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In Fashion, Embedding Sustainability Into Finance Is Becoming a CFO Imperative

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New Report from Global Fashion Agenda and Boston Consulting Group Explains How CFOs Can Better Manage Sustainability-Driven Costs, Risks, and Opportunities

BOSTON, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Climate-related disruptions are increasing costs across the fashion industry, contributing to price spikes of up to two times for key raw materials like cotton and wool. Emerging legislative frameworks such as textile extended producer responsibility could reduce net profits for large mass fashion players by roughly 4% by 2030. There are also economic upsides to sustainability: roughly 70% of fashion-sector GHG emissions can be reduced at a low cost or with cost savings.

Even as sustainability’s impact on fashion economics grows, mentions of sustainability in fashion earnings calls have fallen by roughly one third since 2022, while AI, earnings volatility, and trade-related topics are on the rise.

With sustainability becoming more closely tied to financial performance, it is emerging as a core financial discipline. Fashion industry CFOs are well positioned to lead this shift.

A report released today at the Global Fashion Summit from Global Fashion Agenda and Boston Consulting Group (BCG), titled Fashion CFO Agenda 2026: Building Financial Resilience Through Sustainability, shows how CFOs can use sustainability to better manage costs, risks, and long-term performance. The report is grounded in deep engagement with more than 30 CFOs and senior executives, and backed by an analysis of over 150 fashion brands.

Sustainability-Related Costs and Risks Are Rising, but So Are Opportunities

Incorporating sustainability into day-to-day financial control, annual financial planning and long-term deployment of strategic capital allocation can add unique value to a business, ensuring that initiatives deliver social and environmental benefits without needlessly sacrificing financial performance.Sustainability is also driving topline growth. Companies highlighted as case studies in the report are registering reduced costs and increased turnover through efficient investments in sustainability initiatives.Interviewed CFOs also pointed to broader benefits, including more efficient operations, driven by the improved transparency and oversight that sustainability requires, as well as stronger brand equity, and higher employee engagement.

CFOs Take on a More Central Role

To minimise costs and maximise value creation, CFOs and the broader finance function must embed sustainability into financial decision-making.

While most interviewed CFOs rated sustainability as “very important” or “critical” to company strategy, few reported that it is fully integrated across their organisation or reflected in financial metrics. However, CFOs who embed sustainability into day-to-day financial control, planning, and capital allocation are best positioned to manage sustainability-related costs and risks, while capturing long-term value. They should work closely with CSOs and other stakeholders, both internally and externally, to align and build capacity.

“Fashion leaders are juggling competing pressures, but sustainability is already reshaping industry economics,” said Catharina Martinez-Pardo, BCG managing director and partner, and coauthor of the report. “When budgets are tight, CFOs play a key role in prioritising investments, backing initiatives that deliver financial returns and sustainability impact.”

“Amid growing volatility, sustainability is no longer a peripheral concern but a defining force shaping the economics of our industry,” said Federica Marchionni, CEO of Global Fashion Agenda. “As we gather at Global Fashion Summit under the theme ‘Building Resilient Futures,’ this report underscores that resilience in fashion now depends on embedding sustainability into core financial decision-making, building on the priorities set out in GFA’s Fashion CEO Agenda. CFOs have a pivotal role to play in translating these ambitions into disciplined investments, risk management, and long-term value creation.”

Media Contacts:
BCG: gregoire.eric@bcg.com
GFA: press@globalfashionagenda.org

About Global Fashion Agenda
Global Fashion Agenda is a non-profit organisation accelerating fashion’s transformation to a net positive industry. It drives impact by mobilising, inspiring, and influencing thousands of stakeholders across the fashion ecosystem. Since 2009, GFA has been at the forefront of the global sustainability movement in fashion. It brings together leaders at the Global Fashion Summit, advances policy through advocacy and publications, and produces influential thought leadership, including The GFA Monitor, Fashion CEO Agenda, and the Fashion Impact Toolkit. GFA translates insight into action through programmes such as the Global Circular Fashion Forum in key manufacturing regions, delivers accessible educational resources to guide sustainable practices, and helps to scale innovation by connecting companies with solution providers via the Innovation Forum. Partnering with a broad ecosystem of organisations across the value chain, GFA spearheads the fashion industry’s transition to a more sustainable, circular, and responsible future.

About Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders—empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

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SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

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Epson to Showcase Collaborative 6-Axis Robot and Integrated Automation Solutions at The ASSEMBLY Show 2026

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October 21, 2026

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AX6 Cobot and Live Demonstrations Highlight Epson’s Expanding Automation Portfolio

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Epson Robots, the #1 SCARA robot manufacturer in the world, will showcase its expanding automation portfolio, including its first collaborative robot, the AX6, at The ASSEMBLY Show 2026, taking place in Rosemont, Illinois from Oct. 27-29, 2026, in booth #331.

Epson to Showcase AX6 Cobot and Integrated Automation Solutions with Live Demos at The ASSEMBLY Show 2026

“Every automation application has different safety requirements, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach,” said Scott Marsic, group product manager, Epson Robots. “With the AX6 and SafeSenseTM technology, Epson is giving manufacturers more options to select the right solution for their requirements. At The ASSEMBLY Show, we look forward to demonstrating how these offerings complement our broader robotics portfolio and help manufacturers address a wide range of automation needs.”

With Epson’s latest automation technologies, attendees can experience live demonstrations showcasing integrated robotics, vision, and feeding solutions. The live applications will highlight practical, cost-effective solutions for real-world production environments. An educational speaking session will also focus on selecting the right automation approach for each application. Epson highlights at The ASSEMBLY Show 2026 will include:

Speaking Engagement”Automation Isn’t the Answer. Choosing the Right Automation Is.” – Marsic will outline a practical framework for choosing the right automation strategy, from evaluating opportunities and avoiding application creep to balancing critical design considerations such as safety, robot geometry, workcell design and flexibility. The session will focus on solving the right business problem to create automation systems that are easier to implement, scale and maintain while delivering stronger productivity, reliability and long-term ROI. The session will take place Wednesday, October 28 from 2 – 2:30 p.m. at the Learning Theater.AX6 Collaborative 6-Axis Robot – See Epson’s first collaborative robot in action, featuring a lightweight, compact footprint and intuitive no-code software designed to simplify programming and deployment. Power- and force-limiting capabilities and flexible end-of-arm options support collaborative applications where space, ease of use and fast redeployment are priorities.SafeSense Interactive Demo – Experience a hands-on demonstration of Epson’s SafeSense technology, which uses sensors to detect when a person enters the robot’s workspace, supporting safe human-robot interaction while maintaining high-performance automation.IntelliFlexTM Feeding System – See live demonstrations featuring Epson’s latest SCARA and 6-Axis robots integrated with IntelliFlex Feeding Systems for automated part handling and assembly applications.Epson RC+® Development Software – Explore Epson’s PC-based environment with intuitive GUI Builder for custom interfaces along with integrated vision and IntelliFlex capabilities. Developed and supported by Epson, the software is designed to simplify automation development and deployment.

The ASSEMBLY Show 2026 will take place on Oct. 27 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. CDT, Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT and Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. To learn more about Epson robot solutions at the show, stop by booth #331 or visit www.epsonrobots.com to contact a robot expert.

About Epson Robots

Epson Robots is a global leader in PC-controlled precision factory automation, with well over 250,000 units sold worldwide1 and a product line of hundreds of models of easy-to-use SCARA and 6-Axis robots based on a common PC-based platform. Building on four decades of experience, Epson Robots delivers robots for precision assembly and material handling applications in the aerospace, appliance, automotive, biotechnology, consumer product, electronics, food processing, medical device, pharmaceutical, plastics, semiconductor, and telecommunication industries. For more information, visit www.epsonrobots.com.

About Epson

Epson is a technology innovation and engineering company whose philosophy of efficient, compact and precise innovation enriches lives and helps create a better world. The company uses technology and engineering ability to implement real-world solutions in precision innovation, industrial and robotics, office and home printing, and visual and lifestyle.

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of more than JPY 1.4 trillion. corporate.epson/en/

Epson America, Inc., based in Los Alamitos, Calif., is Epson’s regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), X (x.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/epsonamerica) and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica).

1 Epson internal sales data through April 2026.

EPSON and Epson RC+ are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation. SafeSense and IntelliFlex are trademarks of Epson America, Inc. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. Copyright 2026 Epson America, Inc.

 

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SOURCE Epson America, Inc.

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Limber Health Launches Recovery Forecast, the First-Ever Predicted Outcomes Solution for Rehab Therapy

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October 21, 2026

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Built on the largest risk-adjusted patient outcomes database in rehab therapy, Limber’s Recovery Forecast replaces traditional single point-in-time forecasts or MCID comparisons with a 90-day outlook

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Limber Health, a Net Health company, today announced Recovery Forecast, the first-ever predicted outcomes trajectory solution for rehab therapy. Built into the Limber outcomes platform, Recovery Forecast maps each patient’s expected path throughout care by comparing them with millions of completed assessments and applying robust risk adjustment. Available to clients this fall, this new clinical capability covers the primary MSK regions of injury.

“Current solutions show a point-in-time measurement, but rarely provide context or insight into the score,” said Nirav Modi, president of Limber Health. “Recovery Forecast shows clinicians how a patient is progressing through their plan of care, so they can assess, adjust, and guide them toward the best possible improvement.”

Because Limber Outcomes follows patients from evaluation through the full episode of care, the expected path stays visible between visits. At intake, the feature predicts each patient’s path; then at each reassessment, clinicians compare the actual score with the prediction for real-time context. This gives clinicians an opportunity to adjust the course of care.

“Being able to predict a patient’s outcome trajectory is a game changer,” said Brian Kelly, Vice President of Innovation & Clinical Excellence at Ivy Health. “It transforms outcomes data into real-time clinical intelligence that enhances patient engagement, empowers proactive clinical decision-making, and ensures every patient is positioned for an optimal recovery.”

A newly developed progression indicator, the Predicted Moderate Clinical Improvement (P-MCI), marks where a patient is expected to reach clinically meaningful improvement. P-MCI is already part of commercial payer quality programs. It underpins five functional improvement measures in the CMS proposed rule for the 2027 Physician Fee Schedule, with Limber Health and Patient360 as measure stewards. For more information about Limber Recovery Forecast, click here. 

About Limber Health

Limber Health, a Net Health company, extends in-person musculoskeletal (MSK) care into the home with Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM), Home Exercise Programs (HEP), and Limber Outcomes, which helps practices measure patient progress and predict recovery using the largest risk-adjusted patient outcomes database in rehab therapy. Limber’s solutions are developed by physical therapists and physicians. Learn more at www.limberhealth.com.

About Net Health

For over 30 years, Net Health has gathered specialty knowledge shaped by human expertise and informed by patient outcomes. Today, this depth of knowledge is the foundation for an AI-native specialty platform that delivers intelligence to clinicians across the care continuum, enabling them to be present with patients during the moments that matter. Net Health is a trusted source of specialty solutions for more than 34,000 healthcare organizations, and is a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, Level Equity, and Silversmith Capital Partners.

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SOURCE Net Health Systems, Inc.

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Asuri.ai Launches Multi-Agent AI Platform for Persistent Business Workflows

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October 21, 2026

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The agentic platform helps nontechnical teams save time, eliminate redundant work and deploy specialized AI agents across more than 1,000 existing applications

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Asuri today announced the launch of its multi-agent enterprise AI platform, designed to help businesses move beyond copilots and deploy persistent AI workflows across complete business processes.

As AI models become more capable, the challenge for businesses is shifting from generating answers to safely giving AI the context, system access and autonomy required to perform real work.

Asuri brings those pieces into one platform.

Nontechnical teams can define a business process, connect the applications involved, assign specialized agents to different responsibilities, and control what each agent can access, recommend or execute. By coordinating work that would otherwise require employees to repeatedly move between systems, gather information and perform routine follow-ups, Asuri helps organizations save time and remove redundant manual work.

“The model itself is becoming less of the bottleneck,” said Artem Bespaloff, CEO and co-founder of Asuri. “The harder problem is coordinating agents across real business systems while giving each one the right context, permissions and level of autonomy.”

Unlike traditional AI assistants that primarily respond to prompts, Asuri is designed around persistent multi-agent workflows.

Asuri combines multi-agent orchestration, workflow logic, persistent context and agent-level permission controls in a single environment, with more than 1,000 integrations connecting agents to the software businesses already use.

This allows companies to automate processes across existing systems instead of replacing their technology stack, reducing repetitive administrative work and freeing employees to focus on higher-value decisions and relationships.

As part of its launch, Asuri is introducing prebuilt customer intelligence workflows that consolidate information from multiple business systems, analyze client activity against company-defined rules, and automatically alert employees to significant developments. By eliminating the need to manually track client activity across different platforms, these workflows reduce the workload on sales and research teams, helping them stay informed, identify opportunities, and focus on higher-value activities.

The same architecture can support workflows across sales, operations, finance, customer success, research and internal compliance.

Businesses can learn more and request access at Asuri.ai.

About Asuri

Asuri is a multi-agent enterprise AI platform, built by Sprouter Technologies, for persistent, governed business workflows. With more than 1,000 integrations, Asuri helps organizations connect specialized AI agents across their existing applications, reduce repetitive work, save employee time and automate processes while maintaining individual permissions, autonomy boundaries and human oversight.

For more information you can contact team@asuri.ai

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SOURCE Sprouter Technologies

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