply‑chain systems, manual bottlenecks, and limited financial visibility. Featuring Infios Corporate Vice President Alan D. Rowlett, PhD, the session will demonstrate how interconnected technology can automate multimodal shipments, sync...

Norwegian offshore services firm Reach Subsea has been awarded a contract by Equinor, on behalf of Gassco, to conduct external inspections of roughly 3,500 km of subsea pipelines. The inspections will span Gassco’s network in Norwegian waters and export routes to...

The 2026 State of Commerce Ops Report by Linnworks shows that mid‑market e‑commerce retailers in the U.K. and U.S. are experiencing robust year‑over‑year growth, with nearly 90% reporting moderate to significant expansion. However, the survey highlights that scalability hinges on...

Global logistics generated over $11 trillion in 2023 but remains largely manual, prompting a surge of tech‑driven startups. Seven firms—Aurora Innovation, Flexport, Gatik, Sennder, HydroHaul, Faramove, and project44—are scaling autonomous trucks, AI routing, hydrogen fuel, and real‑time visibility platforms. Collectively they...
Burger King is piloting an AI assistant named “Patty” inside employee headsets, embedding it within the BK Assistant platform to guide crew members, monitor equipment, and analyze service language. The system connects to the cloud‑based point‑of‑sale, enabling near‑real‑time inventory updates,...
The Inflation Reduction Act and accompanying Bipartisan Infrastructure Law sparked a massive reshoring wave, tripling U.S. manufacturing construction spending between 2021 and 2024. The legislation attracted EV battery, solar, and other cleantech projects, creating a surge in blue‑collar jobs. Following...
Intermodal Association of North America reported January 2026 intermodal volumes dropped 5.9% year‑over‑year to 1.47 million units, with trailers down 7.2% and ISO containers down 8.9%. The decline follows a series of monthly drops after a modest 2.4% gain in September...

Intel has announced that Kevin O'Buckley, senior vice president and general manager of Intel Foundry Services, will leave to become Qualcomm’s vice president of global operations and supply chain. O'Buckley, who joined Intel in May 2024, was the third leader...
CSconnected, the world’s first compound‑semiconductor cluster, has launched the fourth and final £1 million round of its Supply Chain Development Programme, backed by the Strength in Places Fund and Cardiff Capital Region. The call invites UK‑based firms, especially those in South...
Saertex has partnered with Neva Composites to expand its Turkish distribution network, giving local customers direct access to high‑quality multiaxial glass, carbon and natural‑fiber fabrics. The move strengthens Saertex’s presence in marine, aerospace and automotive sectors across Turkey. In parallel,...
Cass Information Systems announced a partnership with AI‑enabled tariff specialist Caspian to embed advanced customs audit and refund capabilities into its freight‑payment platform. The integration adds AI‑driven HTS modeling, detailed audit functions, and support for post‑summary corrections, protests, and duty‑drawback...
Alternative parcel carriers such as Veho, Gofo, UniUni and Maersk E‑Commerce are intensifying competition with FedEx and UPS in 2026. They are rolling out new tech‑driven features like real‑time performance portals, AI‑optimized FlexSave delivery windows, picture‑proof‑of‑delivery and weekend service. Coverage is...

Independent General Sales and Service Agent 4RCargo has launched operations in the Baltic region, covering Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The company appointed Vladislavs Pecevics as regional and product manager, leveraging his 15 years of air‑cargo network and commercial strategy experience....
The Port of Rotterdam handled 14.2 million TEUs in 2025, marking a 3.1 % increase driven by a strong second‑half surge in Asian imports and expanding trade with North America. Despite this growth, persistent congestion and a carrier‑alliance restructuring forced a notable...
The Hapag‑Lloyd acquisition of Zim adds roughly 2.8 million TEUs to the carrier, cementing its position among the world’s largest shippers. Meanwhile, the Premier Alliance—Ocean Network Express, HMM and Yang Ming—has amassed just over 4.8 million TEUs of existing and ordered capacity. The...

Bringing the outside‑in mindset shifts supply‑chain planning from internal, efficiency‑focused metrics to market‑driven signals such as POS and channel data. By integrating external demand information, companies can produce more accurate forecasts, improve service levels, and cut waste. The approach delivers...
The DAT Truckload Volume Index for January 2026 showed mixed results, with dry‑van and refrigerated volumes falling while flatbed volumes rose slightly. Spot market rates increased across all three modes despite the softer load counts. Winter Storm Fern disrupted transport...

The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence has released a new supplier outreach leaflet titled “Find opportunities to become a supplier with the Ministry of Defence.” The eight‑page PDF (679 KB) and an HTML version outline how businesses can engage with Defence,...

Glenn Gooding, founder of Gooding Supply Chain Advisors, joins Joe Lynch to explain how data‑driven tactics can tame today’s fragmented small‑parcel market. He highlights the "cube‑out" shift where dimensional weight, not scale weight, now drives most e‑commerce shipping costs. Gooding...

Genicom will debut its GSE‑CRM01‑S UV curing rate measurement system at AFPE 2026 in Shanghai. The solution promises up to 60 % cost efficiency over conventional meters and delivers real‑time data at 10 Hz. Designed for smart‑factory integration, it supports RS‑232 communication and...

Emerson announced OPTIMIZE™ 26, a four‑day conference for AspenTech users in Houston from May 11‑14, 2026. The event expects 1,300 participants representing more than 50 nations and will spotlight industrial AI, data management, and advanced optimization tools. A new Innovation Zone will...

Local and regional leaders in Portugal and Spain are alarmed by the stalled cross‑border high‑speed rail projects linking Porto‑Vigo in the north and Faro‑Seville in the south. The Porto‑Vigo line, originally slated for 2030, now faces a likely 2038 completion...

RRD’s 2026 Integrated Packaging Report surveyed 400 packaging, label and supply‑chain leaders, revealing a stark gap between strong awareness of smart packaging and its limited real‑world adoption. While most respondents intend to adopt connected packaging—using RFID, QR codes and IoT...