UK-based Rotron Aerospace and South Korea's LIG Nex1 are partnering on the development, integration and export of future unmanned air systems. A key part of the effort is LIG Nex1's Medium UAV Common Platform, a drone designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions for the South Korean army. The MUCP features vertical take-off and landing capabilities, fixed rotors and a pusher propeller for forward flight.

Test solutions and advanced robotics provider Teradyne plans to open a US operations hub in Wixom, Mich., with support from a $2.7 million grant from the Michigan Business Development Program. Teradyne expects to manufacture Universal Robots’ collaborative industrial robots at the Michigan plant, and potentially other robots in the future. The site is expected to create 230 jobs and could generate $32 million in investment. 

European Union negotiators have reached a tentative agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 90% below 1990 levels by 2040, aiming to keep the EU on track for net-zero emissions by 2050. The agreement, which needs approval from the European Parliament and EU member states, also includes a one-year delay of a carbon market for transportation and heating fuels.

University of Western Ontario, Canada, researchers have developed a solid-state sodium-ion battery that could be a safer, more affordable option than lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and grid-scale energy storage. The battery has demonstrated a Coulombic efficiency of 99.26% after 600 charging cycles and is less susceptible to thermal runaway. However, challenges such as scaling production and extending battery lifespan remain.

Airbus is using Stratasys technology to manufacture more than 25,000 flight-ready parts annually for A350, A320 and A400M models. The use of 3D printed parts has resulted in a 43% weight reduction, an 85% reduction in lead time and the elimination of minimum order quantity requirements, Airbus and Stratasys say.