Industrial Vanguard NewsletterVol. 12

Week of March 17, 2025

Author

Joe Tenbusch
March 23, 2025

Introduction

This week, industrial headlines were dominated by policy shifts, workforce restructuring, and an accelerating push toward electrification and AI integration. Trump's tariffs continue to ripple through core sectors—impacting everything from Ford’s F-150 to cross-border freight. Meanwhile, new investment rounds highlight the growing role of direct lithium extraction, sulfur batteries, and AI-based energy optimization. In manufacturing, automakers double down on robotics and AI. And in supply chains, emerging technologies are disrupting legacy infrastructure while carriers react to geopolitical pressures.

Materials

  • Trump’s metal tariffs have unintended consequences, with the Ford F-150 among the biggest casualties. Read more

  • Summit Nanotech raises $25.5M to scale direct lithium extraction technology. Read more

Energy

  • Rio Tinto and Edify Energy sign a major solar + battery deal for operations in Australia. Read more

  • Siemens to cut over 6,000 jobs, citing restructuring in automation and EV charging. Read more

  • EPRI launches the Open Power AI Consortium to foster AI collaboration in energy. Read more

  • Greenpeace fined $660M over Dakota Access pipeline protests. Read more

  • T1 Energy announces $850M solar cell facility in Texas, supporting U.S. energy security. Read more

  • Supercritical raises £14M, backed by Shell and Toyota Ventures, to develop green hydrogen solutions. Read more

  • theion, a German sulfur battery startup, raises $16.4M to scale up production. Read more

  • 257 raises $9.2M to use AI and data to transform residential energy usage. Read more

  • Capalo AI raises €3.8M in seed funding for smart energy tech. Read more

Manufacturing

  • Mercedes-Benz takes a stake in Apptronik and begins deploying humanoid robots in factories. Read more

  • GM and Nvidia partner to integrate AI across factory floors and vehicles. Read more

  • Lumafield raises $75M Series C to further its industrial CT scanning and defect detection tools. Read more

  • United Performance Metals acquires Fabrisonic to expand its additive manufacturing capabilities. Read more

Supply Chain & Logistics

  • Robots, drones, and AI are reshaping global supply chain infrastructure. Read more

  • Carriers upgrade cross-border services amid ongoing tariff disruptions. Read more

  • UPS imposes a temporary fee on China-to-U.S. shipments to manage demand surges. Read more

  • Deliverr co-founder raises $25M for an AI-powered logistics “teammate.” Read more

Productization

  • Microsoft’s quantum computing leader shares the company's long game in building scalable quantum systems. Read more

  • Nvidia CEO states that AI computing must scale 100x to meet future demand. Read more

  • Nvidia unveils new chips and robotics in its 2025 AI roadmap. Read more

Recycling

  • A new startup is building a global platform for tracking and monetizing recycled wood. Read more

Other

  • Trump’s bet on reshoring manufacturing comes with significant economic risk. Read more

  • Why most companies should not have an AI strategy, according to experts. Read more

  • Nasdaq to open a second U.S. headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Read more

  • EPA reconsiders auto and truck emissions rules, signaling regulatory uncertainty. Read more