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Motor torpedo boat commissioning ceremonies take place at the Higgins Industrial Canal Plant in 1942.
Photo courtesy of the United States Navy
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Project partners led by Brian Gibbs Development last week broke ground on the redevelopment of the long-dormant Naval Support Activity East Bank site in New Orleans, which “will reimagine the historic riverfront site as a modern, mixed-use campus that supports New Orleans’ role in the future of energy and industry while delivering tangible community benefits and long-term economic growth,” a release from Greater New Orleans, Inc. stated.
Among the features of the reimagined site will be Newlab New Orleans, an innovation and technology hub designed to help startups and industry partners develop, test and scale critical technologies. “Newlab operates five innovation hubs globally and manages active pilot programming in additional regions,” the release stated, noting that the organization has partnered with over 50 industry and government leaders and has supported its 400+ member companies in raising over $5.8 billion from venture capital firms, with over $2.3 billion of successful exits and a collective valuation of over $20 billion.
The Naval Support Activity site was where Higgins Industries made vessels that included the Higgins boats used on D-Day. The role of the site and the region contributed to the naming of New Orleans one of 30 American World War II Heritage Cities, as designated by the National Park Service and chronicled in this January 2024 Site Selection Snapshot.
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XCMG Machinery’s “Global Customized Agile Delivery Intelligent Factory for Mobile Cranes” in Xuzhou, China, was recognized in December as one of China’s inaugural Pioneer-Level Smart Factories, the highest national echelon in intelligent manufacturing. “XCMG will proactively share and replicate its ‘Seven-Star Pioneer’ model across our 35 global bases and with over 120 supply chain partners,” said XCMG Group and XCMG Machinery Chairman Yang Dongsheng. “This is our practical commitment to helping build the Xuzhou construction machinery cluster into a world-class hub and drive high-quality advancement for the entire manufacturing sector.”
Photo courtesy of XCMG Machinery and PR Newswire
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Dezan Shira & Associates has released the third edition of its Asia Manufacturing Index, which ranks 11 destinations according to eight strategic pillars and 43 sub-parameters. China still tops the index thanks to its industrial scale and “deeply integrated supply chains,” the firm says, followed by Malaysia, which takes over second place from third-place Vietnam. Singapore comes in fourth.
The index lists rankings for each economy in all eight pillars, but adding up those sub-rankings doesn’t necessarily reflect the countries’ overall ranking: With a “1” the best and an “11” the worst, Malaysia’s eight sub-rankings add up to 42, whereas Vietnam’s and Singapore’s both add up to seemingly better 33. Dig deeper into the scoring across the 43 sub-parameters (such as tariff exposure, tax incentives, IP protection and international mobility of workforce) to see why the overall rankings come out the way they do.
The firm notes that its methodology and default weightage of factors “reflects how most manufacturing investors make location decisions, with cost factors such as labor and utilities given greater importance. High-technology, cost-agnostic manufacturing may favor markets like Singapore for power stability and skilled labor, while textiles and footwear prioritize labor, water and electricity costs and therefore favor other locations.”
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Photo by Nose To Tail courtesy of Woods Bagot and v2com newswire
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A press release from Woods Bagot earlier this month highlights the firm’s redevelopment of nearly 183,000 sq. ft. at the former Younghusband Woolstore site in Melbourne, Australia, into “a vibrant, mixed-use community precinct, returning valuable city-fringe space back to the public.” The site’s overall net leasable area is more than 602,000 sq. ft.
“Younghusband is a cherished example of turn-of-the-century Victorian industrial architecture, employing vast redbrick structures, original ghost signage and a distinctive saw-tooth roof,” said the firm about the more than 120-year-old site, which has included such uses as a costume store for the Australian Ballet and studio space for artists. “The deep floor plates, natural patina and remnant pastoral paraphernalia make it a unique urban playground for living, working and socializing.” Architects began consulting with the community in 2016. The project was completed in 2024.
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