Manufacturing

Factories in upbeat mood despite fears over economic impact of US war on Iran, poll findsBusiness live – latest updatesUK manufacturers ramped up production last month for the fourth consecutive month and at the fastest pace in almost two years, according to a leading survey of the industry.The S&P Global poll of manufacturers found them in upbeat mood in July, though anxious about the prospect of a long war in the Middle East that would block supplies of oil and gas, and raise the cost of production. Continue reading...

• Manufacturing growth forecasts have been raised to 9%, driven primarily by the surge in AI-powered electronics. • In major financial moves, Allianz has acquired HSBC Life Singapore for $2.1 billion, while UOB is upgrading 300,000 Visa cards to premium tiers across ASEAN. • Singapore's global startup standing has seen a significant rise, climbing from 16th to 4th place over the last five years.

• India is accelerating its electronics and space ambitions by expanding manufacturing incentives and entering the private orbital launch sector to reshape its tech ecosystem. • South Korea's Seoul Semiconductor is currently in early talks with several state governments to establish an LED manufacturing plant, leveraging the ISM 2.0 incentive scheme. • Despite these gains, the smartphone market is facing significant pressure due to global memory shortages, inflation, and rising component costs, which have weakened handset sales.

• South Korean and US technology giants have agreed to pursue $950 billion in semiconductor supply and manufacturing partnerships over the next five years. • The sweeping series of deals was unveiled at the San Francisco AI Summit during a visit by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. • These collaborations aim to advance the Lee administration's flagship megaprojects focusing on semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI.

• Indian startups raised $209 million during the funding week ending July 25, 2026, marking a 44% decline from the previous week's totals. • Investment themes shifted away from AI, with venture capital flowing instead into manufacturing, aerospace, enterprise software, and healthtech. • This diversification signals a broader strategic shift in the Indian startup ecosystem as investors seek opportunities in DeepTech and physical infrastructure.

Exclusive: Ro Khanna says ‘reindustrialization’ effort would provide grants, loans and investments to smaller businessesDemocrats in the US Congress have laid out plans for what they say would be the “boldest” bid to revitalize the country’s industrial heartlands since the second world war – using revenue raised by tariffs on China.A bill introduced this week would create a new bank to strengthen domestic manufacturing, provided with up to $15bn in funds each year. Continue reading...

• AMD CTO Mark Papermaster asserts that Europe's strategic AI advantage lies in interoperability and supply diversity rather than focusing solely on semiconductor manufacturing. • He argues that the primary challenge has shifted from GPU access to integrating AI into complex operational environments while ensuring security, control, and flexibility. • This shift is supported by legislative efforts, specifically the draft Chips Act 2.0 and the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act.