S&P Global and the S&P Global Foundation commit $10 million over three years to launch StepForward, a program supporting nonprofit workforce development and skills training for youth in an AI-driven economy.
Hybrid manufacturing blends traditional machining with advanced methods like 3D printing to create agile, flexible defense factories that can scale faster, cut costs, and adapt to changing mission needs.
A Manufacturing Dive report highlights findings from the 21st annual KPMG Global Semiconductor Outlook survey that show tariffs and trade policy have become the top concern for semiconductor manufacturing leaders, overtaking talent and labor challenges for the first time. About half of executives are focused on diversifying and strengthening supply chains to manage geopolitical risks, while strong demand from AI and data center markets has most leaders expecting revenue growth in 2026. The article also notes that strategies to boost domestic capacity and incentives like the CHIPS and Science Act play a role in how companies are navigating policy and investment decisions amid ongoing uncertainty.
In a recent New York Times editorial, the paper’s board sharply criticizes President Trump’s approach to U.S. military policy, alliances, and defense spending. The editorial argues that his strategy has weakened long-standing security commitments, eroded confidence in traditional alliances, and shifted focus away from collective defense toward unilateral actions and transactional relationships. It contends that key aspects of global security, including support for Ukraine and cohesion within NATO, have been undermined by inconsistent policy choices and an overreliance on high-profile military gestures rather than sustained strategic leadership.
A recent Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast features Bryan Wright, national manufacturing sector leader at Forvis Mazars, sharing insights from a new survey that shows strong optimism among manufacturing executives for growth in 2026 despite ongoing pressures like supplier cost increases and tariffs. Wright discusses how manufacturers are prioritizing strategies they can control, such as pricing, customer and product expansion, operational efficiency, and targeted technology investments like modern ERP systems. He also highlights the growing role of AI and automation, how talent challenges are being approached, and why resilient M&A activity, especially add-on deals, could strengthen in the year ahead.
PowerAmerica — part of the Manufacturing USA network — has issued a new request for proposals to support research projects focused on wide-bandgap semiconductor materials (like silicon carbide and gallium nitride). This reflects growing investment in advanced manufacturing infrastructure and U.S. domestic semiconductor capacity.
NLM Photonics, a leader in silicon organic hybrid (SOH) electro-optic technology, announced today that its patented SOH photonic chips, featuring Selerion-HTX™ and JRD1, have successfully arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA’s Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE-21) mission aboard the JAXA’s HTV-XI spacecraft launched on October 29, 2025.
DoD ManTech and its associated Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MIIs) held events across the country as part of “Manufacturing Month.” These events aimed to connect industry, educators, students, and workforce stakeholders — highlighting advanced manufacturing technology and potential career paths in defense manufacturing.
GlobalFoundries and RPI have deepened their long-standing partnership to strengthen semiconductor research, education, and workforce development. The agreement includes new faculty positions, support for a Semiconductor Scholars Program, and expanded collaboration to help build up the pipeline of talent needed for advanced manufacturing.