Tesla reportedly ends Models S/X production to redirect resources toward its humanoid-robot effort. If true, it’s a blunt signal that even marquee EV nameplates aren’t immune to portfolio triage. LINK
Tesla is reportedly putting $2B into xAI. Another step in the “automaker → AI company” narrative that will keep shifting budgets toward compute, data pipelines, and software talent. LINK
FDA De Novo: Bridge to Life cleared for a transplant liver perfusion system. This is a meaningful U.S. greenlight for cold oxygenated machine perfusion—expect commercialization + service/consumables ecosystems to follow. LINK
FDA 510(k): Outset Medical cleared its next‑gen Tablo hemodialysis platform. Watch for manufacturing ramp, supply-chain qualification, and field reliability focus as deployments broaden. LINK
Eli Lilly picked Pennsylvania for a $3.5B injectable medicine + device manufacturing facility. Big-cap pharma keeps betting on domestic capacity; that tends to pull in validation, automation, packaging, and component suppliers. LINK
Cox Automotive is going heavy on “human-centered AI” at NADA 2026 (Feb 3–6), positioning AI as an operational ROI lever for dealers. Worth tracking if your customers touch retail/wholesale, F&I, logistics, or fraud prevention. LINK
Jalopnik flags a tariff hit: Korean cars “about to get more expensive” with a reported 25% tariff move. Even if policy shifts again, the near-term effect is uncertainty-driven pricing and sourcing disruption. LINK
UK/Europe manufacturing chess: Chery is setting up a European R&D base in Liverpool as UK talks swirl about using JLR’s underutilized capacity. The broader theme is localization to dodge trade friction and shorten supply chains. LINK
BYD reportedly begins trial production at its Hungary plant to bypass EU tariffs. More proof that Chinese EV makers will build “inside the fence” instead of shipping into it. LINK
FDA 510(k): Intuitive cleared additional cardiac procedures on the da Vinci 5 platform (non‑force feedback instruments). Adds procedural breadth and strengthens the “installed base + consumables + service” flywheel. LINK
FDA 510(k): Spectrum Dynamics cleared an AI noise-reduction platform for VERITON-CT digital SPECT/CT. Imaging vendors keep moving AI from “nice demo” to regulated, billable workflow upgrades. LINK
“Made in-region” is no longer optional—tariffs are effectively industrial policy. The Chery (UK) and BYD (Hungary) moves show how quickly OEMs will stand up R&D/production footprints to avoid import penalties and political risk. That ripples into supplier qualification: regional sourcing, dual tooling, and faster PPAP-style readiness become competitive advantages. LINK
Medtech momentum is shifting from “approval” to “scale.” A cluster of recent De Novo/510(k) wins (organ perfusion, dialysis platforms, surgical robotics expansions, AI imaging) points to the next constraint being manufacturing robustness, serviceability, and uptime—not just clinical novelty. Companies that can industrialize reliably (process validation, sterilization strategy, traceability, complaint handling) will win the follow-on purchase orders. LINK
The factory boom is about capacity and resilience. Lilly’s $3.5B PA build is another “domestic + injectable + device” bet that typically drags in automation, packaging, inspection, and component ecosystems for years. For customers, the real story is lead times: once these mega-projects hit peak buildout, competition for qualified labor and critical equipment spikes. LINK
Expect more localization pressure in automotive (tariffs + regional production), which translates into faster supplier qualification cycles and more demand for dual-sourcing and documentation-ready change control. In med devices, the near-term differentiator is shifting to manufacturing scale and field reliability—customers will prefer partners who can ramp without quality drift. Finally, large U.S. buildouts (like Lilly’s) will tighten the market for automation, validation talent, and long-lead equipment, so planning and early commitments matter.