Manufacturing logistics and procurement – September 2026

Reshaping global supply chains could cost over €20.000 billion by 2050
The coming decade will test businesses’ ability to balance cost, service and resilience in the face of competing global pressures, EY concludes in their report Mind the (supply) gap: balancing cost and resilience in cross-border supply chains (2.4 MB). The report is published in times of increasingly unreliable supply chains, as geopolitical pressures arise and mutual trust is on a lower and lower level.

Chief supply chain officers unclear on AI investment returns
More than half (55%) of chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) are unclear on the return on investment (ROI) of their AI investments, even as 67% of supply chain digital investments are now allocated to AI, according to a survey by Gartner. The survey is part of a larger trend on what is called the Scylla and Charybdis of AI investment. Businesses have to navigate between the Scylla of underinvestment (thereby lagging behind) and the Charybdis of over-investment in AI-related assets that may rapidly loose their projected value.

Obsolescence of machine components poses growing risk
Obsolescence of mechanical parts, electrical and electronic components, and software and digital infrastructure is accelerating, according to Managing Obsolescence, a report published by PMMI. You can download the report after filling in your details.

Chemistry that can make robots move and feel
Organic chemist Michael Lerch is fascinated by ‘engineering solutions’ that can be found in nature. He is working on smart materials at the University of Groningen. He wants to make robots that move more smoothly by using smart materials that can act as a chemistry-based operating system.

Survey reveals how enterprises can prepare for AI agentic success
A research report (5.34 MB) by Deloitte finds that while organisations are embracing agentic AI, the rewards they seek will likely also depend on workflow and process reinvention. Within four years, 74% of leaders surveyed expect nearly half of their business processes will be redesigned or rebuilt around AI agents, and 61% expect most AI agents used will be generally autonomous (with humans acting as oversight).

AI and robotics—A matter of trust
People working with robots require a safe environment, where humans can trust their mechanical companions. AI may help to build that reliability, according to Washington State University.

WSU team develops AI framework for decision-making in robotic systems
Robotic systems rely on a series of connected control cycles, each with its own time limit and deadline that is crucial to the overall operation. Researchers at Washington State University have developed an artificial-intelligence framework that automatically manages that series of cascading deadlines, which could help robots and other cyber-physical systems make safe decisions under rapidly changing circumstances. The work was tested successfully in simulations and on a UniTree Go2, a robotic dog available on the commercial market.
 

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