KYLE, TX—South Korea-based ENF Technology Co. Ltd., a provider of electronic materials to Samsung and the U.S. high-tech market, will build a $45 million headquarters and advanced manufacturing facility here. The company plans to initially hire 45 to 50 employees, and up to 80 total in the future.

The news about the 737 MAX has got me thinking about my own experience with the aerospace industry. There’s something cultural about the avionics and aerospace industries, the Defense Department and the FAA; they are impervious to ideas. The status quo cannot be unseated.

ANN ARBOR, MI—Industrial robot orders in 2018 grew 24 percent over the previous year in the life sciences, food and consumer goods, plastics and rubber and electronics industries, according to the Robotics Industries Association. The main reasons are lower robot prices, and robot systems that are easier to install, integrate and program.

The ASM 390 and ASM 392 leak detection instruments have been designed for the semiconductor and display industries as well as other demanding applications where rapid pump down and high sensitivity is key. Both models are Semi S2 compliant.

COLUMBUS, OH--Engineers at the Honda Research Institute here have developed a new type of battery that could replace traditional lithium-ion devices.

EAST EL PASO, TX—Tokyo-based Foster Electric plans to add an automotive speaker factory to its distribution facility here in 2020 and create 40 new jobs.