1. What regulations or standards are you preparing for or watching in the coming year?
We are monitoring several evolving regulations across North America. In the U.S., the Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act remains a key area of focus as municipal water and wastewater projects increasingly require BABA-compliant equipment. We’re also closely watching Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements, especially for food and beverage applications where sanitary design, material traceability and quality control are essential. In addition, local and regional policies such as Quebec’s environmental development mandates continue to drive innovation in water treatment while adding complexity to project timelines in North America. Staying ahead of these regulations is critical to ensuring customers receive solutions that meet operational, environmental and procurement standards.
2. What key trends have emerged over the past year, and how are they shaping the market?
Labor shortages and regulatory complexity have pushed plants to adopt automation, remote monitoring and predictive maintenance at a much faster pace. Facilities, particularly in mining and remote operations, now depend on connected pumping systems that reduce downtime and improve reliability. At the same time, the market is shifting from equipment-focused purchasing to solutions-led decision-making. End-users want partners who can help them solve process challenges and navigate compliance requirements to simplify operations. Sustainability is another major driver, as customers want systems that reduce energy, resource consumption and waste, while still meeting performance demands. These forces are accelerating the adoption of smart, connected technologies across process industries.
3. How have any price increases of products or materials impacted you or your company?
We are seeing rising costs from local suppliers—some driven directly by tariffs, others by broader pressures on local manufacturing. These cost increases are mainly affecting the environmental, industrial and food and beverage sectors. At the same time, we’re seeing heightened activity in the mining sector, particularly around precious metals.
4. What training or educational initiatives are being implemented to prepare the next generation of professionals?
Education around peristaltic pump technology remains a major focus, where misconceptions still linger from older, low-quality products still being used across industries. Watson Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions works directly with manufacturers and engineering teams to provide hands-on demonstrations and application-based training for modern peristaltic pump technology. We’re also investing in the next generation of engineering talent through our new internship program and our expanded participation in the Global Graduate Program. These initiatives help prepare future engineers with the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to apply modern pumping solutions safely and effectively.
5. What upcoming technologies or innovations do you foresee having the most significant impact on the industry in the next five years?
The next five years will bring a wave of innovations that enhance efficiency, safety and process flexibility. Modular upgrades, clean-in-place (CIP) solutions and next-generation pumping designs are giving plants new ways to scale capacity and improve reliability without major investment. Additionally, AI integration into pump and process monitoring is gaining traction and moving from demo/development to integration mode. This will ramp up quickly in the next 2-3 years in pumps and chem feed. Sustainability initiatives will also continue to be a major driver of change. Industries are prioritizing material efficiency, energy reduction and the ability to handle increasingly challenging fluids. Sectors like battery processing and critical mineral recovery are already creating opportunities for advanced fluid-handling technologies that support cleaner and more efficient production.
6. Have tariffs affected your business in the past year? If so, how?
Q1 2026 will be a critical time where manufacturing companies will address cost impacts that were partially absorbed in 2025. Once this occurs, the amount of ‘value engineering’ that will be necessary for the environmental, industrial and food and beverage sectors to make ends meet with consumers will be more clear. Customers will need to prioritize technologies that reduce operational risk and stabilize long-term costs, reinforcing the demand for reliable, low-maintenance equipment. It’s also driving a renewed focus on partnering with suppliers that offer global scale and regional manufacturing footprints, giving customers the assurance of local availability and reduced risk amid shifting economic conditions that maintain quality.
7. How have customer expectations changed in the past year, particularly regarding service, performance and sustainability?
Customers expect equipment that is reliable, intuitive and smart. Predictive maintenance and high uptime are becoming less of “nice-to-haves” and more of expected capabilities, especially in facilities with shrinking workforces or remote operations. Service expectations have also increased. Customers want simplified maintenance, increased support and local partnerships who can guide them throughout the installation process. Finally, sustainability is increasingly tied to efficiency: lower energy use and reduced water consumption leads to longer equipment life, and fewer ancillary components. Customers want solutions that help them do more with fewer resources while meeting environmental goals.
8. What’s on your mind/what are you most concerned about?
Our customers are navigating a perfect storm of labor shortages, regulatory pressure and economic uncertainty. These forces make it harder for plants to plan reliably and anticipate obstacles. Watson Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions continues to support organizations through a commitment to customer excellence teams and technology that simplifies operations and delivers dependable performance despite these pressures.
9. What are you most looking forward to in 2026?
I’m excited to see broader adoption of smart, connected systems that give operators more visibility and control. Advances in automation, CIP technologies and retrofittable upgrades will help plants improve throughput and efficiency without major capital overhauls. I’m also looking forward to breakthroughs in material processing—particularly in food and beverage, mining and water treatment—where smarter fluid-handling technologies can significantly improve safety and performance. I also expect that, as the dust begins to settle around current tariff uncertainty, both manufacturers and consumers will gain a clearer understanding of what’s needed and what’s possible. This clarity will help accelerate innovation and adoption of advanced pumping and fluid-handling solutions across various industries.
10. What else should end users know about the year ahead?
Companies that pair reliable, high-performance technologies with exceptional ‘Customer Excellence’ support will clearly distance themselves from the field, building trust and long-term loyalty as the competitive landscape evolves.
