With Industry 4.0 in full swing, manufacturers are thinking of new ways to inject life into the sector, whether through AI, additive manufacturing, augmented reality and more. But with these new approaches comes a unique problem: shaping the legalities and regulations around it, which we’ll partially tackle in this edition. There are also broader trends to consider, such as climate change, which has a distinctive effect on smaller manufacturers as you’ll read later. But first, Boeing continues to face the fallout from its highly publicized safety failures, this time dealing with a series of non-compliant procedures in its manufacturing, and the EPA confirms its strongest ever protections against chemical accidents.

Every year, new technology is introduced. However, it can be hard to sift through what works, what’s realistic, and what’s useful. IndustryWeek, one of Endeavor Business Media’s brands, puts out an annual technology survey that helps filter through the noise and bring stories on what really matters to manufacturers. If you’d like to contribute, you can find the survey right here.

     –  Jennifer Ramsay