As battery prices plummet and EV sales surge globally, the industry shifts focus from oil dependency towards minerals and manufacturing, reshaping the future of transportation and supply chains. The shock that followed the brief closure of the Strait of Hormuz in March, when crude climbed to US$120 a barrel, revived…
As battery prices plummet and EV sales surge globally, the industry shifts focus from oil dependency towards minerals and manufacturing, reshaping the future of transportation and supply chains. The shock that followed the brief closure of the Strait of Hormuz in March, when crude climbed to US$120 a barrel, revived…
As battery prices plummet and EV sales surge globally, the industry shifts focus from oil dependency towards minerals and manufacturing, reshaping the future of transportation and supply chains. The shock that followed the brief closure of the Strait of Hormuz in March, when crude climbed to US$120 a barrel, revived…
As battery prices plummet and EV sales surge globally, the industry shifts focus from oil dependency towards minerals and manufacturing, reshaping the future of transportation and supply chains. The shock that followed the brief closure of the Strait of Hormuz in March, when crude climbed to US$120 a barrel, revived…
Industrial companies are increasingly adopting integrated advanced manufacturing technologies to enhance resilience, efficiency, and sustainability amid global supply chain challenges and rising labour costs, marking a shift from isolated automation to strategic management. Advanced manufacturing has moved from a niche strategy to a baseline expectation for industrial companies facing higher…
New research from EcoVadis and Accenture reveals that leading companies are prioritising innovation over compliance in procurement to boost resilience, adapt to disruption, and unlock higher returns, with technology playing a key role in transforming supply chain management. Sustainable procurement is moving beyond a narrow focus on regulatory box-ticking, with…
European Union governments are set to strengthen their commitment to renewable energy and industrial resilience in response to geopolitical tensions and surging fossil fuel prices, linking climate ambitions with strategic independence. European Union governments are preparing to sharpen the bloc’s clean energy push in response to the economic shock from…
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As battery prices plummet and EV sales surge globally, the industry shifts focus from oil dependency towards minerals and manufacturing, reshaping the future of transportation and supply chains. The shock that followed the brief closure of the Strait of Hormuz in March, when crude climbed to US$120 a barrel, revived an old debate: whether expensive oil can finally push electric vehicles into a lasting mass-market breakthrough. History offers reasons for doubt. Previous EV booms followed the 1973 oil embargo and other periods of energy strain, only to fade once fossil fuel prices eased. This time, the economics look different. The…
Industrial companies are increasingly adopting integrated advanced manufacturing technologies to enhance resilience, efficiency, and sustainability amid global supply chain challenges and rising labour costs, marking a shift from isolated automation to strategic management. Advanced manufacturing has moved from a niche strategy to a baseline expectation for industrial companies facing higher labour costs, persistent supply chain volatility and growing pressure to deliver customised output at speed. At its core, it is about using digital and physical technologies to improve how products are designed, made, inspected and delivered, while also making operations more efficient and resilient across the full value chain. The…
New research from EcoVadis and Accenture reveals that leading companies are prioritising innovation over compliance in procurement to boost resilience, adapt to disruption, and unlock higher returns, with technology playing a key role in transforming supply chain management. Sustainable procurement is moving beyond a narrow focus on regulatory box-ticking, with new research from EcoVadis and Accenture suggesting that the strongest companies now see innovation as the main route to returns. In the 2026 Sustainable Procurement Barometer, 80% of the top 10% of performers say innovation is their primary source of ROI from sustainable procurement, compared with 54% of other organisations.…
European Union governments are set to strengthen their commitment to renewable energy and industrial resilience in response to geopolitical tensions and surging fossil fuel prices, linking climate ambitions with strategic independence. European Union governments are preparing to sharpen the bloc’s clean energy push in response to the economic shock from the war in Iran, according to a draft agreement seen by Politico. The text, which has already been approved by the EU Council’s Political and Security Committee and is expected to be signed off by foreign ministers next Tuesday, sets out a more explicit link between energy security, climate policy…
The Tony Blair Institute urges Britain to recalibrate its energy strategy, emphasising affordable, reliable power to safeguard industry amid the push for net zero. The Tony Blair Institute has made a striking intervention in Britain’s energy debate, arguing that the country has drifted away from the basic test of whether power is affordable, reliable and sufficient to support a modern industrial economy. For a policy organisation founded by a former Labour prime minister who helped entrench climate policy in British governance, the message amounts to an argument for recalibration rather than abandonment: net zero remains the destination, but the route…
As battery prices plummet and EV sales surge globally, the industry shifts focus from oil dependency towards minerals and manufacturing, reshaping the future of transportation and supply chains. The shock that followed the brief closure of the Strait of Hormuz in March, when crude climbed to US$120 a barrel, revived…
Industrial companies are increasingly adopting integrated advanced manufacturing technologies to enhance resilience, efficiency, and sustainability amid global supply chain challenges and rising labour costs, marking a shift from isolated automation to strategic management. Advanced manufacturing has moved from a niche strategy to a baseline expectation for industrial companies facing higher…
New research from EcoVadis and Accenture reveals that leading companies are prioritising innovation over compliance in procurement to boost resilience, adapt to disruption, and unlock higher returns, with technology playing a key role in transforming supply chain management. Sustainable procurement is moving beyond a narrow focus on regulatory box-ticking, with…
European Union governments are set to strengthen their commitment to renewable energy and industrial resilience in response to geopolitical tensions and surging fossil fuel prices, linking climate ambitions with strategic independence. European Union governments are preparing to sharpen the bloc’s clean energy push in response to the economic shock from…
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As battery prices plummet and EV sales surge globally, the industry shifts focus from oil dependency towards minerals and manufacturing, reshaping the future of transportation and supply chains. The shock that followed the brief closure of the Strait of Hormuz in March, when crude climbed to US$120 a barrel, revived an old debate: whether expensive oil can finally push electric vehicles into a lasting mass-market breakthrough. History offers reasons for doubt. Previous EV booms followed the 1973 oil embargo and other periods of energy strain, only to fade once fossil fuel prices eased. This time, the economics look different. The…
New research from EcoVadis and Accenture reveals that leading companies are prioritising innovation over compliance in procurement to boost resilience, adapt to disruption, and unlock higher returns, with technology playing a key role in transforming supply chain management. Sustainable procurement is moving beyond a narrow focus on regulatory box-ticking, with new research from EcoVadis and Accenture suggesting that the strongest companies now see innovation as the main route to returns. In the 2026 Sustainable Procurement Barometer, 80% of the top 10% of performers say innovation is their primary source of ROI from sustainable procurement, compared with 54% of other organisations.…
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The European Commission unveils a strategic framework to transform bio-based packaging from niche use to key industrial practice, aiming to boost sustainability, innovation, and supply chain resilience across Europe. The European Commission’s Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy, presented on 27 November 2025, sets out a concerted push to move bio-based packaging from niche adoption to mainstream industrial practice across Europe. According to the Commission, the plan is designed to accelerate substitution of fossil-based plastics with renewable bio-based materials, strengthen supply‑chain resilience and create lead markets that pull innovative solutions through to scale. Industry data shows the…
The European Commission has introduced its first EU-wide auction aimed at accelerating the transition to low-carbon industrial process heat, offering up to €1 billion to support electrified and renewable heat solutions and reduce fossil fuel dependence. The European Commission’s first EU‑wide competitive auction to decarbonise industrial process heat , the IF25 Heat Auction , represents a tangible step towards the Industrial Decarbonisation Bank envisaged under the Clean Industrial Deal, providing up to €1 billion to close the cost gap between fossil‑fuel heat and low‑carbon alternatives. According to the original report, the auction targets industrial process heat above 100°C and will…
A £1.5 million UKRI-funded project, AI-GLASS, employs digital twin technology and AI to revolutionise sustainable innovations within the UK glass industry, supporting safer, cleaner, and more efficient production methods. Glass Futures and the University of Liverpool’s Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC) have launched AI-GLASS, a UKRI-funded digital twin initiative designed to accelerate decarbonisation and innovation across industrial glass manufacturing. According to the original report, the £1.5 million project will create a virtual replica of the glassmaking process at Glass Futures’ 165,000 sq ft Global Centre of Excellence in St Helens, integrating advanced physics modelling with artificial intelligence to support technology adoption…
Nestlé joins Harvard and Microsoft’s Frontier Firm AI Initiative, leveraging advanced AI across its value chain to boost sustainability, optimise operations, and lead industry innovation. Nestlé has been selected to join the Frontier Firm AI Initiative, a multi‑year collaboration between Harvard’s Digital Data Design Institute (D³) and Microsoft that aims to study and shape how organisations embed advanced AI into strategy and operations. According to the original report from Nestlé, the selection recognises the company as an early mover in scaling AI across its value chain , from procurement and factories to marketing and consumer engagement , underpinned by a…
Heidelberg Materials UK has begun pioneering trials of CarbonCure technology in London, marking a significant step in reducing embodied carbon in concrete and advancing sustainable construction practices across the UK and Ireland. Heidelberg Materials UK has begun trials of CarbonCure technology in ready-mixed concrete at its Greenwich plant in London, part of a broader push to cut embodied carbon in construction materials. According to the original report, the process injects manufactured carbon dioxide into fresh concrete where it mineralises, improving hydration efficiency, increasing strength and permanently locking CO₂ into the material. The company says the technology typically enables an average…
Asia-Pacific manufacturers are rapidly moving from AI experimentation to large-scale deployment, with significant advances in autonomous operations and cybersecurity, signalling a new era of manufacturing resilience and sustainability. According to the latest State of Smart Manufacturing (SOSM) report, fielded in March 2025, Asia‑Pacific has moved from AI experimentation to scaled deployment across manufacturing operations, with nearly half of regional respondents already scaling AI to address workforce gaps, cybersecurity and sustainability targets. The 10th‑edition Rockwell Automation study surveyed more than 1,500 manufacturing decision‑makers across 17 countries and shows generative and causal AI investment in APAC rose about 10 percentage points year‑on‑year.…
A historic UK rail demonstration has successfully transported hydrogen at scale, marking a significant step towards a zero-emission railway and redefining fuel logistics in Britain. Britain’s rail network has for the first time carried hydrogen as part of a demonstration that industry partners say could reshape low‑carbon fuel logistics and support decarbonisation across rail operations. According to the original report, on 3 December Freightliner hauled a train loaded with pressurised gas containers from Doncaster to High Marnham via Network Rail’s Test Tracks at Tuxford in Nottinghamshire. The movement formed part of a wider rail‑and‑energy innovation showcase that included a re‑engineered…
The EIB’s €500 million loan aims to accelerate Europe’s leadership in eco-friendly and automated mining solutions, supporting Sandvik’s cutting-edge research and development until 2029 amid geopolitical and supply chain considerations. According to the original report, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided a €500 million loan to Sandvik to underwrite an expanded R&D programme focused on next‑generation cutting technologies, tooling systems, battery‑electric mining equipment and automated, digitalised rock‑excavation solutions for 2026–2029. The funding , described by the EIB as aligned with its TechEU, Innovation, Digital & Human Capital and Critical Raw Materials priorities , will mainly support work at Sandvik’s…
Aggreko has provided a customised load-bank and generator package to support the commissioning of the 500MW Coalburn Battery Energy Storage System in South Lanarkshire, marking a significant step in the UK’s net-zero ambitions and large-scale energy transition. Aggreko supplied a bespoke load‑bank and generator package to support commissioning of a 500MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Coalburn in South Lanarkshire, part of a wider 1GW Coalburn development led by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP). According to The Energyst, the integrated solution comprised a 5MW load bank and 5MW Stage V generator package at 33kV, a 150kVA LV generator, HV/LV cabling…
As European policy accelerates the shift towards renewable energy sources, Romania leverages its resources and strategic location to become a crucial player in supplying low-carbon molecules for industrial decarbonisation, contingent on effective legislation and infrastructure development. Romania now faces a moment of structural realignment in which European policy, industrial demand and decarbonisation imperatives converge to create a concrete opening for “clean molecules” to play a central role in regional energy supply. According to the original report by Vlad Stoicescu of the Sustainable Fuels Association, the transposition of Directive (EU) 2023/2413 (RED III), enacted in Romania through Government Emergency Ordinance No.…