3 Things To Consider This Friday

Hyundai-Kia to Invest $3.1 Billion in U.S., Mull New Plant

by Sohee Kim
January 17, 2017, 1:00 AM CST updated on January 17, 2017, 6:00 AM CST

 Hyundai Motor Co. and affiliate Kia Motors Corp. said they will spend $3.1 billion in the U.S. in the next five years, joining other vehicle manufacturers in announcing investment plans amid threats from President-elect Donald Trump of higher levies on auto imports from Mexico.

 The planned U.S. investment by South Korea’s two largest automakers is about 50 percent more than the $2.1 billion they spent in the previous five-year period, Hyundai Motor President Chung Jin-haeng told reporters in Seoul on Tuesday.

For the rest of story, visit Bloomberg.com.


Alabama university’s research bid aims for the moon and beyond

By Lee Roop
January 19, 2017 at 9:00 AM, updated January 19, 2017 at 9:04 AM

The University of Alabama in Huntsville is taking aim at a new level of research with a $237 million proposal to NASA to lead a satellite mission to the moon to study supernovae.

 Astrophysicist Dr. Richard Miller is the author of the proposal that involves UAH and nine other institutions including Johns Hopkins University. If the mission is funded, the science operations center would be at UAH in Huntsville for the mission’s three-year life.

For the rest of story, visit AL.com.


Upskilling the Industrial Workforce is in Our Sight

By Brian Ballard, CEO, Upskill (formerly APX Labs)
Jan 17, 2017

 Heavy industry in the 21st century is undergoing a profound transformation, with new technologies bringing data and smart, connected equipment to the production environment. Despite increasing automation, people remain an essential component of industrial productivity. However, the manufacturing, logistics and on-site jobs of tomorrow are no longer the low-skill tasks they were in the past. The workforce for the next industrial revolution needs to work side-b y-side with machines, constantly connected to the data, processes and people they need to deliver maximum productivity.

For the rest of story, visit IndustryWeek.