TORONTO—Lockheed Martin recently completed a project to evaluate the automation of airframe manufacturing operations using six-axis robots equipped with artificial intelligence technology from Canadian tech startup Xaba.

FRANKFURT, Germany—Sales of industrial robots in India reached a new record of 4,945 units in 2021, a 54 percent compared with the previous year, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). In terms of annual installations, India now ranks tenth worldwide.

MUNICH—Outdated and unsupported legacy operational technologies (OT) are exposing substantial vulnerabilities for manufacturers facing escalating threats from nation-state attacks, according to a new study conducted by BlackBerry Ltd.

HORSHAM, PA—Aegis Software has introduced new capabilities in its latest FactoryLogix 2023.1 and 2023.2 releases.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) is providing $2 million to fund research projects to boost recycling and reuse of lithium-ion batteries.

TOKYO—YKK Group has announced that 31 of its locations worldwide now get 100 percent of their electricity consumption from renewable energy sources.

2022 was a record year in the U.S., with more than 364,000 new manufacturing jobs created. That's a record high, a 53 percent increase from 2021.

FRANKFURT, Germany—German suppliers of robotics and automation technology are forecasting record-high sales of 16.2 billion euros in 2023, an increase in sales of 13 percent. In 2022, the industry recorded sales of 14.3 billion euros, and increase of 5 percent.

DETROIT, MI— Throughout June 2023, GM announced a handful of major assembly plant investments, including four U.S. manufacturing facilities – Flint Assembly, Flint Metal Center, Fort Wayne Assembly, and Arlington Assembly. 

FRIBOURG, Switzerland—Volvo Cars is using ampliTex flax fiber composites from Swiss company Bcomp to make optional trim for the dashboard and doors of the new EX30 compact electric SUV. It is the first production vehicle to use the new, lightweight material.