Walk any major manufacturing or automation trade show floor in 2026 and the pattern repeats itself: rows of white-and-blue articulated arms, each one smaller and friendlier-looking than the massive yellow and orange industrial robots that defined factory floors for the past four decades. This is the collaborative robot, or “cobot,” and its proliferation across exhibition halls is one of the more telling signals about where manufacturing automation is actually heading.

Barilla has opened applications for the eighth edition of Good Food Makers, its co-development program connecting startups and innovators with real industrial environments inside the company’s operations. The application window runs from May 25 to July 10, 2026, targeting startups and innovative companies prepared to test solutions through a structured, execution-focused program. The program has logged significant traction since its 2019 launch: more than 1,100 startups from over 50 countries have participated, producing 26 pilot projects, with over 20 currently active through solutions developed by program alumni.

Harley-Davidson’s recall covering 2024 through 2026 model year motorcycles touches a brake system component across multiple platforms, and the scale of the action reflects how concentrated the company’s lineup has become around a relatively small number of shared platforms. When a defect appears in a common component, the recall footprint expands accordingly. The substance of the defect — brake fluid contamination risks or hydraulic line integrity, depending on the specific model variant — is serious in a category where brake failure outcomes are categorically worse than in enclosed vehicles.

The announcement feels like one of those moments where a company that’s been quietly building real industrial muscle finally steps onto a global stage. 6K Additive, long known in aerospace and defense circles for producing some of the highest-grade metal powders in the world, has secured A$48 million in fresh capital through its IPO on the Australian Stock Exchange. The company now trades under the ticker 6KA, priced at A$1.00 per CDI, giving it a market cap of about A$267 million.

Amplio, the AI startup reshaping how enterprise manufacturers manage industrial surplus, has closed an $11.1 million Series A round led by Hitachi Ventures and Yamaha Motor Ventures, with continued support from Construct Capital, Slow Ventures, Alpaca VC, and High Alpha Capital. This infusion of capital will allow the company to accelerate its go-to-market strategy, expand into new surplus categories such as rolling stock, raw materials, and finished goods, and deepen its investment in agentic AI systems tailored to complex supply chain environments.

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions appoints Jonas Karlsson as Business Unit President for Industrial Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The new role recognizes increased business activity in the region and oversees many of the sectors served by Trelleborg Sealing Solutions including food and beverage, semiconductor, fluid power, energy, off-highway and automotive. The four regional directors responsible for the Industrial EMEA business will now report to Karlsson. Juergen Bosch, Business Area President of Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, says: “For almost two decades Jonas has contributed significantly to our success and I am confident that he will continue to advance our industrial business in the region, particularly growing our presence in the Middle East and Africa.