GREENVILLE, NC—Vietnamese solar manufacturer Boviet Solar will invest $294 million to build its first North American assembly plant here.

AMHERST, MA—New research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst shows that programming robots to create their own teams and voluntarily wait for their teammates results in faster task completion, with the potential to improve manufacturing, agriculture and warehouse automation.

DEARBORN, MI—Ford Motor Co.’s assembly plants in South Africa and Thailand get a significant portion of their electricity from solar panels mounted to canopies in parking lots.

BROMONT, QC—IBM, Canada and Quebec will invest 187 million Canadian dollars ($139.6 million) to expand assembly, testing and packaging capabilities at the company’s semiconductor manufacturing facility here.

MLADÁ BOLESLAV, Czech Republic—Škoda Auto has opened new 22 million euro ($24 million) Simulation Center at its assembly plant here. 

TOKYO—Honda Motor Co. and IBM have agreed to collaborate on research and development of next-generation computing technologies needed to overcome challenges related to processing capability, power consumption and design complexity for software-defined vehicles (SDVs).

DEARBORN, MI—Ford Motor Co. solidified its position as the No. 1 American automaker in terms of vehicles assembled, vehicles exported from America to other countries, and hourly workers employed.

The new VersaFlex AP10 conveyor from mk North America Inc. is for medium-duty pallet-handling applications. It is ideal for handling automotive components, battery cell applications, machining center operations, and inspection and testing centers.

ALLISTON, ON—Honda Motor Co. plans to build a comprehensive EV value chain in Canada with an approximate investment of $11.2 billion, including investment by joint venture partners, to prepare for a future increase in EV demand in North America. 

AUGUSTA, GA—GF Casting Solutions will invest more than $184 million in a new manufacturing facility here. The project will create 350 new jobs.