MARCH has acquired Cobra Engineering (UK) Ltd, a specialist in the design, fabrication and installation of stainless and carbon steel, including complex pipework and structural fabrications. The acquisition supports MARCH’s strategy to expand its UK footprint and enhance its critical asset care offer. Based in Wisbech, Cobra employs over 60 people and completes more than 1200 projects a year, primarily for food plant and utility customers. The business offers both in-house assembly and on-site services, including planned maintenance and shutdown support, with a focus on repeatable, project-based work.

More information www.march-engineering.com

SYSPRO, a global software provider for the manufacturing industry, has entered a strategic partnership with Versori, a UK-based provider of AI-driven integration platforms. The collaboration marks a major step in SYSPRO’s vision to become the most connected and agile ERP provider in the mid-market, enabling rapid deployment of integrations and unlocking scalable innovation across its customer and partner ecosystems.Through Versori’s agentic integration platform, SYSPRO will launch an initial 25 pre-built, production-ready integrations over the next six months.

More information www.syspro.com

Astemo UK Ltd will build a new production line for inverters for next-generation electric vehicles at its Bolton plant. The initiative has been approved by the UK Government’s Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF), with production scheduled to begin in April 2027. It is expected to create and secure employment for an estimated 220 jobs, with a total programme investment value of over £100m. This investment in the Bolton, UK plant marks the fourth country in which Astemo manufactures electrification products, following Japan, the US and China.

More information www.astemo.com

In the spirit of collaboration, Sheffield Forgemasters’ Foundry team has undertaken exchange visits with a foundry in the Midlands. Delegates from Newby Foundry in the West Midlands visited Sheffield Forgemasters’ Brightside Lane Foundry to look at casting processes for ultra-large castings, while the Sheffield Forgemasters foundry team visited Newby’s facilities to see manufacture of smaller-scale, bulk castings.

The reciprocal visits helped teams from both foundries compare vastly different techniques and see if there are any technologies or processes which could be transferred or learned from. Paul Ashcroft, Sheffield Forgemasters’ operation lead – foundry, says: “The initiative to host exchange visits with Newby Foundry was a great way to see the different processes that can be adopted for the manufacture of castings in vastly different sizes.”

More information www.sheffieldforgemasters.com