Latest News

2026: Shaping industry with people, technology and sustainability

In 2026, transformation across industry is accelerating. Sustainability, digitalisation and talent development sit firmly at the top of the manufacturing agenda, reshaping how companies operate and compete. Against this backdrop, Helen Blomqvist, President of Sandvik Coromant, reflects on more than 80 years of market leadership in cutting tools, and on the forces shaping the years ahead. We build the future on the foundation of our heritage Sandvik Coromant’s position as a global leader in cutting tools and manufacturing solutions is rooted in its history, but is also firmly focused on the future. At a time when transformation ranks high across the global stage, we actively support customers worldwide, helping them navigate change and unlock new opportunities. Leadership in a shifting world requires clarity of direction without losing sight of one’s roots. Even with a strong brand and a proud history, we cannot rest on that; we need to perform for growth and efficiency today while transforming our capabilities to remain the undisputed market leader tomorrow. A key part of this approach is building a culture of learning. Psychological safety and curiosity are essential, and creating an environment where people feel safe to test new ideas is crucial. High-performing, empowered teams with a strong customer-first mindset are at the heart of how we turn strategy into action. Removing the fear of failure, combined with curiosity and a strong customer focus, is essential to moving things forward. An industry in the midst of a major shift Manufacturing is undergoing a rapid technological leap. But it’s important to recognize this as representing opportunity, rather than threat. The industry is facing a major shift, with customers at different stages of the journey. Sustainability, digitalization, sharply increasing cost pressure across the value chain and the skills gap are defining trends. This is particularly evident in […]

Before you buy AI: What manufacturers need to get right first

From NZ Manufacturer magazine – May issue By Sean Doherty, Manufacturing Commentator | NZ Industry Trends There is no doubt that AI will be a game changer for manufacturers, and early adoption will give many firms a competitive advantage because manufacturing is both data-rich and operationally complex. But beware: AI only creates value when it is applied to the right problems. Too many manufacturers get distracted by the demo and find out too late that their data is poor, the tool does not fit the workflow, or ownership of the outcome is unclear. In 2026, the manufacturers most likely to succeed with AI will be those that treat it like any other investment decision. Define the need, test the assumptions, manage the risks, and measure the potential return. Before buying any AI tool, there are four practical basics to get right: the problem, the data, governance, and the pilot. Start with the problem Start by defining the problem in plain language. A manufacturer should be able to say exactly what it wants to improve: machine uptime, planning speed, forecast accuracy, scrap rates, or quality checks. “We need AI” is not a business case. It is noise. Before speaking to vendors, define success. What metric needs to move, and by how much? If the goal is less downtime, what is the baseline, and what improvement would justify the investment? If the issue is quality, is the target fewer defects, faster inspection, or less rework? Clear objectives make it much easier to spot a valuable tool and avoid an expensive distraction. Mapping the current workflow also helps. Where are decisions slow, manual, repetitive, or error-prone? Where does information stall, and what information is needed to move things forward? A simple process map can quickly reveal whether the problem is poor process design, […]

LiberaGPT supports the largest and most intelligent AI model to run offline on an unmodified iPhone

Independent British software house 5N6 has unveiled a major update to LiberaGPT, its recently launched iPhone app, adding support for a record-breaking 24 billion-parameter large language model that runs entirely offline on the latest generation of iPhone devices, with complete privacy and no requirement for cloud data centres or additional hardware. Until recently, the idea of running a model of this size privately on a smartphone would have been regarded as technically out of reach for current flagship handsets. LiberaGPT now brings that capability to iPhone, ensuring that prompts and responses remain entirely on the device. The comparison with earlier generations of AI highlights the scale of that advance. OpenAI’s GPT-2, introduced in 2019, was widely recognised as a landmark model, yet it operated at 1.5 billion parameters and depended heavily on centralised infrastructure. Since then, major gains in efficiency and model design have reshaped expectations, allowing more powerful systems to operate without the same computational burden. Alongside the new 24 billion-parameter model, the latest LiberaGPT release also includes a range of smaller models for users who prefer faster performance and lower resource use. Together, these options give users the flexibility to choose the balance of speed and capability that suits them best, while keeping the entire experience private and on-device. What matters here is not only the size of the model, but the fact that it runs at all on consumer mobile hardware. Models in this class have usually belonged to server infrastructure or desktop systems. This small independent software house has brought that level of capability to the iPhone through careful optimisation and precise memory management. Capable local GPU processing gives users more privacy, faster response times, and the ability to use advanced AI models without dependence on a network connection or contribution to AI data centre infrastructure […]

Apple, The First 50 Years

David Pogue tells the iconic company’s entire life story: how Apple was born, nearly died, was born again under Steve Jobs, and became, under CEO Tim Cook, the most valuable company in the world. The book features full-color photos, new facts that correct the record and illuminate its subversive culture, and fresh interviews with the legendary figures who shaped Apple into what it is today. On April 1, 1976, two scruffy twentysomethings, both named Steve, founded a startup. Their goal: To bring the revolutionary power of computers to everyone. Over the next five decades, Apple reshaped the technology and cultural landscapes, introducing the public to breakthroughs like the mouse, laser printing, CD-ROM, WiFi, digital video, home networking, touchscreen phones, and tablets. Jobs’s obsessive eye for detail set the stage for products—Mac, iMac, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad, AirPods, Apple Watch—that married advanced technology with beauty, simplicity, and fine design. Deeply researched and lavishly illustrated, Apple: The First 50 Years includes new interviews with 150 key people who made the journey, including Steve Wozniak, John Sculley, Jony Ive, and many current designers, engineers, and executives. The book busts long-held myths; goes backstage for both the titanic successes (450 million iPods, 700 million iPads, 2.2 billion iPhones) and the instructive failures (Lisa, Apple III, MobileMe); and assesses the forces that challenge Apple’s dominance as it enters its second half century. Bursting with tales of frenetic all-nighters, engineering genius, and creative rebellion, this book is a true testament to Apple’s unique and innovative vision, and a must read for anyone whose life Apple has touched.

resilient-firms-and-economies-1336221450-thumb-1536x1536

Resilient firms and economies: Unlocking growth in emerging markets

Resilience is like a bridge spanning a turbulent river. The waters below may surge unpredictably, but the bridge’s strength lies in its design, maintenance, and ability to withstand. The Resilience Consortium brings together governments, businesses, and multilateral development banks (MDBs) to strengthen resilience in emerging markets. Drawing on insights from the 2025 Resilience Consortium Pulse Check Survey, completed by more than 270 executives, along with a quantitative follow-up analysis, structured interviews with community members and the Consortium’s leadership group, and global, high-level convenings held throughout the year. The importance of collective action: In an era of disruption, resilience has become a key driver of competitiveness and innovation. No single actor can mitigate systemic risks alone: Businesses contribute agility, innovation, and investment; governments enable progress through effective policy and infrastructure; and MDBs mobilise capital, derisk investment, and coordinate cross-sector efforts to address systematic risks. Together, these actors can build systems capable of withstanding and adapting to shocks. Focus on emerging markets: Emerging markets, which represent nearly 60 percent of global GDP, are vital to the resilience agenda. They face exposure to trade disruptions, commodity volatility, and climate risks, yet they hold the potential to drive global growth in the decade ahead. Strengthening resilience in these economies is critical not only for their own prosperity but also for safeguarding global stability. Resilience preparedness: Organisations are becoming more resilient, but progress remains uneven. Preparedness has improved by 13 percentage points since 2024, yet only one in four companies considers itself ready to withstand major disruptions across all resilience dimensions (e.g., financial, organizational, digital and technology resilience) and this share falls to one in five when assessing resilience capabilities (i.e., crisis response, foresight, disruption preparation, and strategic re-orientation). Financial resilience remains the strongest dimension, with 40 percent of firms reporting readiness, while digital and technological […]

Could a ‘grey swan’ event bring down the AI revolution?

Cameron Shackwell, Sessional Academic, School of Information Systems, Queensland University of Technology The term “black swan” refers to a shocking event on nobody’s radar until it actually happens. This has become a byword in risk analysis since a book called The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb was published in 2007. A frequently cited example is the 9/11 attacks. Fewer people have heard of “grey swans”. Derived from Taleb’s work, grey swans are rare but more foreseeable events. That is, things we know could have a massive impact, but we don’t (or won’t) adequately prepare for. COVID was a good example: precedents for a global pandemic existed, but the world was caught off guard anyway. Although he sometimes uses the term, Taleb doesn’t appear to be a big fan of grey swans. He’s previously expressed frustration that his concepts are often misused, which can lead to sloppy thinking about the deeper issues of truly unforeseeable risks. But it’s hard to deny there is a spectrum of predictability, and it’s easier to see some major shocks coming. Perhaps nowhere is this more obvious than in the world of artificial intelligence (AI). Putting our eggs in one basket Increasingly, the future of the global economy and human thriving has become tied to a single technological story: the AI revolution. It has turned philosophical questions about risk into a multitrillion-dollar dilemma about how we align ourselves with possible futures. US tech company Nvidia, which dominates the market for AI chips, recently surpassed US$5 trillion (about A$7.7 trillion) in market value. The “Magnificent Seven” US tech stocks – Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla – now make up about 40% of the S&P 500 stock index. The impact of a collapse for these companies – and a stock market bust – would be devastating at a global level, not just financially but also in terms of dashed hopes for […]

Top tips for securing the investment your manufacturing business needs to grow

-Andrew Mamonitis, Vice President – APAC, Manufacturing Division, ECI Software Solutions It pays to optimise your processes and practices before expanding or bringing an external investor on board. Despite challenging conditions, manufacturing businesses are looking for ways to grow their share of the domestic market and pursue potentially lucrative export opportunities. A low Australian dollar, coupled with our country’s reputation for quality and reliability, is making it easier for some manufacturers, particularly those in the agri-business sector, to get an ‘in’ to new markets, in Asia Pacific and further afield. Seeking funding for growth Taking advantage of an opportunity to diversify your range or expand your customer base generally means upfront investment is required. You may need to acquire new equipment or additional inventory, for example, take on extra staff, or run marketing and business development campaigns. Unless your business has a sizeable sum stashed away, that means borrowing from the bank or bringing an external investor on board. But before writing a cheque, or approving a loan, any potential backer will want to see evidence that your sales are strong, your business is profitable and you’re running a tight ship. If you’re not able to demonstrate you have efficient systems and processes in place, and a solid pipeline of work, you may find it tricky to secure the funds you need to grow. Show me the money Presenting your business in the best possible light starts with showing you’re on top of your finances. Up-to-date accounts, accurate forecasting, rigorous revenue management and a strong understanding of your cash flow are all essential. So is visibility into your customer base. Being able to identify your largest and most profitable accounts and supply a detailed picture of their buying behaviours builds credibility, as does knowing which of your customers […]

Hands free tool changes for smarter machining

Peter Pettersson, Sandvik Coromant Imagine a factory where the lights are off, not because no one is home, but because automated systems are working around the clock to keep production lines running with minimal human intervention. These futuristic setups are quickly becoming a reality, with touchless tool changes at the core of the automated machine cell. Unmanned machining represents a significant leap in manufacturing, where machines operate independently without the need for human supervision. Driven by CNC technology, robotics and automation software, these systems can run continuously — in some cases, 24/7 — performing tasks such as turning, cutting, milling and drilling with high accuracy. This approach enhances productivity, reduces errors and allows for efficient, around-the-clock operation. While many view unmanned machining as a futuristic approach to manufacturing production, Sandvik Coromant began reaping its benefits back in the 1980s. Going hands free Some 40 years ago, Sandvik Coromant’s production site in Gimo, Sweden, used a form of automatic tool change (ATC) that facilitated the changeover of machine tools without human input. The solution was offered as a product to customers, but it didn’t prove popular. Many could not grasp how ATC could save their machine shop time and enhance their productivity and the offering was dissolved. Fast forward a few decades and Sandvik Coromant continued to see value where others could not. This time around, the company worked with a machine builder to develop a second ATC solution. Again, it was implemented at the Gimo production facility and continues to run across several machine cells today. Using conventional tool management methods, a lathe could run without human input for around four-to-eight hours. After that, the tool would reach the end of its life and a human worker would need to stop what they’re doing to manually switch the tool with […]

Beneq launches Transform XP – Redefining atomic control in ALD

Second-generation platform delivers advanced control, in-cycle annealing, and high-throughput performance for Wide Bandgap power and RF device manufacturing Beneq introduces the Beneq Transform XP, a second-generation ALD platform developed to meet the performance demands of Wide Bandgap (WBG) power and RF device technology development and manufacturing. Building on the proven Beneq Transform platform, the new system adds advanced ALD control, faster cycle times, and greater process capabilities in a high-throughput format. The Beneq Transform XP features a second-generation, flow-optimized 25-wafer mini-batch thermal ALD reactor that achieves breakthrough deposition rates with single-digit-second cycle times for common ALD oxides and nitrides. Refined flow and pressure dynamics ensure exceptional within-wafer and wafer-to-wafer uniformity – even at a few nm film thicknesses – while precise dwell-time control delivers excellent conformality on high-aspect-ratio structures. Transform XP also introduces advanced PEALD process control to precisely manage low-energy ions. This enables optimized plasma pre-cleaning and deposition, resulting in improved interface quality, tunable passivation, and enhanced device performance and reliability. The system integrates in-cycle annealing, a proprietary step that densifies and purifies films to achieve stoichiometric, low-impurity materials and crystalline alignment, such as AlN lattice orientation. “Transform XP is in response to the next wave of device challenges in power and RF manufacturing,” said Dr. Mikko Söderlund, Head of Sales, Semiconductor ALD at Beneq. “Customers value the original Transform® for its versatility and reliability. With XP, we introduce capabilities they specifically asked for – improved ion control, faster cycles, and in-cycle film densification – all in a versatile platform.” With over a dozen Beneq Transform clusters installed globally for WBG pilot and production use, and more than 100 process modules shipped, Beneq continues to support leading IDMs, foundries, and RTOs advancing More-than-Moore technologies.

Using AI to enable scalable, autonomous operations

By Troy Mahr, director – Kalypso. Kalypso – acquired by Rockwell Automation in 2020 – is a diverse team of consultants, innovators, strategists, data scientists and technologists. What we consistently hear from industry leaders is the need for real-time visibility across their global operations, which is key to ensuring their operations stay agile and scalable. However, achieving this isn’t possible without removing laggy manual data collection through the deployment of connected assets and contextualised data. By eliminating data silos and unlocking industrial data and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, companies can enable autonomous decision-making that optimises costs, efficiency, and production resilience. This moves their organisation closer to achieving autonomous operations. Autonomous operations are the manifestation of “self-governing” systems at every step of the manufacturing process. These systems derive their autonomy from data-led decision-making models that enable them to reliably adapt their behaviour in response to dynamic environments during operation without any manual intervention. Achieving autonomy across an enterprise requires capabilities that span the full intelligence spectrum, from observation and inference to decision-making and action. These capabilities are relevant across all operational areas, including product design, manufacturing, supply chain, distribution, direct-to-customer channels, and demand forecasting. Manufacturing operations, in particular, have seen progress through Model Predictive Control (MPC), which continuously analyses real-time and forecasted data to optimise process control within defined constraints. While MPC is a strong example within manufacturing, broader autonomy demands extending similar intelligent systems across the enterprise. This journey is captured in the industrial AI maturity pyramid, which outlines a progression from basic data integration and visualisation to predictive analytics, prescriptive decision-making, and ultimately, autonomous operations. As organisations climb this pyramid, they adopt machine learning, real-time automation, and self-learning systems. Each stage requires not just technological upgrades but also cultural and structural transformation. Asset Monitoring: Find Downtime Root Causes Looking at […]

1 2 3 4 ›»

News Ticker

Latest News