Critical Minerals & Geopolitics: Viridis Mining says it will bar Chinese buyers from its Colossus rare-earth project in Brazil, targeting Europe and North America instead—an explicit bid to reduce China’s dominance in refining and processing. EU Industrial Policy: The FT reports the EU is drafting emergency powers to intervene in semiconductor supply chains during shortages, including forcing chipmakers to override contracts, alongside common purchasing to boost bargaining power. AI Infrastructure for Industry: Omdia frames “AI Factory” data centres as intelligence-production infrastructure, while TCS and Mistral team up to deploy enterprise AI models across manufacturing and other sectors in Europe and the UK. Energy & Manufacturing Costs: The ECB warns the Iran-war shock is hitting euro-zone consumers faster and more deeply than prior crises, raising risks for demand and industrial recovery. Trade & Supply Chains: Turkey’s apparel exporters are shifting toward Eastern Europe as EU demand softens, with exports to Germany and Italy down sharply. Circular Materials: Loop Industries signs an MoU for its first commercial recycled PET plant in India, aiming to scale sustainable packaging in Gujarat.