Manufacturing & Industrial Technology

GOYANG – November 03, 2026 -- ROBOTWORLD 2026 will gather 402 companies from 17 countries across 1,198 booths at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) on Nov. 4-7, with Physical AI and AI-driven manufacturing as the central themes.

Record robot installations frame the show

Global industrial robot installations reached a record 603,307 units in 2025, up 11% year-on-year and above 600,000 for the first time, according to the International Federation of Robotics' World Robotics 2026 report. Asia accounted for 76% of new installations, or 457,315 units, a 14% increase. The IFR forecasts 655,000 installations worldwide in 2026.

Hanoi – November 03, 2026 -- Vietnam's Government Cipher Committee and Viettel Group have unveiled VGC v1.0, a 28-nanometre security chip that runs a domestically developed cryptographic algorithm in silicon and performs encryption and decryption about 15 times faster than a software-only solution.

VGC v1.0 packs 300 million transistors into a 10 x 10 mm package

The chip is fabricated on a 28-nanometre CMOS process. Its first batch passed technical tests and received certification for socio-economic applications in the first quarter of 2026. Technical safeguards applied before fabrication are designed to reduce the risk of information leakage and reverse engineering.

The project targets data-exposure risks tied to imported chips. Embedding cryptographic functions in hardware is meant to give Vietnam more control over how the technologies protecting sensitive information are designed and verified.

Göppingen – November 04, 2026 -- Manufacturing IT decision-makers are twice as likely as their technology-sector peers to cite uncertainty about AI's value as a barrier to adoption (32% vs. 16%), even though 68% of them already use proactive or partially autonomous approaches to resolving technology issues, according to research from TeamViewer.

Manufacturers lead on proactive IT, with 43% resolving issues before users report them

Another 25% of manufacturing respondents report partially autonomous handling, in which AI predicts and prevents issues with some human oversight. Both figures exceed those for the technology sector (35% proactive, 21% partially autonomous) and the cross-industry averages (41% and 17%).

MILWAUKEE – November 04, 2026 -- Only 25% of manufacturers are very confident they will hit their 2027 revenue and profit goals, even as sentiment reaches its highest level since 2022, according to Wipfli's Q4 2026 Manufacturing Pulse Survey of 342 manufacturing facilities.

Two-thirds of manufacturers expect revenue growth in 2027

Approximately two-thirds expect higher revenue. Of those, 46% project increases of 5%-10% and 20% anticipate growth of 10% or more. Another 69% describe themselves as somewhat confident of reaching their 2027 targets.

Hiring plans are broad: 70% expect to add staff, either to fill existing openings or to support growth. Some 52% are becoming more selective about which opportunities they pursue. Data centers, aerospace and defense show stronger momentum than other end markets.

CHICAGO – November 04, 2026 -- Grainger (NYSE: GWW) raised its full-year 2026 earnings outlook to a diluted adjusted EPS range of $47.00 to $48.00 after third-quarter sales rose 11.3% to $5.2 billion. On a daily, organic constant currency basis, sales grew 14.9%.

Adjusted diluted EPS reached $12.54, up 22.8% year over year. Reported diluted EPS was $12.42, up 102.9%, because the prior-year quarter carried a loss tied to the company's exit from the U.K. market. CEO D.G. Macpherson said Grainger remains "on track for an exceptional year."

High-Touch Solutions N.A. sales climb 13.8% on volume and price

Sales in the North American High-Touch segment rose 13.8% on both a reported and daily constant currency basis. Grainger attributed the gain to double-digit volume growth and continued price inflation as cost increases were passed through.

Segment gross margin fell 30 basis points to 40.8%, pressured by unfavorable freight expense and mix.

Shenzhen – November 04, 2026 -- Samsung Display will transfer its 10.16% stake in TCL China Star Optoelectronics Technology (TCL CSOT) to its parent, Samsung Electronics, making the consumer electronics group a direct shareholder in the display panel maker. TCL Technology and Samsung Electronics jointly announced the move after market close on October 30.

TCL Technology keeps its 82.82% controlling stake in TCL CSOT

The transfer does not change control of TCL CSOT. TCL Technology continues to hold 82.82% of the company. Samsung Electronics will hold 10.16% once the transaction completes.

Dallas – November 03, 2026 -- Dallas-based private equity firm Cordatus Capital has acquired a majority investment in Diamabrush, a Sterling Heights, Michigan, manufacturer of consumable abrasive products for concrete and terrazzo floor preparation, polishing and maintenance. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Co-founder and CEO Mike Sancimino will stay in his role and continue to lead the existing management team.

Cordatus targets product innovation, new markets and acquisitions at Diamabrush

Cordatus plans to accelerate growth through continued product innovation, expansion into new markets, deeper penetration of existing customer relationships and strategic acquisitions. Diamabrush, founded in 2007, serves retail, industrial, commercial and institutional end markets across North America and select global markets.

BOSTON – November 03, 2026 -- Jobs for the Future (JFF) has launched a $40 million fund that pays Registered Apprenticeship sponsors up to $6,000 per new apprentice in the semiconductor, nuclear energy and "Super Intelligence" infrastructure sectors. The fund is financed 100% by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Fund targets 6,200 apprentices across more than 40 states over four years

The Super Intelligence (SI), Semiconductor, and Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Apprenticeship Incentive Fund runs under the Labor Department's Pay-for-Performance (PfP) Incentive Payments Program. Over four years, it aims to support the hiring and retention of more than 6,200 apprentices and to expand apprenticeship opportunities across more than 40 states. It will also support the growth of new and existing Registered Apprenticeship programs.

The PfP program is one of the Trump administration's national initiatives to push active apprentices past one million.

PITTSBURGH – November 03, 2026 -- Efficient Computer's Electron E1 processor delivers up to a 100X improvement in energy efficiency over low-power CPUs, and edgeAI has selected it for its physical AI and critical infrastructure products.

edgeAI runs large AI models on-device with lower power and cost

Efficient Computer says the Electron E1 outperforms many AI accelerators on both performance and energy efficiency. According to the company, this lets edgeAI run large AI models on-device while easing power, cost and form-factor constraints.

edgeAI CEO Yang Jung Woong said that after evaluating a wide range of processors, "none matched" the Electron E1's combination of performance and efficiency. He said the chip runs edgeAI's models in real time on a fraction of the power. It also gives the products headroom to support the latest vision and compute stacks for years.

Berlin – November 03, 2026 -- Employers in Germany's metal and electrical industry opened the second bargaining round with a 1.3% wage increase effective July 2028, following 20 months without a raise, according to a commentary in nd.DerTag. Over a 26-month term, the commentary calculates, that equals 0.6% per year.

Offer sits below inflation and productivity gains

The commentary cites inflation of 3% and productivity growth of 1.5%, both well above the annualized offer. It also points to extraordinary profits in aerospace, electrical and medical technology and the defense industry. The auto industry also reports profits, though at lower levels.