Auto & industrial policy: Volkswagen marked 75 years of South African manufacturing in Kariega, noting it’s the only plant outside Europe making the Polo and exporting it to Europe and Asia-Pacific. Data center supply chain: Japanese electronics firms are buying overseas businesses to expand AI-driven data center work, with focus on power efficiency and cooling/transformer components as the global market is forecast to keep growing fast. AI + manufacturing execution: A new analysis argues U.S. manufacturers are investing in AI but many still lack the execution maturity to turn it into operational gains. Semiconductors in the U.S.: Indiana Gov. Mike Braun backed major moves—Rolls-Royce’s $1B engine investment, SK hynix’s next-gen HBM packaging hub in West Lafayette, and workforce buildout tied to semiconductor training capacity. Defense output: The U.S. Department of War signed framework deals to boost Patriot and THAAD interceptor component production. Drug pricing & pharma manufacturing: Trump announced additional “most favored nation” pricing deals with nine manufacturers, while Kenya secured a Pfizer agreement to slash cancer medicine costs. Manufacturing security: Poland opened a terror probe into a fire at WB Electronics, a drone-parts supplier, amid suspected foreign sabotage. Workforce pipeline: Indiana and other U.S. efforts highlight training grants and industry-led programs to close manufacturing skills gaps.