Somerset gigafactory underpins £700m manufacturing push
The UK has confirmed a Somerset gigafactory that has secured £380m of government funding and has underpinned over £700m of combined public and private investment, which has been projected to create about 4,200 jobs and supply‑chain activity.
Vacuum insulation panels for liquefied hydrogen tanks
The EU-funded NICOLHy project has investigated vacuum insulation panel concepts to improve scalability and cost-efficiency of large liquefied hydrogen storage tanks and has scheduled large-scale tests to assess thermal performance, safety, installation and economic viability.
Kapsch TrafficCom completes Castellón de la Plana LEZ
Kapsch TrafficCom has completed a €1.52m Low Emission Zone in Castellón de la Plana, integrating OCR cameras, air and noise sensors, signage, software and a mobile app, and has updated the city’s traffic management with EU Next Generation fund support.
2026 Women in Industry Awards, Sydney
The Women in Industry Awards have been scheduled for 18 June in Sydney and have attracted sponsors and delegates, and organisers have set a 27 April date for announcing finalists.
Safety upgrades completed on Warrego and Carnarvon Highways
Authorities have completed three road safety projects on the Warrego and Carnarvon highways in south west Queensland, widening seven kilometres of carriageway, improving an intersection and delivering a shared walking and cycling path to enhance safety, reliability and freight access.
German TD.QR project advances quantum repeater development
A German consortium has launched a €12.4m programme to develop and test quantum repeater components, and has planned field trials and multi-node integration to validate technologies for scalable quantum networks ahead of a 2028 milestone.
Procurement, governance block digital change in construction
Industry analysis has found that digital initiatives have faltered as procurement, commercial incentives and governance have remained misaligned with data‑driven decision‑making, impeding data flow, accountability and effective use of AI across construction projects.
A$107m allocated to 42 local road projects
A$107 million has been allocated to 42 road projects under the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program, and more than A$91 million has been earmarked for regional upgrades across states and territories.
Ruptela to develop 5G satellite-based global tracker
UAB Ruptela has been implementing the I5GLOSIS project with KTU and Telia Lietuva to develop a 5G satellite NB‑IoT global tracking device integrated with TrustTrack platform, and the EUR 1.674m project has been funded under the Next Generation Lithuania plan.
BPCL–Sembcorp JV secures sub-$3/kg green hydrogen deal
A BPCL–Sembcorp joint venture has secured a contract to supply about 10,000 tonnes annually of green hydrogen to Numaligarh Refinery at roughly ₹279/kg, marking a record low price and backing a long-term supply agreement for operations by 2028.
Austrade outlines US$2.1bn Pacific infrastructure pipeline
Austrade has presented a consolidated US$2.1bn pipeline of 824 contracts across 14 Pacific countries, and has pre-launched a searchable platform; multilateral financiers have outlined procurement and resilience priorities.
AVIS completes first inland waterways test run
GMV has completed the first AVIS test run on the Guadalquivir River, demonstrating GNSS and Earth observation integration for automated inland navigation; the prototype has delivered high-integrity positioning and Copernicus alerts have been validated.
Kennards Hire expands into specialist project solutions
Kennards Hire has expanded its offering with Specialist Solutions to provide expert-led equipment and services for complex infrastructure projects, after industry research has shown supplier fragmentation and limited access to specialist expertise have impeded delivery on many projects.
WorksiteOps mobile-first platform for site management
CSM Business and Mobility has deployed WorksiteOps, a mobile-first platform that has enabled offline OCR asset capture, local data processing and Microsoft Power Platform integration, and has restored site-level visibility over materials, equipment and inspections.
Vodafone upgrades German last-mile network with Aurora
Aurora Networks has upgraded Vodafone’s German broadband access with Remote PHY, Distributed Access Architecture and virtual CMTS, and has enabled centralised management, automated provisioning and multigigabit-capable last-mile connectivity to improve throughput, latency and operational flexibility.
Ecopals completes second EcoFlakes project in Scotland
Ecopals has completed a second EcoFlakes PRO installation in North Lanarkshire, combining recycled-plastic additive with Warm Mix Asphalt to lower emissions, reduce virgin polymer use and expand UK trials of low-carbon road materials.
Kapsch TrafficCom awarded Anaga park access contract
Kapsch TrafficCom has been awarded a EUR 428,000 contract to manage access to Tenerife's Anaga natural park, and has installed 35 ANPR cameras across 16 sites and three access points; the project has been partly funded by EU NextGen.
Ecopals delivers recycled-plastic asphalt additive in UK
Ecopals has delivered a second UK project using EcoFlakes PRO with warm mix asphalt, has reduced estimated CO₂ emissions versus conventional asphalt, has expanded its UK footprint and has won the IRF 2025 Start‑Up Label.
Development Victoria: de-risking urban renewal projects
Development Victoria has acted as a self-funded public developer, de-risking state-owned land through assembly, remediation and planning, and has established collaborative partnerships to enable private-sector delivery of housing, precinct regeneration and affordable housing outcomes.
Select Plant shifts focus to regional infrastructure
Select Plant has pivoted its fleet and services towards regional infrastructure, has expanded into renewables, transmission and defence projects, and has invested in electric plant, mobile support solutions and workforce training to meet long-distance mobilisation challenges.
Hidden fleet costs in UK construction
Construction firms have experienced margin pressure and weak output growth, and fleet-related indirect costs have been identified as dispersed contributors to profitability erosion; video telematics has increased visibility, enabled targeted interventions and reduced incident-related costs.
James Congdon-Sir Donald Bradman intersection upgraded
A $40 million upgrade to the James Congdon and Sir Donald Bradman Drive intersection has been completed, delivering new turn lanes, pedestrian and cycle facilities and a link road, and has been projected to cut peak‑hour delays by about 30%.
Wakehurst Parkway upgrade contract awarded
The New South Wales Government has awarded an $85.1m contract to Ertech for the Wakehurst Parkway upgrade, has completed detailed design and has scheduled construction to start mid‑year; consultation has also been launched on the Northern Beaches Network Review.
Octave outlines lifecycle intelligence for construction
Octave has advocated a lifecycle-intelligence approach to connect design, construction and operations, and has positioned its software to reduce data silos, automate clash detection and improve schedule and cost predictability for large construction projects.
Global muon network for space and atmospheric monitoring
The Georgia State University‑led gLOWCOST project has established a global network of low‑cost muon detectors to monitor space and atmospheric conditions, has installed over 17 detectors across ten countries by February 2026, and has invited partners to join.
Guides update composite and weathering steel bridge design
BlueScope and WSP have released updated guides that have aligned composite and weathering steel bridge design with AS/NZS 5100.6:2024, and have provided visual span tables, material options and early-stage planning tools for economical, durable bridge solutions in Australia.
VUE supplies video telematics and DVS to Shred Station
VUE has implemented video telematics and DVS compliance solutions across Shred Station’s mixed fleet to enhance operational oversight and regulatory adherence.
Geofabrics advances geosynthetics for infrastructure
Geofabrics has expanded its geosynthetic range, has invested in a local testing centre and has supplied engineered systems to improve stability, drainage and lifecycle performance across Australasian roads, rail and coastal infrastructure.
McConnell Dowell backs International No‑Dig Auckland
McConnell Dowell has become a Silver sponsor of International No‑Dig Auckland and has reinforced its engagement with trenchless technologies and has showcased delivery capabilities for underground infrastructure amid heightened investment in New Zealand water and urban projects.
Austrade to brief firms on USD 2bn Pacific pipeline
Austrade has briefed Australian contractors on a USD 2 billion Pacific infrastructure pipeline and has provided updates on transport, energy, water and social projects, highlighting opportunities for civil works contracts valued from USD 10 million.
UK–South Africa Intelligent Observatory AI project
A UK–South Africa collaboration has developed AI to automate telescope monitoring, accelerate data processing and improve observational reliability, integrating real-time health monitoring, predictive maintenance, automated data reduction and AI-assisted document search across major observatory facilities.
Ruptela develops global 5G satellite tracking system
UAB Ruptela has launched the I5GLOSIS project with Kaunas University of Technology and Telia Lietuva to develop a 5G satellite NB‑IoT global tracking device integrated with TrustTrack; the EUR 1.674m project has been financed under Lithuania's Next Generation recovery plan.
Ashok Leyland commences construction of EV battery plant
Ashok Leyland has broken ground on a ₹400–500 crore battery-pack facility in Pillaipakkam, Tamil Nadu, to localise EV battery production for commercial vehicles, support supply-chain resilience and align with state and national electrification policies.
Trimble launches Tekla 2026 for BIM and construction
Trimble has released the Tekla 2026 suite, which has integrated AI-driven fabrication drawing generation, cloud-based workflows and enhanced interoperability to accelerate design-to-construction processes and reduce manual rework across engineering, fabrication and site operations.
Verizon Business on fibre, metro access and private 5G
Verizon Business has presented an AI networking strategy centred on dense fibre, metro access and private 5G, and has positioned its AI Connect portfolio to enable programmable, low-latency edge inference and enterprise connectivity.
Women in Industry Awards to return in 2026
Organisers have confirmed the return of the Women in Industry Awards in 2026, a relocation to Sydney and four new categories, increasing the total to 16 and broadening sector coverage.
Governments urged to adopt construction culture standard
The Australian Constructors Association has urged governments to embed the Construction Industry Culture Standard in procurement after trials have shown improvements in retention, female participation, productivity and wellbeing without adding time or cost to major projects.
Queensland advances Sunshine Coast transport projects
The Queensland Government has advanced multiple Sunshine Coast transport projects, with geotechnical works for The Wave Stage 2 having begun, tenders for the Caloundra corridor having been opened, and early works and procurement for the Mooloolah interchange having progressed.
ANTENNAE: Integrated CNS using 3GPP for low-altitude
The ANTENNAE project has assessed 3GPP standards to deliver integrated communication, navigation and surveillance for low-altitude aircraft by combining terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, and has reported improvements in coverage, resilience, capacity and operational efficiency.
EURO-3C €75m federated edge-cloud-AI platform
The EURO-3C consortium has launched a €75m federated platform linking telecoms, edge, cloud and AI across 13 countries, has integrated over 70 production nodes and has planned nine large-scale pilots to validate cross-border interoperability and commercial viability.
SNS JU awards €116m to 20 6G research projects
The SNS JU has awarded €116m to 20 projects, has expanded its 6G portfolio to 100 initiatives and has announced planned additional investments of €270m for 2026–27 to advance European 6G research, trials and standardisation.
Kapsch TrafficCom completes Palencia low-emission zone
Kapsch TrafficCom has completed implementation of Palencia's low-emission zone, deploying ANPR cameras, air-quality sensors and a digital access-control platform; the EUR 1.4m project has been funded by NextGenerationEU and Spain's Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
Australia high-speed rail enters detailed planning
The ARA has welcomed the move into detailed planning and has said two years of development funding has been allocated to assess delivery, economic impacts, travel-time reduction, housing integration and network expansion for Australia’s proposed high-speed rail.
LiCAP solvent-free dry electrode manufacturing process
LiCAP has developed a solvent-free dry electrode process and has reported it can cut energy use by about 40% and battery manufacturing costs by up to 50%. It has licensed the technology and has formed partnerships with Cellforce and Nissan.
Five European MNOs launch pan‑European federated edge
Five major European mobile operators have created a pan‑European federated edge continuum that has provided a single‑entry point for cross‑border workload deployment and has aligned with EU sovereignty initiatives to enable policy‑driven compute placement and interoperability.
ESA funding call for satellite solutions for rural transport
The European Space Agency has launched a Kick-starts funding call and has offered up to €75,000 per feasibility study, co-funded at 75% for six-month projects, to support satellite-enabled services improving rural transport networks.
Melbourne Airport Rail enters delivery phase
Federal and Victorian governments have commenced delivery of the $4.1bn Melbourne Airport Rail link, beginning works at Sunshine including track realignment, new platforms, signalling upgrades and concourse expansion; the Victorian government has allocated $143m to precinct connectivity and urban renewal.
METRONET Midland Station opens in Perth
Federal and state governments have opened the new METRONET Midland Station, which has delivered a 12-stand bus interchange, multi-storey car park, 24-hour pedestrian overpass and upgraded rail, and has supported local jobs and Indigenous business participation.