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Robots and AI Are Already Remaking the Chinese Economy
Sam Altman wants artificial intelligence to cure cancer. Elon Musk says AI robots will eliminate poverty. China is focused on something more prosaic: making better washing machines. While China’s long-term AI goals are no less ambitious than the U.S. tech titans, its near-term priority is to shore up its role as the world’s factory floor for decades to come. With exports under threat from rising costs at home and tariffs abroad, that is no longer assured. The push can be seen across the giant country in scores of companies—fueled by billions of dollars in government and private technology development—that are transforming every step of making and exporting goods.
Executives involved in China’s efforts liken the future of factories to living organisms that can increasingly think and act for themselves, moving beyond the preprogrammed tasks at traditionally-automated factories. It could further enable the spread of “dark factories,” with operations so automated that work happens around the clock with the lights dimmed. China installed 295,000 industrial robots last year, nearly nine times as many as the U.S. and more than the rest of the world combined, according to the International Federation of Robotics. China’s stock of operational robots surpassed two million in 2024, the most of any country.
Read more at Manufacturing Dive
Rockwell Automation To Build Wisconsin Factory As Part Of $2B US Expansion
Rockwell Automation said it plans to build a factory equipped with advanced automation, robotics and digital systems in Wisconsin as part of a larger $2 billion bid to strengthen its U.S. operations. The facility has the potential to be Rockwell’s largest manufacturing campus with more than 1 million square feet of production and warehouse space. A company spokesperson declined to say what exactly would be manufactured there.
Construction and site planning are underway with local and state officials. The Milwaukee-based company said the factory will be near its headquarters. Job creation and cost details were not disclosed in the company’s news release. The new factory would add to Rockwell’s manufacturing footprint that spans 10 facilities worldwide, according to the company’s latest annual report. These operations are primarily located in the U.S., Mexico, Poland, India, Canada and Singapore.
Read more at Manufacturing Dive
Japan's Rapidus To Build Cutting-Edge 1.4-nm Chip Plant In Race With TSMC
Rapidus, Japan’s homegrown challenger to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), has announced that it will start building its next-generation 1.4-nanometer fab in fiscal year 2027, with production expected to commence in Hokkaido in 2029. According to Nikkei Asia, this move is expected to help the Japanese chipmaker close the gap with the Taiwanese chip-making giant, which has already revealed its 1.4-nm technology earlier this year. The company also said that it will begin full-scale research and development on the node starting next year.
The company is backed by several Japanese companies, including giants such as Toyota and Sony, as well as private financing institutions. Aside from this, the Japanese government has also invested heavily in the startup through subsidies and direct fiscal support. Rapidus has already received a commitment of JPY 1.7 trillion, or more than US$10 billion, with several hundred billion Yen expected to be infused into the company in the coming months.Despite these massive inflows, Rapidus is still facing an uphill battle as it competes with established fabs like TSMC, Samsung, and Intel.
Read more at Tom’s Hardware
GE Aero Expanding for Jet Engine Demand
GE Aerospace is beginning a three-year project to expand its West Jefferson, N.C., aircraft engine parts operation by more than 35,000 sq. ft to meet rising demand for engines to power narrow-body aircraft. The nearly $53-million investment will also cover the cost of new equipment, and result in 40 new jobs there. Among the personnel roles GE will be filling are apprentice machinists and inspectors, as well as engineers.
The same plant is among those listed by GE Aerospace in March when it outlined 2025 projects valued at nearly $1 billion for its U.S. manufacturing operations. The $13-million program announced earlier this year was directed at increasing production of engine components for narrow- and wide-body commercial jets, as well as military aircraft. New manufacturing equipment identified with that investment includes precision machines, 3D printers, and other specialized capabilities.
Read more at American Machinist
Tyson To Shutter Major Beef Plant In Nebraska Amid US Cattle Shortage
Tyson Foods is closing one of its largest beef processing plants and laying off more than 3,200 workers as U.S. cattle shortages pressure operations for major meatpackers. The meat giant disclosed in a statement it would end operations at its meatpacking facility in Lexington, Nebraska. It will also lower production at its Amarillo, Texas, beef facility to a single, full-capacity shift.
Tyson said the move was necessary to “right size its beef business and position it for long-term success.” It will increase production at other beef facilities to meet customer demand and offset volume losses from the closed plant. While Tyson’s beef sales have risen due to rising prices, executives acknowledged to investors earlier this month that higher cattle costs outpaced the higher sales. To address those challenges, the company plans on “prioritizing efficiency, reducing cost and introducing innovative products,” according to CEO Donnie King.
Read more at Manufacturing Dive
Maersk To Return To Red Sea Route As Soon As Conditions Allow, CEO Says
Shipping group Maersk (MAERSKb.CO), opens new tab will take steps to resume navigation through the Red Sea via the Suez Canal as soon as conditions allow, CEO Vincent Clerc said on Tuesday. The Suez Canal Authority said in a statement that Maersk container ships will resume transit via the canal on a partial basis from the beginning of December prior to a full return but a Maersk spokesperson said the company had not set a date.
The potential return of Maersk to the Suez Canal could ripple through the shipping sector, where freight rates have been supported by the route being snarled by regional conflict and attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Maersk began diverting vessels away from the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea towards the southern tip of Africa in January 2024 after an attack on one of its ships by Yemen's Houthi militants, who attacked ships in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Read more at Reuters
Front-Line Workers Are More Difficult To Find, Train And Retain, Study Says
Front-line workers make up 70% of the U.S. workforce, but they are increasingly difficult to find, train and retain, according to an analysis by HR advisory firm The Josh Bersin Co. in collaboration with UKG. Three-quarters of front-line workers feel burned out, and 51% say they “feel like a number, not a person,” fueling their sense of feeling overworked, underappreciated and disconnected, the Nov. 5 report found.
Additionally, employers are increasingly realizing that essential workers — including those in logistics, healthcare and leisure — cannot be hired or replaced with ease due to various economic pressures, the report said. The report urged CHROs to embrace and prioritize the needs of front-line workers and consider revisiting HR systems traditionally designed for office-based staff. For example, by standardizing its workforce management processes, a major hotel chain enabled front-line workers to share and trade shifts easily, Josh Bersin said.
Read more at Supply Chain Dive
EIA Outlook: Prices, Production, and Trends
The US Energy Information Administration’s November Short-Term Energy Outlook signals a notable shift in global energy dynamics. Renewables, led by solar and wind, continue their upward trajectory, projected to account for 26% of U.S. electricity generation by 2026, underscoring the sector’s long-term transition. EIA expects U.S. electricity demand to grow by 2.4% in 2025 and 2.6% in 2026, led by growth in the West South Central region as electricity demand from data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities increases in that region—particularly in Texas.
Brent crude is projected to average $69 per barrel in 2025, falling to $55 by 2026, as global inventories swell and supply growth outpaces demand. Meanwhile, U.S. crude oil output is expected to hold at 13.6 million barrels per day, reinforcing America’s position as a leading producer. Natural gas tells a different story: Henry Hub prices are forecast to rise from $3.50/MMBtu in 2025 to $4.00/MMBtu in 2026, driven by winter heating demand and steady LNG export growth.
Read more at The EIA
Thanksgiving Air Travel Plans Cut By US Government Shutdown
A record number of Americans had been expected to fly during Thanksgiving, but a 43-day government shutdown dampened demand for one of the year's busiest travel seasons. Many skittish travelers rethought their plans as cancellations and delays mounted while the shutdown wore on. Some airlines, however, still anticipate record travel as consumers regain confidence after the shutdown and book flights at the last minute.
About 6 million U.S. travelers were expected to take domestic flights during the holiday, up 2% from 2024, according to the AAA. But bookings slowed after the shutdown hit the one-month mark. The steepest drop came during the final week when the Federal Aviation Administration ordered flight cuts at 40 major airports. As of November 24, flight bookings for the five-day holiday period were down 4.48% from a year ago, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Bookings were up 1.56% on October 31, but have steadily declined.
Read more at Reuters
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