Lightweight, high-performance metals leader Alcoa has announced plans to further expand its global aerospace business by acquiring privately held TITAL. The acquisition will strengthen Alcoa's global position to capture increasing demand for advanced jet engine components made of titanium.

Studies document that innovation in engineering and production works best when the two disciplines are contiguous. Pairing the two was problematic for one company until an online marketplace came to the rescue.

HighJump Software Inc., a vendor of supply-chain management software, has acquired Atlas Products International.

The challenge of managing corporate reputation in an era of complex global supply chains is rarely out of the spotlight. From poor working conditions to environmentally unfriendly practices, there are a growing number of areas where brands are at risk from the rise of multi-tier supply chains. A succession of scandals has brought the supply chain to the public’s attention - from horse meat being discovered in the ready meals of UK retailers to factory fires in Bangladesh and exploitation of tin for mobile phones in Indonesia. The culmination of these stories means what was once an internal company process is now very visible to the public and runs the risk of inflicting serious damage on a brand's reputation.