Tesco updates sustainability strategy as retailer exceeds emissions target

The retailer said in the Tesco PLC Sustainability Report 2026 it exceeded its target for Scope 1 and 2 emissions reductions, recording a 68% reduction against a 2015/16 baseline, ahead of its 2025 target of 60%.

Tesco also reported that 99% of its own-brand packaging by weight in the UK is now recyclable through kerbside collection and other collection schemes, while healthy food now represents 65% of total sales in the UK and Republic of Ireland, up from 58% in 2019.

Ken Murphy said: “As the UK’s leading food retailer, serving our customers, communities and planet a little better every day, we depend on a resilient and sustainable food system. Without it, our suppliers and farmers can’t grow the food needed to feed the nation.”

Murphy added: “Ongoing global uncertainty has shown us this work isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s a business imperative.”

Group Chief Sustainability Officer Christine Heffernan agrees that sustainability is vital for the future of the business.

“As food systems come under increasing pressure, sustainability is key to our long-term resilience,” she adds. 

“Our actions today help meet customer needs and strengthen supply chain stability for the future.”

Retailer introduces new sustainability commitments

Tesco said many of its 2025 commitments have now concluded and the company is introducing six new and updated commitments focused on sustainable farming, decarbonisation, healthier diets, circularity and packaging reform.

Murphy said: “While we have taken important steps forward, we know there is more to do. With many of our 2025 commitments concluding, we are sharpening our focus across six new and updated commitments, which cover the pillars of our planet plan.”

The retailer said several previous targets have now been embedded into policy, including sourcing standards requiring all shell and ingredient eggs for the UK and Republic of Ireland to be cage-free, while UK produce must be LEAF Marque certified.

Tesco also acknowledged that some goals were not fully achieved, including its target to grow plant-based meat alternative sales by 300% by 2025, citing market decline and changing customer preferences.

Tesco highlights collaboration across the food system

Murphy said: “What’s clear is that many of the challenges we still face cannot be solved by one company alone – they require shared responsibility, and in some cases, regulatory change. A partnership approach will be essential.”

Tesco highlighted collaboration across its sustainable farming groups, alongside partnerships with the British Nutrition Foundation, FareShare, Olio, the Coronation Food Project and Alliance Food Sourcing.

Murphy added: “I firmly believe there is real opportunity for those businesses who can work together and build effective partnerships.”

Read more about how Tesco and RenEco have launched a new surplus food feed facility, transforming bakery and produce waste into animal feed and advancing circularity across the UK food system.

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Essity boosts recycled fibre processing at flagship UK manufacturing site

The new facility, backed by an investment of more than £30 million, increases recycled fibre processing capacity at the Prudhoe site to more than 105,000 tonnes per year. According to the company, the expansion brings Essity’s total annual recycled fibre capacity in the UK to approximately 190,000 tonnes.

The new Unifibres facility strengthens domestic fibre supply, supports a more circular economy and improves the resilience of its UK manufacturing operations.

New facility designed to improve manufacturing efficiency and circularity

Essity said the Prudhoe recycled fibre facility has been designed to process a wider range of recovered paper materials, including lower grade paper, helping extend the lifecycle of fibre resources used in tissue production.

The facility also improves the segregation of contaminants such as plastics, while reducing waste sent to landfill and improving energy efficiency across operations. Essity said the investment replaces older infrastructure with modern, high-efficiency technology to support lower environmental impact while maintaining high-quality tissue production.

The Prudhoe site is Essity’s largest manufacturing facility in the UK and a key part of its wider European tissue production network. The company described the project as its largest capital investment across UK operations in the past decade.

Essity positions Prudhoe at forefront of sustainable tissue manufacturing

Martin Hallissey, Site Manager at Essity’s Prudhoe mill, said: “The opening of this recycled fibre facility is a proud moment for everyone at Prudhoe.

“It’s a significant investment in our site and our people, and it strengthens our ability to source recycled fibre while improving efficiency and reducing waste.

“This facility puts Prudhoe at the forefront of sustainable tissue manufacturing in the UK.”

Essity said the new facility further strengthens its position as the UK’s largest user of recycled fibre in consumer tissue products and the leading user of recycled fibre for tissue production in Europe, based on publicly available 2024 industry data.

Investment supports long-term sustainable manufacturing strategy

Volker Zöller, President, Consumer Tissue at Essity, said: “This investment demonstrates Essity’s clear commitment to sustainability and circularity. Being the UK’s largest user of recycled fibre for consumer tissue, and the leading user in Europe, brings responsibility as well as opportunity.

“The Prudhoe facility strengthens our recycled fibre supply, supports our customers’ sustainability ambitions and reinforces our leadership in sustainable tissue production. In short, we are delivering genuine sustainable solutions for our customers and ultimately a clear sustainable choice for consumers.”

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Drinks group launches new corporate identity to support global expansion

The company said the rebrand reflects its purpose to “Celebrate ‘Il Buon Vivere’ Together” and is designed to reinforce its international positioning while maintaining a connection to its heritage and family ownership.

The move follows positive financial performance in 2025, with turnover reaching €370 million, up around 3% compared with 2024, alongside EBITDA of €51.4 million.

International markets remain central to growth strategy

Disaronno Group said international expansion continues to play a central role in its business model, with 70% of turnover generated outside Italy and distribution spanning almost 160 countries worldwide.

The company added that growth in 2025 was further accelerated by acquisitions announced at the end of 2025, including Amaro Averna and Zedda Piras, with completion expected before the summer.

Under the new structure, the company’s activities will be organised across three divisions while operating under a unified corporate identity.

The spirits division, which accounts for nearly two thirds of Group turnover, will operate under the Disaronno International brand and includes products such as Disaronno, Disaronno Velvet, Tia Maria, The Busker Irish Whiskey, Engine Gin and Sagamore Rye.

Disaronno Ingredients, which represents 27% of turnover, supplies semi-finished products and accessories for the ice cream and bakery sectors.

The wines division, operating under the Duca Wines umbrella brand, accounts for 11% of turnover and includes brands such as Duca di Salaparuta, Florio and Corvo.

Disaronno Group highlights scalable business model

CEO Marco Ferrari said: “The transition to Disaronno Group represents a natural evolution of our journey.

“This new corporate identity strengthens the Group by enhancing the shared values that unite our companies and by enabling a more scalable organization with an increasingly premium and structured profile.

“Choosing an iconic and recognizable name like Disaronno allows us to look to the future while maintaining a strong connection to our roots. With this new identity, we reinforce our international vision and our ability to consistently express the values that guide us. Celebrating ‘Il Buon Vivere’ Together is not simply a mission, but the principle that inspires all our activities and relationships.”

Group combines heritage, portfolio diversification and international reach

Disaronno Group said the rebranding supports its ambition to continue growing in global markets while combining tradition, innovation and entrepreneurial culture.

The company, which is wholly owned by the Reina family, employs more than 800 people across its spirits, wines and ingredients operations.

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PAN-NORDIC ALLIANCE

Leading Nordic companies, foundations, and organisations, including tech giants Ericsson and atNorth, have announced the launch of Nordic Compass – The Nordic Round Table for Industry – a new pan-Nordic alliance focused on scaling industrial collaboration across four strategically critical sectors.

Established as an association governed by a board of senior Nordic leaders, the initiative aims to strengthen both Nordic and European competitiveness and resilience through deeper regional cooperation and implementation-driven action.

The alliance will initially focus on Capital Markets, Deep Tech, Defence, and Energy, with the first set of initiatives set to be unveiled at the Nordic Compass Summit in Gothenburg, Sweden, this November.

A COLLECTIVE NORDIC AMBITION

Nordic Compass has been formed on the premise that, whilst the Nordic region collectively represents one of the world’s largest economies, cooperation between its nations and industries remains underutilised.

Jyrki Katainen, Chair of the Nordic Compass Board, Group Head of Public & Regulatory Affairs at Nordea, former Prime Minister of Finland, and former Vice-President of the European Commission for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, highlighted the need for faster regional implementation.

LEADERSHIP ACROSS THE NORDICS

Nordic Compass brings together senior leaders from across the Nordic region, with Katainen serving as Chair and Kristin Skogen Lund as Vice-Chair.

The board also includes Øyvind Eriksen of Norway, Ásta Fjeldsted of Iceland, Antti Herlin of Finland, Lars Rebien Sørensen of Denmark, and Jacob Wallenberg of Sweden. Christian Frigast and Henrik Skovby will serve as Secretary-Generals.

Alongside its board structure, the alliance will establish a Nordic Advisory Board featuring eight prominent national representatives and the Secretary-General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, helping provide regional insight and strategic alignment.

Leading Nordic high-density colocation and built-to-suit data centre provider atNorth’s participation reflects the company’s continued commitment to supporting sustainable, sovereign and energy-efficient digital infrastructure across the Nordics.

INDUSTRY-BACKED INITIATIVES

During its first year, Nordic Compass partners will work with experts to identify scalable, industry-backed initiatives within each of its four strategic priority areas.

The alliance intends to build on existing Nordic initiatives whilst collaborating closely with industry associations, interest organisations, and wider stakeholders to ensure broad alignment and complementarity across the region.

More than 25 Nordic companies, foundations, and organisations have joined Nordic Compass in various capacities, including Aker ASA, Aker Solutions, Alfa Laval, atNorth, Carl Bennet AB, Chr. Augustinus Fabrikker, Danfoss, Embla Medical, EQT, Ericsson, EY, The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, KONE, Kromann Reumert, McKinsey & Company, Nasdaq Nordic, Nokia, Nordea, Nordic Innovation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Nscale, Saab, SEB, Vattenfall, Wallenberg Investments, and Ørsted.

Dalberg and the Enterprise Think Tank will oversee the alliance’s day-to-day operations as co-initiators.

Through coordinated Nordic action, the alliance ultimately aims to demonstrate how regional industrial cooperation can accelerate innovation, reinforce resilience, and strengthen Europe’s competitive position globally.

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Improved Demand Forecasting Delivers Sustainability and Efficiency Gains

The collaboration focused on improving forecasting accuracy and redesigning planning processes across the confectionery group’s Italian operations, delivering gains in operational efficiency and sustainability across the value chain.

Over the past two and a half years, the project improved sales forecast accuracy, reducing error margins from 3.6% in 2023 to 1.0% in 2024 and down to 0.3% in 2025.

The increased forecasting precision helped reduce excess inventory, lower warehouse stock levels and improve the use of financial resources while reducing waste.

Planning Transformation Built Around Shared Data and Scenario Modelling

The initiative covered the full planning process, including monthly forecasting and medium- and long-term planning, primarily across finance and marketing functions.

At the centre of the project was the expansion of the Anaplan planning platform, creating a shared environment for data integration, simulations and decision-making scenarios.

The new model also reduced time spent on planning activities by around 40%, allowing teams to focus more on data analysis and strategic decision support.

“With BearingPoint, we have built much more than a solution, developing over time a truly strategic and evolutionary partnership based on continuity, proactiveness, and constant innovation, in synergy with the Anaplan platform,” said Daniela Loperfido, Head of Commercial Controlling at Perfetti Van Melle.

“The availability and continuity of the BearingPoint team, strengthened by their growing understanding of our business, enable us to find fast and timely solutions to every issue, ensuring long-term reliability and compliance with our standards.”

Food and Beverage Manufacturers Increase Focus on Data-Driven Planning

BearingPoint said the project demonstrates how more accurate and integrated planning can support both sustainability and long-term growth across food and beverage manufacturing operations.

“Working on financial planning means directly impacting both the quality of decision-making and the sustainability of the business,” said Gianluca Sacchi, Consumer Goods & Retail Lead at BearingPoint Italia.

“This project is the result of a journey built together with Perfetti Van Melle, based on continuous collaboration and growing mutual trust. We worked together to develop a solid and scalable model capable of generating long-term value by integrating technology and processes, overcoming fragmented data management and creating a single, reliable source of information.”

The approach has already been extended beyond Italy, with similar initiatives launched in Switzerland as Perfetti Van Melle looks to scale the planning model more broadly across the business.

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New Kildare Brewery Strengthens Irish Brewing Capacity and Sustainability Investment

Representing an investment of almost €300 million, the brewery was officially opened by Micheál Martin. The facility was constructed in under 18 months on a 40-acre site and is powered by 100% renewable electricity.

The project accommodated approximately 650 jobs during construction and has created more than 50 highly skilled permanent roles.

Brewery Expansion Planned to Support Guinness and Guinness 0.0 Growth

Diageo also confirmed plans for an approximate €400 million investment for the development of a second brewery at Littleconnell over the next three years, with work due to begin in 2026.

The new facility, known as Brewery 2, will be dedicated to the production of Guinness and Guinness 0.0 and will more than double total site capacity.

“The demand for Guinness and Guinness 0.0. is surging. Today Diageo is proud to unveil our new state of the art brewery at Littleconnell, part of our €1 billion investment in Ireland. How fitting that it’s in County Kildare, the birthplace of Arthur Guinness,” said Sir Dave Lewis, Chief Executive, Diageo.

The Littleconnell Brewery will produce ales and lagers including Rockshore, Harp, Smithwick’s and Kilkenny, alongside licensed beers such as Carlsberg, supplying both Irish and international markets.

Sustainability Technologies Designed to Reduce Energy and Water Use

Littleconnell incorporates advanced brewing and process technologies to reduce energy and water use. The company said the brewery’s design is expected to avoid up to 15,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually compared with a similar-scale facility.

“Ireland plays a key role in Diageo’s global beer supply, and Littleconnell is central to enabling future growth in Guinness exports,” said Colin O’Brien, Category Head – Global Beer Supply at Diageo.

“This site is part of Diageo’s near €1 billion investment programme that strengthens capacity, builds resilience across our brewing network and supports the global growth of Guinness and Guinness 0.0 from Ireland. Littleconnell, together with the developments at St James’s Gate, will enable growth in overall beer exports from Ireland and help us deliver on Diageo’s Spirit of Progress sustainability commitments.”

Investment Highlights Ireland’s Role in Global Brewing Operations

“Today’s opening of Diageo’s new Littleconnell Brewery in Co. Kildare is a powerful vote of confidence in Ireland and in our future as a world-leading, sustainable food and drink exporter,” said Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD. “This landmark facility forms part of Diageo’s near €1 billion investment in Ireland between 2020 and 2029, underlining the central role Ireland plays within the company’s global brewing network and highlighting the strength of our agri-food and drinks sector on the international stage.

“By choosing to invest at this scale in Ireland and to lead the way in next-generation, low-carbon brewing, Diageo is supporting skilled jobs, regional development and export growth, while helping Ireland advance its climate ambitions through innovation.”

“The opening of Littleconnell Brewery is a significant milestone for Ireland’s food and drink industry, as it is a fantastic endorsement of our skills and capabilities in this sector, and will drive export growth,” said Jenny Melia, CEO, Enterprise Ireland.

 “Enterprise Ireland is proud to support Diageo’s investment in this lighthouse project as this innovative brewery sets a new standard for industry globally, in the use of new technologies which will reduce energy and water use.”

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MAINTAINING RESILIENT TRADE FLOWS

As global supply chains continue to face mounting disruption, integrated multimodal transport networks are emerging as a critical solution for maintaining resilient trade flows. DP World is responding to these pressures by strengthening the connection between ports, marine services, rail, and road networks across its global operations.

According to the company’s latest whitepaper, A $60.7 Billion Opportunity: Multimodal Transport and the Future of Global Trade, businesses are increasingly prioritising agility, visibility, and operational resilience as geopolitical tensions, port congestion, and climate-related challenges reshape international commerce.

SHIFTING TOWARDS MULTIMODAL NETWORKS

Industry forecasts project the global multimodal transport market will grow to nearly $160 billion by 2032, creating a $60.7 billion opportunity as supply chains move away from traditional linear logistics models towards more connected regional networks.

This transition is accelerating demand for integrated transport systems capable of moving goods seamlessly across sea, rail, and road infrastructure while maintaining reliability from origin to destination.

For DP World, this transformation is already underway. Through its Marine Services business, the company connects more than 200 ports globally and supports over 23,500 sailings annually. Its Shipping Solutions division also handles approximately six million TEU, helping facilitate coastal and feeder shipping services that underpin international trade flows.

These maritime capabilities are increasingly integrated with inland logistics operations, allowing cargo to move more efficiently across key trade corridors through coordinated rail and road connectivity.

BUILDING RESILIENT TRADE CORRIDORS

As supply chains become increasingly shaped by regionalisation, resilience, and speed to market, corridor-based logistics models are gaining strategic importance.

DP World is expanding coastal and feeder connectivity beyond major shipping hubs while simultaneously improving inland access through greater rail and road integration. The company is also increasing coordination across the end-to-end cargo journey to create more unified supply chain solutions for customers operating in complex global markets.

By combining marine services with inland logistics infrastructure, DP World aims to provide customers with more flexible cargo flows capable of adapting to ongoing market disruption.

Ganesh Raj, Global COO, Marine Services, DP World, highlighted the growing importance of integrated logistics ecosystems.

REDEFINING GLOBAL TRADE

The company believes multimodal logistics networks will play a defining role in the future of global trade as businesses continue to seek supply chain models that prioritise resilience alongside efficiency.

Through greater integration across transport modes, DP World is positioning itself to support increasingly corridor-driven trade flows while helping customers navigate a rapidly evolving logistics landscape.

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SAP Unveils Autonomous Enterprise Strategy at Sapphire 2026

Announced at SAP Sapphire 2026, the initiative introduces the new SAP Business AI Platform alongside SAP Autonomous Suite, bringing together AI, enterprise data and workflow automation into a unified environment aimed at helping organisations automate critical business processes more securely and efficiently.

The strategy is designed to support closer collaboration between humans and AI as enterprises face growing pressure to improve productivity, accelerate decision-making and manage increasingly complex operations.

“For the mission-critical processes of our customers, ‘almost right’ just isn’t good enough,” said Christian Klein, CEO of SAP SE.

“By uniting SAP Business AI Platform with SAP Autonomous Suite, we anchor AI agents in the business processes, data and governance so they can deliver accurate, compliant and secure outcomes, unlocking new sources of revenue and meaningful cost savings.”

SAP Business AI Platform Unifies Enterprise AI, Data and Governance

At the centre of the announcement is SAP Business AI Platform, which combines SAP Business Technology Platform, SAP Business Data Cloud and SAP Business AI into a single governed environment for building and deploying enterprise AI applications and agents.

The platform is designed to provide AI systems with deeper business context through the SAP Knowledge Graph solution, which maps business entities, relationships and workflows across enterprise environments.

It introduced Joule Studio, a development environment for building AI agents, applications and agentic workflows using no-code, pro-code and AI development frameworks.

According to SAP, developers will be able to build enterprise AI applications on SAP-managed infrastructure designed to support enterprise-grade security, governance and scalability.

Autonomous Suite Brings AI Agents Into Core Enterprise Workflows

SAP also launched SAP Autonomous Suite, which introduces AI agents capable of executing business processes across finance, procurement, supply chain, human resources and customer experience functions.

The suite includes more than 50 domain-specific Joule Assistants supported by over 200 specialised AI agents designed to automate specific operational tasks.

One example highlighted was the Autonomous Close Assistant, which is intended to automate journal entries, reconciliations and error resolution to shorten financial close processes from weeks to days.

Industry AI Expands Sector-Specific Enterprise Automation

SAP also introduced Industry AI, expanding AI-driven automation into sector-specific operational workflows.

The new offering includes seven autonomous industry solutions embedding industry-specific process logic, regulatory requirements and operational data models into AI-driven workflows.

Using SAP’s Autonomous Asset Management scenario, AI agents are designed to analyse historical incident data, identify probable root causes and generate pre-filled maintenance work orders using proven remediation actions from previous cases.

Joule Work Redefines the Enterprise User Experience

SAP also introduced Joule Work, a new AI-driven interface designed to change how users interact with enterprise software.

Rather than navigating multiple applications and workflows manually, users will interact primarily through Joule, describing desired business outcomes while AI agents orchestrate workflows, data access and task execution behind the scenes.

Joule Work will proactively surface insights and automate routine processes even when users are not actively interacting with systems.

The interface will be available across desktop, mobile and voice environments spanning both SAP and non-SAP systems.

SAP Expands AI Partnerships and Customer Investment

As part of the launch, SAP announced a €100 million partner fund aimed at accelerating customer adoption of SAP-built AI assistants and agents.

The company also expanded its RISE with SAP and SAP GROW programmes to include broader access to Joule Assistants and AI capabilities.

SAP also announced strategic partnerships with a range of technology providers including Anthropic, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft, NVIDIA and Palantir.

The partnerships will support areas including foundation AI models, cloud data integration, agent interoperability, sovereign AI infrastructure, workflow orchestration and ERP migration automation.

In Focus: SAP and Claude

SAP and Anthropic are expanding their partnership to integrate Anthropic’s Claude AI models into the newly launched SAP Business AI Platform, as part of SAP’s Autonomous Enterprise strategy.

Claude will connect with systems including SAP S/4HANA, SAP SuccessFactors and SAP Ariba, enabling AI-driven automation for tasks such as financial close processes, employee service requests and supplier order management.

“Our open platform means we’re tightly integrated with world-leading companies across our portfolio. Together with Anthropic, we’re building something uniquely valuable for our customers,” said Christian Klein. “The Autonomous Enterprise requires AI that understands business context and acts within the controls organisations depend on, and our partnership with Claude plays a key role in this.”

“We built Claude to support the work that helps businesses run: closing the books, rerouting delayed orders, or approving expenses, to name a few. With Claude on SAP Business AI Platform, that work happens inside the systems enterprises have already invested in, with the trust and governance SAP customers rely on,” said Daniela Amodei, co-founder and president of Anthropic.

In Focus: SAP and AWS

SAP and Amazon Web Services announced plans to launch SAP Business Data Cloud Connect for Amazon Athena, a new offering designed to provide bi-directional zero-copy integration between Amazon Athena and SAP Business Data Cloud.

The integration will allow customers to access SAP data products across AWS services including Amazon Bedrock, Amazon Quick and Amazon SageMaker without replicating or moving data. SAP said the offering is intended to support self-service analytics and AI agent development across business functions while maintaining business context and governance controls.

“The next era of business will be defined by how well organizations turn intelligence into action at scale,” said Muhammad Alam, member of the Executive Board of SAP SE, SAP Product & Engineering. 

“By bringing together SAP Business Data Cloud and widely adopted AWS AI and analytics capabilities, customers can unlock the truepotential of data and AI.”

“SAP and AWS share a commitment to helping customers put their most valuable data to work,” said Ruba Borno, vice president of Global Specialists and Partners at AWS.

“By combining SAP Business Data Cloud with the AWS secure, global infrastructure and advanced AI services, organizations can unlock mission-critical SAP data and act on it at the speed and scale their business demands.”

The post SAP Autonomous Enterprise Explained: A Unified AI Platform with Industry-Specific Agents appeared first on EME Outlook Magazine.

ENABLING GREATER VISIBILITY

As geopolitical instability, climate disruption, and ongoing pressures on global trade networks continue to reshape supply chains, organisations are being forced to rethink how they source materials, manage supplier relationships, and respond to disruption.

Recent events, including shortages affecting global food and manufacturing markets, have exposed vulnerabilities arising from concentrated supplier networks and limited visibility across increasingly complex operations.

At the same time, many organisations are struggling to turn growing volumes of supply chain data into meaningful action. Fragmented systems, inconsistent information, and slow manual processes often leave procurement teams reacting to disruptions rather than anticipating them.

As supply chains become more dynamic, businesses are increasingly looking to technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), predictive analytics, and real-time data platforms to improve resilience and accelerate decision-making.

Ivalua is helping organisations address these challenges through its unified source-to-pay platform, enabling businesses to gain greater visibility into supplier networks, assess risk more effectively, and identify alternative sourcing options faster.

Ian Thompson, VP Northern Europe at Ivalua, discusses the importance of contingency planning, the role of AI in modern procurement, and why organisations that embrace intelligent, data-driven supply chain strategies will be better positioned to navigate future disruption.

Recent disruption, including the pistachio shortage, has highlighted the risks of relying on concentrated supply sources. From Ivalua’s perspective, how exposed are organisations today to single-source suppliers, and what are the biggest challenges in diversifying supply networks?

Ian Thompson, VP Northern Europe, Ivalua (IT): In a world filled with unexpected geopolitical shocks, it’s simply not viable to rely on one or two suppliers for sourcing critical components. Whether it’s international conflicts, shortages, or extreme weather, the global supplier landscape is constantly under strain. Organisations can’t afford to pick and choose which risks they plan for.

Instead, they need to create a robust contingency plan, build a diverse network of suppliers with different profiles across multiple regions, and increase supply chain visibility. Only then can they reduce risk exposure and allow for quick pivots in the event of disruption.

But currently, according to Ivalua research, 62 percent of organisations say their supply chains can’t deal with the shifting geopolitical sands. They have more data at their disposal than ever before, but it’s fragmented, inconsistent, and hard to act on.

Poor data quality means there is limited visibility into suppliers and rigid systems that prevent organisations from identifying alternatives and onboarding them at pace.

Ivalua data shows that 23 percent of organisations have replaced suppliers in the Middle East over the past 12 months. What is driving this shift, and how should businesses approach identifying alternative suppliers effectively?

IT: Increasing conflict in the Middle East and disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz are making it incredibly difficult to source direct materials that pass through the region. In response, some organisations have shifted out their suppliers for now.

But to maintain supply continuity, quality control, and reasonable costs when pivoting across regions, organisations must have the tools to make informed decisions, or they could face rising costs or supply gaps.

This means being able to strategically source suppliers based on cost, risk, and their capacity to contribute to the organisation’s wider objectives, such as quality controls or sustainability goals. Only then can organisations maintain continuity without exposing themselves to added risk.

Contingency planning is often discussed but not always implemented. How does Ivalua define a robust, practical contingency plan in today’s volatile supply chain environment?

IT: Traditionally, teams relied on manual processes and Excel spreadsheets to manage their sourcing and would base their contingency plans on this information.

Alternatively, they used risk solutions that tended to focus on specific types of disruptions to provide event notifications. But these methods are too slow and limited in today’s broad environment of geopolitical tensions, tariff wars, and climate-driven disruption.

Ivalua focuses on uniting supply chain data and using AI to pinpoint realistic alternative sourcing options in an instant or anticipate disruptions before they happen. Predictive analytics and scenario modelling help procurement teams anticipate potential supply shocks, evaluate alternatives, and act with speed.

Visibility is frequently cited as a critical factor in building resilience. How does Ivalua enable end-to-end supply chain visibility, and how can this help organisations anticipate and respond to disruptions more effectively?

IT: Ivalua has built a truly unified source-to-pay platform, gathering data from the organisation, third parties, suppliers, and stakeholders to create a single source of truth for spend and risk management.

With this complete visibility, organisations can govern all spend and supplier information from one place, setting up intelligent workflows that will improve decision-making and reduce risk.

Looking ahead, as AI becomes a critical component of supply chain resilience, this architecture ensures AI can connect data, follow organisational rules, and provide procurement teams with insights and recommendations to respond to disruptions effectively.

How are new technologies such as AI transforming supply chain management, particularly when it comes to predicting risk and enabling faster decision-making? Looking ahead, why will businesses that embrace these tools be better positioned?

IT: Many organisations are already using basic AI copilots to assist with drafting queries and routine supplier communications.

In practice, generative AI (Gen AI) and Agentic AI enable procurement teams to perform instant risk assessments and develop mitigation plans during supply chain disruptions, significantly reducing response time. This will also free up teams to focus on higher-value activities such as risk analysis, relationship-building and developing strategies that enhance supply chain resilience and agility.

The next phase of development will see AI agents working proactively and more autonomously within the procurement process, with the organisations that can achieve this first gaining a serious competitive advantage. For example, agents can help procurement professionals to instantly analyse spend patterns for existing suppliers or model how supplier failures could affect production or revenue.

However, AI’s reliability depends on the quality and consistency of the data on which it’s grounded. Armed with the right context and clear recommendations, procurement teams can make more effective decisions in times of crisis.

The post “Ivalua has built a truly unified source-to-pay platform”: Q&A with Ian Thompson, VP Northern Europe, Ivalua appeared first on EME Outlook Magazine.

Heidelberg Materials Accelerates Autonomous Mining Equipment Deployment

It is moving from an initial “lighthouse project” phase into a broader rollout spanning six sites across North America, Australia, and Europe. The expansion will include around 30 autonomous vehicles in 2026 as part of a wider strategy to deploy more than 100 autonomous vehicles globally by the end of 2028.

The rollout builds on the successful deployment of an autonomous haulage system (AHS) at Heidelberg Materials’ Lake Bridgeport quarry in Texas.

Autonomous Haulage Expansion Targets Quarry Productivity and Safety

In North America, Heidelberg Materials is extending its autonomous haulage system programme to additional sites in Indiana and Texas and is also launching its first autonomous haulage projects in Australia at quarry operations in New South Wales and Western Australia.

In Europe, Heidelberg Materials is beginning an autonomous wheel loader trial at a sand and gravel operation in Northern Germany.

The automation programme covers two heavy equipment categories and is designed to integrate into existing mobile fleets, enabling a more scalable and cost-efficient approach to fleet modernisation.

AI and Sensor Technologies Drive Operational Automation

The autonomous systems use advanced sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence to operate haul trucks and other mobile equipment in complex operating environments.

The company said the rollout is intended to improve both operational performance and safety outcomes while also creating additional margin potential through scalable automation technologies.

“Advancing automation and AI applications is a key pillar of our technical excellence agenda as we look to constantly raise the bar for our processes and equipment,” said Axel Conrads, Chief Technical Officer and Member of the Managing Board of Heidelberg Materials.

“With a strong global autonomous deployment team working closely with best-in-class technology partners, we are now focused on scaling the technology in a disciplined, results-driven way.”

Mining and Quarry Operators Increase Investment in Autonomous Equipment

The expansion reflects broader industry momentum toward autonomous operations across mining, quarrying, and heavy materials handling sectors as companies look to improve safety, productivity, and operational consistency.

Autonomous haulage systems are increasingly being deployed across resource extraction operations globally, particularly in environments where repetitive transport cycles and large mobile fleets create opportunities for operational automation.

The current rollout forms part of a broader technical excellence strategy focused on digitalisation, automation, and AI deployment across its international operations.

The post Heidelberg Materials Expands Autonomous Heavy Equipment Across Global Mining Operations appeared first on EME Outlook Magazine.

AI-Powered Scope 3 Management Targets Manufacturing Supply Chains

The partnership is aimed at helping manufacturers move beyond emissions reporting toward measurable decarbonisation action across complex global value chains.

Carbmee’s AI-powered platform is designed to collect supplier-specific, product-level, and site-level emissions data at scale, enabling manufacturers to gain more granular visibility into Scope 3 emissions across their supply chains.

The platform also includes analytics and scenario modelling capabilities that allow companies to evaluate the impact of supplier switching and different decarbonisation strategies on emissions and operational performance.

The approach is intended to help manufacturers shift from static reporting toward more actionable carbon management strategies tied directly to procurement, sourcing, and operational decisions.

Partnership Combines Carbon Intelligence with Supply Chain Transformation

Under the partnership, ERM will use the emissions insights generated through Carbmee’s platform to support supplier engagement and decarbonisation programmes for manufacturing clients.

These programmes include:

• Redesigning emissions-intensive materials and supply chains
• Renewable electricity procurement
• Power purchase agreements (PPAs)
• Broader supply chain decarbonisation initiatives

ERM will help ensure emissions data, methodologies, and reduction pathways align with major reporting and disclosure frameworks, including the GHG Protocol, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and IFRS-aligned disclosure requirements.

Manufacturers Face Growing Pressure to Decarbonise Scope 3 Emissions

The partnership comes as manufacturers face increasing regulatory, investor, and customer pressure to improve transparency around Scope 3 emissions, which often represent the largest share of a company’s carbon footprint.

Supply chain emissions data is becoming increasingly important not only for sustainability reporting but also for broader operational resilience, procurement strategy, and risk management.

“Companies that master Scope 3 will not just report lower emissions or meet their stated targets, they will build lower-cost, more resilient, and more competitive businesses,” said Olaf Schatteman, Global Service Leader, Sustainable Products & Supply Chain at ERM.

“Working with Carbmee as part of our ecosystem of partners, we are looking forward to helping more clients use credible, auditable Scope 3 data to drive targeted decarbonisation action and enhanced business performance.”

AI and Sustainability Platforms Gain Momentum Across Industrial Sectors

The collaboration reflects growing adoption of AI-enabled sustainability platforms across manufacturing and industrial sectors as companies seek more accurate emissions data and faster decarbonisation pathways.

Dieter Krockauer, Senior Vice President at Carbmee, said the partnership is designed to help companies connect emissions visibility with measurable operational improvements.

“Together, Carbmee’s AI-powered environmental intelligence system combined with ERM’s deep expertise on both decarbonisation strategy and implementation helps companies deliver measurable CO2e reductions, lower costs, and build more resilient supply chains.”

The companies said the combined offering is intended to provide manufacturers with an end-to-end solution spanning emissions data collection, analysis, supplier engagement, and implementation of decarbonisation programmes across global operations.

The post ERM and Carbmee Partner to Help Manufacturers Turn Scope 3 Data into Decarbonisation Action appeared first on EME Outlook Magazine.

Coupa Expands Procurement AI Capabilities with Rossum Acquisition

The acquisition builds on an existing partnership between the two companies focused on automating complex invoicing processes for accounts payable teams. Coupa said the deal will now extend Rossum’s intelligent document processing capabilities across its broader autonomous spend management platform using agentic AI.

The move comes as procurement and supply chain organisations increase investment in AI-enabled automation to improve efficiency, reduce manual processing and strengthen spend visibility across increasingly complex supply networks.

Coupa Sees Long-Term Opportunity for AI Across Source-to-Pay

Coupa said the acquisition reflects a broader strategy to build more autonomous procurement and spend management capabilities using AI-driven decision-making and transactional intelligence.

“The combined value of Coupa and Rossum has been proven in AP and invoicing, and we see massive future value in applying Rossum’s T-LLM and AI-first technology across the Coupa platform,” said Leagh Turner, CEO of Coupa.

“We’ve been able to deliver over $300 billion in customer savings over the past 20 years. With Rossum, we believe we can help them save the next $300 billion in five with a system of decision and intelligence that is unrivalled.”

AI-Powered Transactional Intelligence Targets Procurement Efficiency

Rossum’s platform uses a proprietary transactional large language model (T-LLM) trained on tens of millions of transactional documents to automate document processing workflows beyond traditional OCR-based systems.

The technology continuously learns from customer-specific document environments, helping improve processing speed and accuracy over time.

The integration is intended to allow procurement and finance teams to gain faster invoice processing, improved data control and reduced operational costs across both direct and indirect spend categories.

Automation Expands Beyond Traditional OCR

Rossum said the acquisition represents the next stage of a long-term collaboration centred on AI-enabled transactional automation.

The company specialises in automating supply chain paperwork and transactional document workflows across goods and services supply chains using an AI-first, cloud-native platform.

“By combining our proprietary T-LLM transactional intelligence with Coupa’s massive $10T data set, we are well positioned to create immediate customer value and fundamentally change how the world buys and sells,” said Tomáš Gogár, CEO and Co-Founder of Rossum.

The companies said the combined platform is designed to support broader automation initiatives spanning procurement, invoicing, supplier collaboration and transaction processing.

The news was announced at Coupa’s flagship annual conference, Inspire. 

The post “We See Massive Future Value”: Coupa CEO Leagh Turner on Rossum Acquisition to Expand AI-Driven Autonomous Spend Management appeared first on EME Outlook Magazine.

AI-DRIVEN ADVANCEMENT IN PARKINSON’S CARE

Cellular Intelligence has entered into an agreement with Novo Nordisk to acquire global rights to the pharmaceutical giant’s clinical-stage cell therapy programme for Parkinson’s disease.

The agreement marks a significant milestone for Cellular Intelligence as it looks to apply its proprietary AI-native platform to accelerate clinical development, manufacturing, and the path towards commercialisation for the programme, which is currently in a first-in-human Phase 1/2 clinical trial.

Importantly, the therapy has already received FDA Fast Track Designation and IND clearance for further clinical development, underscoring its potential as a meaningful disease-modifying treatment for people living with Parkinson’s disease.

As part of the arrangement, Novo Nordisk will also make an equity investment into Cellular Intelligence and remain eligible for future milestones and royalties.

SCALING CELL THERAPY THROUGH AI

At the centre of the collaboration is Cellular Intelligence’s AI-native platform, which combines proprietary multiplexing technologies with a foundation model trained on data spanning millions of unique perturbation conditions.

The company believes this approach can significantly compress traditional cell therapy development and manufacturing timelines whilst reducing costs and improving scalability – key barriers that have historically limited wider commercial adoption within regenerative medicine.

The Parkinson’s programme itself focuses on an allogeneic pluripotent stem cell-derived dopaminergic progenitor therapy, designed to address the growing global burden of neurodegenerative disease.

Beyond the immediate programme, Cellular Intelligence also expects the clinical and manufacturing data generated through development to further strengthen its foundation model, potentially enabling wider applications across cell therapy and regenerative medicine in the future.

STRENGTHENING CLINICAL LEADERSHIP

To support the programme’s continued advancement, Cellular Intelligence has appointed Nuno Mendonça, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer.

A board-certified neurologist, Dr. Mendonça brings extensive experience from senior clinical development roles at Bial, AbbVie, and Novartis Gene Therapies, spanning both early- and late-stage neuroscience and rare disease programmes across North America and Europe.

The appointment reflects Cellular Intelligence’s ambitions to rapidly scale the programme’s clinical progression whilst leveraging its AI capabilities to streamline manufacturing and operational efficiency.

Operating under the legal entity Somite Therapeutics, Cellular Intelligence describes itself as an AI-native TechBio focused on building a universal foundation model of cell signalling to better understand, predict, and ultimately control cellular behaviour.

Headquartered in Boston, the company has raised more than USD$60 million to date from investors including Khosla Ventures, CZI, SciFi VC, and AMD Ventures, as it continues expanding its clinical-stage regenerative medicine platform.

The post Novo Nordisk and Cellular Intelligence Advance Parkinson’s Therapy appeared first on EME Outlook Magazine.

Smurfit Westrock Introduces New 2030 Sustainability Targets

The packaging company said the new targets reinforce its long-term focus on supporting a lower-carbon, circular economy through paper-based packaging solutions and operational sustainability initiatives.

The new 2030 targets include:

• Reducing Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 28% from a 2019 baseline,
• Cutting water intake at mills by 22%,
• Reducing waste sent to landfill by 24%,
• Investing more than $40 million in social, environmental, and community initiatives by 2030.

Circular Packaging Strategy Supports Customer Sustainability Goals

A central focus of the report is Smurfit Westrock’s Better Planet Packaging initiative, which is designed to help customers improve packaging sustainability, increase circularity, and reduce environmental impact across supply chains.

The initiative is helping customers meet sustainability targets through packaging innovation and collaboration across the value chain.

“At Smurfit Westrock, sustainability is firmly embedded in how we operate,” said Garrett Quinn, Group Head of Sustainability, Branding and Communications at Smurfit Westrock.

“By setting clear, measurable targets and continuing to invest in circular, paper based solutions, we are strengthening our ability to serve customers, manage risk and support the transition to a lower carbon, circular economy.”

Sustainability Investments Focus on Emissions, Water and Waste Reduction

The report also highlights operational projects aimed at improving environmental performance across manufacturing facilities.

Among the examples cited was the achievement of net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions at four Smurfit Westrock box plants in France.

The company also detailed major water sustainability investments, including a $30 million upgrade to the wastewater pre-treatment and recycling system at its Solvay mill in New York.

The investment reflects growing industry focus on water stewardship and resource efficiency within paper and packaging manufacturing operations, where water use remains a critical sustainability issue.

Biodiversity and Community Programmes Expand Across Global Operations

Beyond operational targets, Smurfit Westrock is celebrating efforts to expand biodiversity and community-focused programmes through partnerships and educational initiatives.

This includes ongoing work with the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC) to strengthen chain-of-custody standards, alongside a collaboration with the World Wildlife Federation on the Wild Wisdom Biodiversity contest involving schoolchildren in Colombia.

The report positions sustainability as both an environmental priority and a business strategy linked to customer demand, investor expectations, and operational resilience.

“We look for the business case in everything we do, and sustainability is no different,” said Tony Smurfit, President and CEO of Smurfit Westrock.

“Across the markets in which we operate, stakeholders such as customers and investors continue to expect it, and we remain focused on reducing our environmental footprint. I believe that sustainable business is good business.”

The post Smurfit Westrock Sets New ‘Better Planet’ Targets in Push Toward Circular, Lower-Carbon Packaging appeared first on EME Outlook Magazine.

ACCELERATING DEMAND

As electricity demand accelerates worldwide, ABB is strengthening its position at the forefront of grid transformation with a major USD$200 million investment programme across Europe.

Announced from Zurich, Switzerland, the initiative will expand the company’s medium-voltage manufacturing footprint over the next three years, enhancing production capacity for next-generation electrical distribution technologies.

The investment comes as utilities, industries, and data centres increasingly modernise infrastructure to support electrification, renewable integration, and sustainable energy systems.

According to the International Energy Agency, electricity’s share of final energy consumption is projected to rise from approximately 20 percent today to nearly 30 percent by 2030, intensifying pressure on global power grids and accelerating demand for resilient energy infrastructure.

INVESTING IN GRID MODERNIZATION

At the centre of the programme is a new USD$100 million manufacturing facility in Dalmine, Italy, which will support growing demand for air-insulated and SF₆-free switchgear and breakers.

The facility forms part of ABB’s broader strategy to accelerate the adoption of cleaner and more efficient power distribution technologies, particularly as utilities and industrial operators seek to decarbonise operations while maintaining grid reliability.

A further USD$100 million will be directed toward capacity expansion projects across existing ABB facilities in Rakovski, Bulgaria; Vaasa, Finland; Ratingen, Germany; Skien, Norway; and Przasnysz, Poland.

These sites will scale production of technologies, including gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), vacuum interrupters, and relays, all of which play a critical role in delivering reliable and resilient power distribution networks.

SUPPORTING THE ENERGY TRANSITION

The latest investment programme also builds upon ABB’s recent manufacturing expansion initiatives elsewhere in Europe.

In Kecskemét, Hungary, the company invested approximately USD$15 million to enhance research and development alongside production capabilities for connector technologies. The expansion is designed to improve medium-voltage network reliability and strengthen ABB’s portfolio of grid resilience solutions for utility and renewable energy customers.

Meanwhile, in Nottingham, UK, ABB invested around USD$35 million to expand production of earthing and lightning protection technologies. These systems are increasingly vital for safeguarding critical infrastructure, including data centers, communications networks, transportation systems, and commercial buildings from lightning strikes and electrical surges.

Together, the investments underscore ABB’s long-term commitment to developing resilient manufacturing capabilities that support the evolving needs of modern power grids.

ENGINEERED TO OUTRUN

With more than 140 years of history and approximately 110,000 employees worldwide, ABB continues to position itself as a global leader in electrification and automation technologies.

Through its engineering expertise and digitalisation capabilities, the company supports industries seeking greater efficiency, productivity, and sustainability while navigating the rapid transformation of the global energy landscape.

As electrification accelerates and infrastructure demands intensify, ABB’s latest European investment programme signals a clear intention to remain at the forefront of the technologies powering the next generation of grids.

The post ABB : Powering Europe’s Grid Future appeared first on EME Outlook Magazine.