June 18, 2021
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Trends & Technology
Electric vehicle sales to date have been driven largely by green sentiment, but that may be changing with Ford Motor Co.'s introduction of the electric F-150, writes Penn State environmental studies professor Brian Black. The pickup "places the electric vehicle transition squarely in the hands of mass-market consumers who don't choose cars based on environmental considerations," Black writes.
Full Story: Fast Company (tiered subscription model) (6/17) 
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QuantumScape and Solid Power have attracted investor interest with their early-stage work on lithium-metal anodes with solid electrolytes for electric vehicles, but QuantumScape plans to make the cells itself and Solid Power will make electrolytes but license cell designs. Both companies have years of work to do, and both have received funding from major carmakers.
Full Story: The Wall Street Journal (6/16) 
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Danaher, a medical equipment maker, will acquire Aldevron in a $9.6 billion all-cash deal. Aldevron, a producer of mRNA and proteins, is a supplier of plasmid DNA for Moderna's COVID-19 mRNA vaccine.
Full Story: Reuters (6/17) 
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Cybersecurity
Cyberattacks on organizations where operational infrastructure is connected with IT can disrupt linked operations and affect suppliers and customers, writes Greg Valentine, senior cybersecurity director for Capgemini North America. "For an OT environment, preventative controls include leveraging identity and access management (IAM), practicing a zero-trust architecture, utilizing a vulnerability management solution, and properly segmenting the network," Valentine writes.
Full Story: Dark Reading (free registration) (6/16) 
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Supply Chain
Organizations need to be less reactive to supply chain crises and create long-term strategies for managing volatile business conditions, write Paul Ericksen and Tim Biggs. "Collaboration, both within an organization and with strategic suppliers, is the most effective approach to making the types of changes needed to transform purchasing from a transaction-based tactical function to one that has a more strategic outlook," they argue.
Full Story: IndustryWeek (6/15) 
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Industrial IoT
Some startups are applying deep reinforcement learning to industrial control and logistics automation. Deep reinforcement learning could potentially deliver "immense increases in efficiency and cost savings in manufacturing products and operating supply chains, leading to decreases in carbon emissions and worksite accidents," writes Pathmind CEO Chris Nicholson.
Full Story: TechCrunch (tiered subscription model) (6/17) 
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Sustainability
Mars has teamed with sustainability consultancy Guidehouse to create the Supplier Leadership on Climate Transition to engage more members of the consumer packaged goods global supply chain with climate-friendly action. McCormick & Co. and PepsiCo have also joined the coalition, which aims to "reward the right behaviors and shift things," said Kevin Rabinovitch, Mars' vice president of global sustainability.
Full Story: ConfectioneryNews (France) (6/17) 
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Workforce of Tomorrow
Tesla partners with college to grow worker pipeline
(Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Tesla is partnering with Austin Community College in Texas to launch the 14-week Tesla START program. Participating students will be able to work at Tesla while completing college courses.
Full Story: Community Impact Newspaper (Texas) (6/16) 
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NAM News
The Manufacturing Institute is committed to supporting manufacturers' efforts to build diverse and inclusive workplaces and strengthen equal opportunity in the United States. Join their next D&I Roundtable discussing Sexual Orientation on Friday, June 25, from noon p.m. ET. Please RSVP here.
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June is Pride Month
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