BMW’s Responsibility Days 2025 showcased a rapid expansion in its electric vehicle production capabilities, highlighting the groundbreaking Straßkirchen battery plant, plant modernisations, and supply chain advancements, all aimed at embedding sustainability and resilience into its future electric mobility strategy. BMW’s Responsibility Days 2025 offered an in-depth view of the company’s operational strides in its electrification journey, spotlighting the realities behind its ambitious plans. A key highlight was the new high-voltage battery plant under construction in the rural communities of Straßkirchen and Irlbach in Lower Bavaria, a linchpin facility for BMW’s next-generation electric vehicle production. Sprawled across 105 hectares of farmland,…

The U.S. hydrogen industry faces a significant setback as Plug Power halts six major plant projects amidst financial strains and policy shifts, threatening billions in government support and the sector’s future trajectory. In a significant setback for the burgeoning U.S. green hydrogen industry, Plug Power has abruptly paused its ambitious plans to build six large-scale green hydrogen production plants across the country. Announced in November 2025, this development puts at risk up to $1.7 billion in federal loan guarantees provided by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), funding that was initially intended to accelerate the Biden administration’s clean energy objectives…

Despite a challenging year for the sector, advances in digital integration, standardisation, and government-backed initiatives are positioning industrialised construction as a key driver in overcoming housing and infrastructure challenges in the UK. In the face of a challenging year marked by cautious client behaviour and supply chain unease, the modern methods of construction (MMC) and offsite sector have nonetheless demonstrated significant, positive advances toward industrialised construction. Trudi Sully of Mott MacDonald highlights this emerging momentum and the solid foundations being laid for accelerated progress once clearer government policies and funding pipelines are secured. A key observation Sully makes is the…

Ofgem has approved a £164 million funding boost for National Gas’s Project Union, advancing the UK’s crucial hydrogen infrastructure with the transition into detailed engineering design, aiming to support the country’s net-zero ambitions and industrial decarbonisation. In a decisive move to accelerate the UK’s hydrogen infrastructure, Ofgem approved a significant £164 million funding on 14 November 2025 to advance National Gas’s ambitious Project Union. This capital injection marks a pivotal transition from early project scoping to the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) phase, laying crucial regulatory and engineering foundations for what is poised to become Britain’s core hydrogen pipeline network.…

Cameron Halliday, an MIT graduate, has developed a novel molten salt technology that significantly improves high-temperature carbon capture for heavy industries, potentially transforming global decarbonisation efforts. Cameron Halliday, an MIT alumnus with dual PhD and MBA degrees, has pioneered a novel approach to industrial carbon capture through his company Mantel, tackling a longstanding challenge in decarbonising emissions-heavy sectors. Since his early doctoral days, Halliday sought materials capable of absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) reliably at the high temperatures typical of industrial furnaces, kilns, and boilers, conditions that traditionally cause rapid degradation in carbon capture materials. Halliday’s breakthrough came in 2019 with…

At COP30 in Brazil, the EU reaffirmed its commitment to the contentious Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, facing fierce criticism from China, India, and other developing nations over perceived protectionism and fairness concerns. At the COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil, the European Union reaffirmed its commitment to implementing a broad carbon pricing mechanism, defending its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) amidst growing international criticism. The EU’s position marks a critical moment in the ongoing debate over how to balance environmental ambitions with global trade dynamics. The CBAM, set to come into full effect in 2026, is designed to impose a…

At the SC25 conference, NVIDIA unveiled cutting-edge AI microservices and real-time sensing platforms that are transforming research in energy-efficient materials, promising rapid breakthroughs in sectors from aerospace to data centres. To drive innovation across a spectrum of future technologies, from liquid-cooled data centers and high-resolution digital displays to long-lasting batteries, scientific research is intensifying its search for novel chemicals and materials optimised for energy efficiency, durability, and performance. Central to this effort are advanced computational methods and AI-driven simulations, which enable researchers to predict and analyse material properties at an atomic scale with remarkable precision and speed. At the SC25…

Cambium secures a DARPA contract to harness generative AI for creating high-performance bio-enabled polymers that could replace titanium in extreme-temperature environments, potentially transforming defence and industrial sectors. Cambium, a company specialising in advanced materials innovation, has secured a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop foundational artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities aimed at accelerating the discovery of novel bio-enabled polymer composites designed for extreme-temperature performance. According to the announcement, the initiative will leverage generative AI to tackle a persistent challenge in structural composites: balancing thermal stability with mechanical strength. The objective, as stated by Cambium, is to…

Schneider Electric secures nearly $2.3 billion in new contracts with US data centre operators, highlighting a surge in AI-driven infrastructure demand and a focus on advanced cooling solutions to manage increased heat loads. Schneider Electric has secured nearly $2.3 billion in new contracts with two major U.S. data centre operators, underscoring the accelerating demand for infrastructure spurred by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI). The French industrial giant announced at an industry event in Las Vegas a $1.9 billion partnership with privately held tech firm Switch, covering power modules and cooling systems, marking Schneider’s largest cooling services agreement for…

Fortescue Metals Group launches a $75 million project at Christmas Creek to produce green iron using renewable energy and hydrogen, potentially transforming the steelmaking landscape and reducing global carbon emissions. Fortescue Metals Group has embarked on a significant advancement in low-emission steel production with the construction of its Green Metal Project at Christmas Creek in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. This $75 million (US$50 million) initiative is set to demonstrate the production of high-purity green metal using renewable energy-powered hydrogen-based reduction and smelting technologies, positioning Fortescue at the forefront of industrial decarbonisation in the iron ore sector. Central to the project…