Manufacturing & Industrial Technology

London – October 07, 2026 -- MintNeuro, a London-based semiconductor company building specialised chips for neural devices, has closed a $5 million funding round to accelerate commercial scale-up of its chip platform for implants, wearables and brain-computer interfaces.

Odyssey Ventures leads round with US and European deep-tech backers

The round was led by Odyssey Ventures, with participation from 33East, JSK Investments and Alumni Ventures, alongside returning investors Empirical Ventures and Jumpspace Ventures. MintNeuro will use the capital to expand engineering and commercial teams, deliver pre-release silicon to partners and strengthen its presence in the US market while maintaining its UK and European base.

Gothenburg – October 07, 2026 -- SKF will debut its new MBx active magnetic bearing series for high-speed chillers at Chillventa 2026, targeting the data center cooling market with claimed energy efficiency improvements of up to 30-40% over conventional technologies.

SKF's integrated drive portfolio cuts maintenance and downtime for centrifugal chillers

The Gothenburg-based bearing maker will present a combined offering of high-speed motors levitated with magnetic bearing technology, active magnetic bearings, digital controllers, variable-speed drives, condition monitoring and engineering services. SKF states the oil-free drive solutions reduce wear, maintenance and unplanned downtime in centrifugal chillers and other high-speed applications.

Lowell – October 07, 2026 -- Draper has broken ground on a 111,000-square-foot microelectronics facility in Lowell, Massachusetts, designed to onshore advanced chip packaging capacity that is currently 97% dependent on foreign production.

Draper's IMPACT Center targets a critical gap in U.S. chip packaging capacity

Colleen Anderson, Electronic Systems program director at Draper, said only 3 percent of chip packaging is performed in the United States today, leaving a domestic void the new Integrated Microelectronics Production & Advanced Chip Technology (IMPACT) Center intends to fill. The facility will house design, production, and packaging operations covering microelectronics through advanced precision navigation and timing systems, supporting high-mix, low-volume manufacturing for Draper's customer base.

Cleveland – October 07, 2026 -- Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT) has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.2825 per share, marking the sixteenth consecutive annual increase for the materials solutions company.

Avient lifts annualized dividend to $1.13 per share from $1.10

The new quarterly rate will be paid on October 07, 2026, to stockholders of record as of October 07, 2026. On an annualized basis, the payout rises from $1.10 to $1.13 per share of common stock outstanding.

CEO ties payout growth to cash flow strength and capital discipline

Dr. Ashish Khandpur, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Avient, said the company is pleased to extend its dividend growth streak to sixteen years. He attributed the increase to the strength of the business, consistent cash flow generation, and a balanced capital allocation strategy aimed at returning value to shareholders.

Boston – October 07, 2026 -- RaySecur has partnered with DTS Industries, a Jackson County, Kentucky manufacturer, to produce critical mechanical components and calibration standards for its MailSecur concealed-threat detection systems on U.S. soil.

RaySecur shifts supply chain to domestic manufacturer in Appalachian Kentucky

The deal brings precision metal fabrication and system calibration work for MailSecur, a desktop T-ray screening system, into DTS Industries' Jackson County facility. DTS specializes in precision forming, custom machining, laser cutting, assembly and finishing, and holds ISO 9001 certification.

Lakeville, Mass. – October 07, 2026 -- Boston Green Company has named Dmitro Popovich as Director of Business Development for Terminal, Marine & Industrial Services, tasking him with expanding client partnerships across the Northeast's terminal and industrial operators.

Popovich brings 18 years of bulk liquid and dry bulk terminal experience to the role

Popovich's background spans petroleum and third-party cargo handling, safety and environmental compliance, capital planning, and maintenance coordination. He most recently served as Director of Operations at Sprague Operating Resources LLC, where he oversaw bulk liquid and dry bulk operations across five terminals in New Hampshire and Maine.

Warminster Township, Pa. – October 07, 2026 -- Havis, Inc. has launched a new line of rugged docking stations engineered specifically for Dell Pro Rugged 14 (PR514260) laptops, targeting fleet operators and mobile professionals who require dependable field connectivity.

Havis designs the DS-DELL-1300 Series for one-handed docking and quick fleet retrofits

The DS-DELL-1300 Series features a spring-loaded, floating connector head that maintains a stable connection in demanding mobile environments. The design allows for secure one-handed docking, aimed at reducing operational friction for field personnel.

Havis built the docks for easy retrofit, enabling quick replacement of existing docking hardware across vehicle fleets. The company states this minimizes downtime and simplifies deployment for organizations upgrading their mobile computing infrastructure.

Buffalo Grove, Ill. – October 06, 2026 -- KNIPEX Tools has landed its first-ever spot on the 2026 Fortune Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production List, ranking 23rd in the small & medium company category.

Great Place To Work and Fortune base the ranking on 106,000 employee survey responses

The list is derived from analysis of survey responses from over 106,000 employees at Great Place To Work Certified companies within the manufacturing and production sector. The broader annual workforce study underpinning the ranking draws on more than 1.3 million survey responses and data from companies representing over 7.3 million employees nationwide.

Rochester Hills, Mich. – October 06, 2026 -- FANUC America will demonstrate a collaborative robot that executes packaging tasks from spoken natural-language commands at PACK EXPO International 2026 in Chicago, part of a broader exhibit addressing labor shortages in packaging and food processing.

At Booth N25217, the company's CRX-20iA cobot -- rated for 20 kg payloads -- will respond to verbal production requests by using Generative AI to convert speech into AI-generated Python code and robot actions, a method FANUC calls "vibe coding."

FANUC expands cobot palletizing capacity to 40 kg with new vision-guided unit

The new CRX/30-18A collaborative robot, equipped with integrated 3D vision guidance and a dual-case gripper, handles heavier palletizing loads than earlier cobot models while retaining standard ease-of-deployment features.

Jupiter, Fla. – October 06, 2026 -- Univar Solutions LLC has acquired H.M. Royal, Inc., a 101-year-old family-owned specialty distributor of rubber, plastics, adhesives, sealants and coatings additives, in a deal advised exclusively by boutique investment bank Boxwood Partners. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Deal expands Univar's coastal coverage and rubber-plastics platform

H.M. Royal, founded in 1925 and now in its third generation of family leadership, operates 10 warehouses across the United States, serving the transportation, electronics, medical, construction, agriculture, mining and industrial sectors. The company will join Univar Solutions' Performance Materials business within its Ingredients + Specialties division, gaining access to Univar's broader logistics network and digital capabilities while retaining its existing technical and customer-facing operations.