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The global IT Business-to-Business (B2B) market is expected to reach a value of $6.7 trillion by 2025, driven by growth across sectors such as data centers, IT services, public cloud, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). This reflects a significant expansion from $3.7 trillion in 2019, with the market projected to grow by approximately 10% year-over-year, according to data from AltIndex.com.

Planzer and LOXO have launched a pilot project introducing the first Level 4 (L4) autonomous commercial vehicle on the streets of Bern, Switzerland. The initiative, titled “Planzer – Dynamic Micro-Hub w LOXO,” aims to modernize urban logistics by integrating advanced autonomous driving technology into parcel delivery services. This two-year pilot involves a retrofitted Volkswagen ID. Buzz commercial vehicle, equipped with LOXO’s Digital Driver™ software, designed to achieve full L4 autonomy, which operates without a human driver.

IDS Imaging Development Systems will showcase 2D, 3D, and AI-based vision systems at SPS Smart Production Solutions 2024, held in Nuremberg, Germany, from November 12 to 14. The company will present a range of products aimed at enhancing automation processes, with a focus on robotics and process automation.

Dexory, a UK-based robotics and AI company, has announced the opening of its North American headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee. This move follows the company’s entry into the US market earlier in 2024, where it has since deployed its solutions across six states. The new office will serve as a hub for Dexory’s operations across North America, providing a base for its sales and support teams as well as a customer innovation center.

Workday announced the continued expansion of its AI initiatives through its strategic investment arm, Workday Ventures. Since early 2023, Workday Ventures has made 10 new investments in companies developing AI technologies aimed at enhancing productivity and improving decision-making processes for organizations.

A new survey commissioned by Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow program reveals that 88% of U.S. parents of Gen Alpha and Gen Z students believe artificial intelligence (AI) will be crucial to their children’s future education and careers. Conducted by Morning Consult, the survey highlights the growing awareness among parents of AI’s potential in education.

San Francisco-based startup e6data has raised $10 million in a Series A funding round led by Accel, with participation from Beenext and other investors. The company aims to address rising costs and performance inefficiencies in the data intelligence sector, specifically by offering a new compute engine designed to halve costs and boost performance by five times. This funding will support e6data’s mission to alleviate the lock-in challenges that many enterprises face with current data intelligence vendors, a situation that has been exacerbated by the concentration of pricing power among a few key players.

Teradyne Robotics and Siemens have announced a strategic collaboration to establish a robotics showcase at the MxD innovation center in Chicago, Illinois. MxD, a non-profit organization focused on digital manufacturing and cybersecurity, is set to host advanced demonstrations of automation technology as part of the partnership. The initiative aims to demonstrate the future of industrial automation by integrating AI-driven robotics use cases.

Delta Electronics has received the “Red Dot: Best of the Best” design award for 2024 for its D-Bot Series Collaborative Robots (Cobots). The award acknowledges the company’s work in developing smart manufacturing solutions. Delta’s D-Bot Series, unveiled at this year’s Hannover Messe, includes six models of industrial robots with six axes, payload capacities up to 30 kg, and reach capabilities up to 1,800 mm. The cobots are compatible with EtherCAT, Modbus, and CODESYS, allowing for use in a variety of industrial settings.

Subsea technology company SMD has announced the sale of its compact electric remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the Atom EV, to the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) in Greece. This marks the first sale of the Atom EV, a 4,000-meter-rated turnkey system designed for deep-water operations. HCMR, Greece’s primary public body for marine research in the Eastern Mediterranean, will use the vehicle to support its scientific research and deep-sea missions.