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Being aware of developments in other industries as they’re happening can help you anticipate new solutions to improve efficiencies and add value in your business. Aside from the Internet of Things (IoT), information-driven manufacturing (iDM), social robots and Internet 5.0, here are three trends manufacturers need to watch:

1. Rapid prototyping + crowdfunding: Together, these two trends allow almost anyone to bring solutions to market quicker than many organisations can develop counter measures. It is the very definition of “disruptive innovation”.

2. Cradle-to-grave traceability: Every recall hitting the headlines reminds manufacturers of the critical need for end-to-end traceability to mitigate the risks to consumers and businesses. Intensifying this need are the proliferating counterfeit markets, worth US$32 billion and causing one million deaths annually. Traceability can counteract this.

3. Beyond the IoT: Blockchain is an emerging technology beginning to play a major part in IoT, especially with its potential to overcome many manufacturers’ concerns around data security. Another IoT evolution is machine learning, which falls under the wider artificial-intelligence umbrella. While adding natural language processing to machine learning gives a whole new opportunity: cognitive learning systems.

Find out more about these trends by reading the full story here and watching this video:

 

Food & Drink Business

The Middle East conflict is at the centre of how consumers across the Asia Pacific region are rethinking what value means, according to Mintel’s latest regional report. For manufacturers, APAC Food and Drink Landscape 2026, looks at the export markets that impacted FY26 results and the input and freight costs still working through the system.

Noumi has lifted net revenue 8.8 per cent to $648.4 million and adjusted operating EBITDA 7.6 per cent to $61.8 million in FY26, in what is likely its final full year result as a listed company.

Bega Group returned to profit in FY26, reversing the $8.5 million loss in FY25 as two years of manufacturing rationalisation took effect. Revenue rose 6.7 per cent to $3.77 billion and statutory EBITDA lifted 22.2 per cent to $202.3 million.