PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES
USC launches Institute on Ethics & Trust in Computing
University of Southern California is launching the Institute on Ethics & Trust in Computing, where experts will offer ethical guidance and resources to students and researchers on the development and applications of artificial intelligence and other technologies.
US lifts ban on New York offshore wind project after natural gas pipe compromise
The Trump administration lifted a month-old stop-work order on Empire Wind, a $5 billion wind farm project off the coast of New York, in a compromise with the state that could also see cancelled plans for a gas pipeline revived.
Nearly 60-foot superconducting magnet sent to France to power the ITER fusion reactor
The United States recently delivered a critical component to France’s ITER site: an 18-meter-tall (59-feet-tall) superconducting magnet, known as the central solenoid. The magnet comprises six individual magnetic modules, each weighing around 266,800 pounds, and will be responsible for initiating and maintaining the plasma within the reactor.
SCHOTT Pharma invests in sterile cartridge production in Hungary
SCHOTT Pharma is investing more than 100 million euros in its existing site in Lukácsháza, Hungary, to expand its capacity for sterile ready-to-use cartridges.
ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS
Heidelberg Materials North America acquires concrete recycling business in Calgary
Heidelberg Materials North America acquired certain assets of Concrete Crushers Inc., the largest concrete recycler in Calgary, Alberta. The transaction includes a recycled aggregates yard in Southeast Calgary and a contract crushing business with four mobile plants.
Carbon Upcycling and TITAN Group partner to develop low-carbon construction materials
Carbon Upcycling Technologies Inc. and TITAN Group entered into a memorandum of agreement to explore the commercial deployment of Carbon Upcycling’s technology for producing local, low-carbon building materials. This collaboration builds upon TITAN’s earlier investment in Carbon Upcycling.
AGI Glaspac to partner with UK-based Glass Futures
AGI Glaspac, India’s glass packaging company, announced its partnership with U.K.-based Glass Futures, a global research and technology organization dedicated to developing sustainable, low-carbon solutions for the glass industry on World Environment Day.
Calderys aids EU-funded project to develop thermal energy-based decarbonization solutions
Since its launch in May 2023, Calderys has participated in HEATERNAL, an EU-funded project working to develop a viable decarbonization solution using thermal energy storage. As the only refractory maker involved in the HEATERNAL project, Calderys plays a pivotal role in testing, selecting, and prefabricating the refractory solution for the thermal energy storage applications.
ASTM International teams with manufacturers to create additive manufacturing certification
ASTM International’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence introduced a new manufacturer certification program aimed at improving quality assurance and process control in the additive manufacturing supply chain. The certification was developed with input from more than 25 end users including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Ford, and General Motors.
OTHER STORIES
BIA opens entries for 2025 Brick in Architecture Awards
The Brick Industry Association opened entries for the 2025 Brick in Architecture Awards. Entries are due by Aug. 29, 2025. New this year, the 2025 winning projects and teams will be honored live at the Inaugural Brick Excellence Gala on April 9, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Fla.
CelSian to host glass defects training course
CelSian will host an introductory training course on bubble and seed defects in glass production on June 24–25, 2025. The training will take place over two half-days, from 2–6 p.m. CET. It is available both online and in-person at CelSian’s training centre in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Trump admin cuts $3.7B for industrial decarbonization and carbon capture
The U.S. Department of Energy is canceling more than $3.7 billion in funding for projects that would cut carbon emissions and toxic air pollution from power plants and industrial sites, ranging from cement kilns to ketchup-processing plants. The DOE’s cancellations will also impact several projects seeking to reduce carbon emissions from glass production.
A tonic and mixers company now uses all-US-made packaging
Disruptions in the supply chain due to the COVID-19 pandemic led Top Note Tonic on a journey to find locally sourced packaging, which the brand just debuted in May 2025.
MARKET TRENDS
Carbon capture is struggling just as big projects start
Just as several big carbon capture and storage projects are getting off the ground, there is a retreat in both industry and government from ambitious goals for CO2 emissions cuts. This growing resistance to reaching net-zero emissions means that some carbon capture technology pioneers are suffering financially and paring back plans.
Author
Lisa McDonald