46% of Gen Z professionals plan to look for a new job by year-endMore than one quarter of Gen Z professionals say AI pressures are contributing to burnoutGreater workplace flexibility, stronger benefits, and career advancement opportunities are driving Gen Z job searches

TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2026 /CNW/ — Gen Z professionals may be considering a job change to improve their earning potential, according to research from talent solutions and business consulting firm Robert Half. In a recent survey, almost half (46%) say they plan to look for a new job before the end of the year, up from 36% one year ago.

Salary is a major factor behind the shift, as four in 10 Gen Z professionals (41%) believe changing employers could offer greater earning potential. They’re also motivated by stronger perks and benefits, career advancement opportunities, and greater workplace flexibility. In addition, expectations tied to AI adoption may be adding pressure, with more than one-quarter (28%) saying integrating AI into their daily work has led to burnout.

Key findings:

46% of Gen Z professionals plan to look for a new job by year-endOf those looking, 51% want stronger perks and benefits and 44% are looking for greater advancement opportunities46% also worry about keeping their AI skills current41% of Gen Z professionals believe changing employers could offer greater salary potential

What do Gen Z professionals value?

According to the research, many Gen Z professionals are seeking opportunities that better align with their career aspirations, financial goals, and overall workplace expectations. The top benefits and perks that Gen Z workers consider when evaluating offers include:

Flexible work schedules (61%)Dental coverage (60%)Commuter benefits (55%)Free or subsidized meals, snacks, or beverages (55%)Hybrid work options (49%)RRSP or pension savings plans (49%)Mental health coverage (48%)

“Gen Z professionals are entering the workforce during a time of significant change and taking a thoughtful approach to their careers,” said Koula Vasilopoulos, senior managing director, Robert Half, Canada. “Many are considering factors such as higher earning potential, more flexibility and career advancement opportunities, and they are willing to explore new opportunities to find it.”

Gen Z embraces AI but burnout is mounting

Gen Z workers are adapting to a workplace increasingly influenced by AI. Although 73% say they use AI for professional purposes, more than one-quarter (28%) say integrating AI into their daily work has led to burnout, primarily because they:

Have fears over job security if they don’t adopt new tools (45%)Feel pressure to be more productive (29%)Feel overwhelmed by continuous learning requirements (26%)

“While many Gen Z professionals are embracing AI in the workplace, they are also feeling the pressure to keep their skills on pace with rapidly evolving technology and rising productivity expectations,” said Vasilopoulos. “Employers can play an important role by providing ongoing training and support that helps employees build new skills, maximize the benefits of AI, and avoid burnout.”

FAQ:

Why are Gen Z professionals looking for new jobs now?
Gen Z professionals are increasingly exploring new opportunities to find stronger career growth, higher earning potential, and greater flexibility. Many are seeking a new role before the end of the year that offers a clear path to advancement and aligns with their workplace expectations.

Which workplace benefits matter most to Gen Z professionals?
Flexibility remains a key priority, but many Gen Z professionals also place significant value on benefits that support their financial well-being and long-term stability. They’re evaluating the full employee experience, not just salary alone.

How is AI affecting Gen Z employees at work?
While Gen Z has been quick to adopt AI and integrate it into daily work, many are navigating the pressures that come with evolving technology. Expectations around productivity and keeping skills current have contributed to workplace burnout.

What can employers do to attract and retain Gen Z talent?
Employers can strengthen retention by offering clear career development opportunities, competitive compensation, and greater flexible work options. Providing support for AI adoption and ongoing skills development can also help employees feel more confident and engaged.

About the research 
The research is gathered from two surveys developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm in March and April 2026. The surveys contain responses from more than 300 Gen Z professionals in Canada. 

About Robert Half
Robert Half (NYSE: RHI) is the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions and business consulting firm, connecting highly skilled job seekers with rewarding opportunities at great companies. We offer contract talent and permanent placement solutions in the fields of finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support, and we also provide executive search services. Robert Half is the parent company of Protiviti®, a global consulting firm that delivers internal audit, risk, business and technology consulting solutions. Robert Half, including Protiviti, has been named one of the Fortune® Most Admired Companies™, and by Forbes as one of Canada’s Best Recruiting and Temporary Staffing Firms 2026. Explore comprehensive talent solutions, research and insights at RobertHalf.ca.

SOURCE Robert Half Canada Inc.

In a letter to Innoviz, MAFAT recognizes the maturity, robustness, performance and scalability of Innoviz LiDARs and the precise sensing that can help defense systems, via a range of defense applications, see clearly, act faster, and potentially save lives.

TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Innoviz Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: INVZ) (the “Company” or “Innoviz”), a leading supplier of high-performance, automotive-grade LiDAR sensor platforms for autonomous driving, defense and homeland security, industrial, and smart infrastructure applications, today announced that its existing LiDAR solutions were recognized by the Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), known as MAFAT, within the Israel Ministry of Defense, as suitable for defense applications, addressing emerging requirements for defense applications. Innoviz believes its existing, production-proven LiDAR is capable of addressing some of the defense domain’s demanding sensing challenges, with potential applications across counter-UAS, perimeter security, and critical-infrastructure protection.

Drawing on ongoing technical assessments and practical experimentation, MAFAT views the maturity, robustness, scalability, and performance of Innoviz’s LiDAR as having the potential to provide reliable, high-resolution perception in complex operational environments where traditional sensing modalities often face substantial limitations.

MAFAT further notes that Innoviz’s existing solutions address the emerging requirements in next-generation defense applications, pointing to the potential for future deployment across a range of field applications. 

Innoviz believes that recognition by MAFAT, given its worldwide reputation, could help support potential demand for Innoviz’s solutions among certain Western defense customers over time. Following its evaluation and recognition of Innoviz’s capabilities, Innoviz is now well positioned and already delivering its proven LiDAR technology, as announced recently, in support of defense applications.

“We are proud that MAFAT has recognized our LiDAR solutions”, said Omer Keilaf, Founder and CEO of Innoviz. “What we engineered for automotive was never just about cars, but about Physical AI as a whole. Measuring the physical world precisely and reliably and manufacturing that capability at scale is exactly what defense and homeland security applications demand. We designed our LiDAR to perform in harsh real-world conditions, and we are glad to see that same proven capability recognized for its fit across a wide range of defense applications.”

About Innoviz
Innoviz is a leading provider of LiDAR technology, serving as a Tier-1 supplier to the world’s leading automotive manufacturers while extending its existing sensing solutions into defense, homeland security, industrial, and smart infrastructure markets.

Innoviz’s LiDAR sensors and complementary software suite are designed to deliver exceptional range, resolution, and reliability, providing accurate 3D sensing even in harsh weather conditions. Built to meet the automotive industry’s strict standards for performance and safety, Innoviz’s sensors are increasingly supplied for applications that demand precise, real-time spatial awareness and continuous object localization.

Operating across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, Innoviz designs solutions for automotive OEMs, system integrators, municipalities, commercial enterprises, government organizations, and other customers worldwide. Under the Perciz brand, Innoviz offers its existing automotive-grade LiDAR sensors for defense, counter-UAS, perimeter intrusion detection, and homeland security applications. For more information, visit innoviz.tech. 

About Innoviz Perciz 
Perciz is Innoviz’s dedicated defense and homeland security brand, focused on using Innoviz’s existing LiDAR solutions for defense, homeland security, and critical infrastructure applications. By using Innoviz’s rich data, we believe operators will be able to perceive, understand, and act in the physical world with greater intelligence and precision. Perciz has the ability to support the next-generation defense and homeland security systems designed to address the increasing complexity of modern threats. For more information, visit innoviz.tech/perciz.

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Media Contact
Media@innoviz-tech.com

Investor Contact
Investors@innoviz-tech.com

Forward Looking Statements

This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the services and products offered by Innoviz, the anticipated technological capability of Innoviz’s products, including performance under various environmental and operational conditions, the markets in which Innoviz operates, and the Company’s ability to successfully enter and compete in the defense and homeland security markets, and the potential for synergies between the Company’s automotive and defense market activities. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “potential”, “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties.

Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this announcement, including but not limited to, the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, the ability to achieve broader market adoption of Innoviz’s products and solutions, the risks associated with the defense and homeland security market, including procurement cycles, budgetary constraints and regulatory and export control considerations, the early stage of the Company’s defense and security business, and our expectations regarding the impact of geopolitical developments in the Middle East including the evolving conflict in Israel on our ongoing operations. The foregoing list is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider such risk and the other risks and uncertainties described in Innoviz’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 4, 2026, and in other documents filed by Innoviz from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The recognition and evaluation referenced in this announcement are preliminary and do not constitute a procurement decision, contractual commitment, or commitment of future funding. There can be no assurances that such recognition will result in definitive agreements, firm orders, payments, or series production, or that volumes, timing, or commercial terms will align with current expectations. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Innoviz assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Innoviz gives no assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

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SOURCE Innoviz Technologies

Secured CAD 392K purchase order contract from North American Fortune 500 automotive OEM customerOne of largest foundry contracts awarded to date following months of manufacturing and qualitative validation through past and existing projectsReceived UN 38.3 certification for 11.5Ah drone battery product to enable international shipping to U.S., Ukraine, Canada & EuropeIncreased volume of customer pipeline in various downstream verticals along with proprietary chemistries including 100% silicon, lithium-metal, and sodium-ion batteries

TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2026 /CNW/ — NEO Battery Materials Ltd. (“NEO” or the “Company”) (TSXV: NBM) (OTC: NBMFF), a low-cost, silicon-enhanced battery manufacturer enabling high-performance capabilities for drones, robotics, and physical AI, is pleased to announce that it has secured a purchase order agreement valued at approximately $392,000 CAD ($280,000 USD) from its existing North American Fortune 500 automotive OEM customer (the “Customer”). The order represents one of the largest contracts awarded to date within NEO’s foundry manufacturing portfolio.

The purchase order follows several months of validation of NEO’s battery manufacturing quality, operational efficiency, and cost competitiveness through past and existing projects undertaken with the Customer. Under its foundry model for automotive applications, NEO produces full battery cells according to customer-defined specifications and resolves process bottlenecks in advanced development projects for next-generation electric vehicle models. From small-scale evaluation to this purchase order contract, the progress attests to the Company’s engineering and production capabilities, and NEO will continue to collaborate on larger-volume orders/projects with the Customer.

Within the drone and defense portfolio, NEO has received UN 38.3 certification for its 11.5Ah cell product following the Korea Certification under the KC 62133-2 standard. UN 38.3 is a mandatory safety certification to enable shipping lithium-ion batteries by air, sea, and land across most jurisdictions. With the certification in place, NEO has established schedules to actively ship the 11.5Ah product internationally for sampling and commercial validation with drone, defense, and aerospace customers in the United States, Ukraine, Canada, and Europe.

“NEO is steadily yet successfully proving out our foundry capability with tier-1 customers and expanding manufacturing capacity at the 2nd cell assembly facility to accommodate contract manufacturing demand in the subsequent years,” expressed Mr. S.J. Youn, Head of Manufacturing & Facility Operations of NEO. “Due to our flexible manufacturing model, we have increased the volume of our customer pipeline to service various downstream applications and chemistries that include 100% silicon, lithium-metal, and sodium-ion batteries. With our defense drone portfolio, we aim to receive more UN certifications for different battery models and aggressively manufacture products with the main objective of converting sample evaluation to larger-magnitude, long-term orders.”

About NEO Battery Materials Ltd.
NEO Battery Materials is a Canadian-South Korean battery technology company focused on developing and producing silicon-enhanced lithium-ion batteries in drones, robotics, physical AI, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems. With a patent-protected, low-cost silicon manufacturing process, NEO Battery enables longer-running and ultra-fast charging properties and provides end-to-end battery solutions from materials selection, cell architecture, and process optimization. The Company aims to be a globally-leading producer of high-performance lithium-ion batteries and materials, building a secure, robust battery supply chain for Western manufacturers. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at: https://www.neobatterymaterials.com/.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Spencer Huh
Director, President, and CEO

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements as well as management’s objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. All information contained herein that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Generally, such forward-looking information can be identified notably by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: volatile stock prices; the general global markets and economic conditions; the possibility of write-downs and impairments; the risk associated with the research and development of battery-related technologies; the risk associated with the effectiveness and feasibility of battery material, electrode, and cell technologies that have not yet been tested or proven on commercial scale or under real-world operating conditions; the risks associated with battery-related manufacturing process scale-up, including maintaining consistent material, component, and cell quality, production yields, and process reproducibility at a pilot, semi-commercial, or commercial scale; the risks associated with compatibility of existing battery chemistries, formulations, components, or designs; unforeseen risks associated with entering into and maintaining collaborations, joint ventures, partnerships, or commercial contracts with battery cell manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and various companies in the global battery and downstream end-user supply chain; the risks associated with the failure to develop and produce commercially viable battery-related products or that technical goals may not be achieved within expected timelines or budgets under a joint development or collaboration; the risks associated with the Company’s technologies and products not meeting performance requirements or customer specifications; the risks that prototype and pilot-scale products do not advance into commercially produced products or translate into commercial orders; the risk associated with battery components and cell purchase orders and offtake supply that may not be fulfilled in full, on time, or at all as actual revenue realization depends on delivery schedules, achievement of technical milestones, and customer acceptance and validation; the risk associated with losing official vendor registration or status with existing customers; counterparty risk upon delivery of prototype and commercial products; the risks associated with constructing, completing, securing, and financing pilot, semi-commercial, and commercial battery materials, components, and cell manufacturing facilities including the Canadian and South Korean facilities; the risks associated with potential delays or increased costs with site preparation, equipment procurement and installation, and facility commissioning; the risks associated with integrating silicon anode material production, electrode manufacturing, and cell assembly within a single operational cluster or the Company’s business portfolio; the risks associated with supply chain disruptions or cost fluctuations in raw materials, processing chemicals, and additive prices, impacting production costs and commercial viability; the risks associated with uninsurable risks arising during the course of research, development and production; competition faced by the Company in securing experienced personnel, contracts and sales, and financing; access to adequate infrastructure and resources to support battery materials, components, and cell research and development activities; the risks associated with changes in the technology regulatory regime governing the Company; the risks associated with the timely execution of the Company’s strategies and business plans; the risks associated with the lithium-ion battery industry and end-users’ demand and adoption of the Company’s silicon anode technology and battery products; market adoption and integration challenges, including the difficulty of incorporating silicon anodes and silicon battery products within battery manufacturers and OEMs’ systems; the risks associated with the various environmental and political regulations the Company is subject to; risks related to regulatory and permitting delays; the reliance on key personnel; liquidity risks; the risk of litigation; risk management; and other risk factors as identified in the Company’s recent Financial Statements and MD&A and in recent securities filings for the Company which are available on www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made, including but not limited to, continued R&D and commercialization activities, no material adverse change in precursor, raw material, equipment, and relevant cost prices, development and commercialization plans to proceed in accordance with plans and such plans to achieve their stated expected outcomes, receipt of required regulatory approvals, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information has been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company’s business, operations, research and development, and commercialization plans and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is made as of the date of this presentation, and the Company does not undertake to update such forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE NEO Battery Materials Ltd.