Energy Dominance, Disappointing Data and Transformational Trends for 2026: IndustryWeek's Weekly Review
Welcome to the new year and our first 2026 edition of IndustryWeek’s Weekly Review. Not surprisingly, breaking news such as U.S. actions in Venezuela and the latest manufacturing PMI report from the Institute for Supply Management grabbed the eyes of the IW manufacturing community. Continuous improvement topics also attracted significant attention.
The top content over the past seven days, plus one Editor’s Choice, includes the following:
In Venezuela and Panama, US Actions Are All About Energy Dominance: American influence on the massive oil reserves will shape global policy for decades to come.
December ISM Report: Manufacturing PMI Falls to 47.9%, Lowest Reading of 2025: Only two out of 17 manufacturing industries reported growth in December, according to the report.
Podcast: Don’t Choose Suppliers Based on Price Tag, Minimize Total Cost: Hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer discuss the fourth of Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s 14 points for management transformation and his assertion that choosing suppliers based on unit price alone is bad for business.
Continuous Improvement Playbook: Sticking Points, New Tools and the Pursuit of Excellence: IndustryWeek’s coverage of lean and continuous improvement over the past year presents a wealth of wisdom to help advance your 2026 pursuit of manufacturing excellence.
Supply Chain Strategy, AI Set To Transform Manufacturing in 2026: Four key trends are setting the stage for manufacturers in 2026, says West Monroe in a new report.
Podcast: Leadership Needs an Overhaul: Podcast hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer dive into Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s seventh point of management transformation: Institute leadership.
CNC Firms Miss Out on Promising New Markets: Shops with the ability to deliver small-batch runs, advanced materials and rapid prototyping send a strong signal to start-ups and scale-ups that they can deliver.
Toyota's Jidoka Principle and the Future of Work: AI cannot develop problem-solving and management capabilities. These uniquely human skills are cultivated through experience, reflection, coaching and support.
Steel Dynamics Makes Move for Australian Company’s U.S. Assets: The company last month teamed up with a conglomerate to bid nearly $9 billion for BlueScope Steel. If successful, the partners will divide BlueScope’s operations.
US Trade Gap Shrinks to Smallest Since 2009 as Imports Fall: While U.S. exports rose by $7.8 billion in October to $302.0 billion, imports dropped by $11.0 billion to $331.4 billion.
Editor’s Choice:
3 Core Skills for the AI-Ready Manufacturing Workforce: Human+, agentic AI orchestration and interoperability catalysis are the foundation of meaningful training.