Agentic AI in medicine supports multitasking across clinical tools, data and workflows to improve decision-making and efficiency. Credit: Volodymyr Horbovyy / Shutterstock

The US Food and Drug Administration continues to update its official device shortage list. As of July 2025, pediatric ventricular assist devices have been newly added, while syringes and needles remain designated as critical items since the pandemic began. The agency notes, “Even as COVID fades away, the supply of essential consumables remains fragile.” 

Tariffs are reshaping supply flows, while the Quality Management System Regulation (QMSR), finalised in January 2024 and set to take effect from 2 February 2026, aligns US rules with ISO 13485. This mandates tighter supplier controls and digital sourcing records. Hospitals, under pressure to secure resilience, now view digital platforms as compliance-critical rather than optional.

Despite industry efforts, procurement teams continue to face volatility in the availability of critical supplies. “Failure to ensure that the US government and healthcare providers have the same information as our European counterparts poses a risk to providers, patients, caregivers, and consumers,” said Michelle Tarver, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, in a press release issued earlier this year.

Regulatory pressure and operational complexity are pushing leading medical technology companies to rethink how they manage their supply chains. Investment is soaring in tools which map sub-tiers, codify supplier qualification, and track event-to-remediation evidence, which many platforms now bundle together as “compliance modules”. In this environment, real-time digital visibility is no longer optional, it’s mission-critical. 

Next-generation platforms deliver multi-tier mapping, artificial intelligence AI-powered alerts and advanced risk modelling, which together give manufacturers a proactive edge. By spotting potential disruptions before they escalate, companies can respond more quickly, protect margins and maintain uninterrupted production. 

Take Resilinc and Everstream, for example. These platforms map hundreds of suppliers, flag disruptions and model tariff and pass-through costs. Resilinc, based in Milpitas, California, combines multi-tier mapping, AI agents, and “event watch” feeds to let suppliers respond in hours rather than days. “We’ve moved from forecasting to autonomous mitigation. The ROI is tangible, especially for regulated industries where delays mean shortages,” notes CEO of Resilinc, Bindiya Vakil.

In one striking case, a medtech client using Resilinc mapped over 500 suppliers and reported $3 million in avoided material costs, protected $1.1 million in margin and boosted supply chain visibility by 65% in the first years after deployment. 

Everstream Analytics, based in San Marcos, California, uses AI and natural language processing (NLP) to monitor customs duties, weather events, worker relations and geopolitical risks in real time. In 2025, Medtronic expanded its use of Everstream to model tariff exposure and port congestion across Mexico and Europe. By mapping over 13,800 sub-tier suppliers, including 1,766 in tier three and 212 in tier two, Medtronic identified risks proactively, rerouted containers to avoid duty spikes, and strengthened business continuity across its 79 manufacturing and 19 distribution sites. Clients report up to 30% fewer revenue losses and 70% faster risk evaluations. 

Leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are setting new standards for response times. Resilinc clients have reduced their alert-to-action time (the interval between receiving a disruption alert and implementing corrective action) from 5–7 days to under 24 hours. Additionally, Medtronic reported a significant decrease in days out of stock, from 6–8 per quarter to just 1–2, according to company data. 

A recent survey indicated that 72% of medtech firms using Everstream Analytics enjoyed substantial tariff avoidance, underscoring the platform's effectiveness in navigating complex international trade landscapes. 

In June 2025, Jabil, one of the largest contract manufacturers in the medtech industry, announced a $500 million US expansion. The initiative integrates Arch Systems' AI-powered analytics, enabling machine-level monitoring across more than 100 global plants. By automating supplier-level actions, Jabil anticipates a 15% reduction in unplanned downtime and a 20% decrease in expedited logistics costs. CFO guidance suggests that the investment could deliver $80 million in annual savings once fully scaled. 

Today, the spotlight is on advanced platforms, but the ability of manufacturers to use these tools to their maximum– algorithms, dashboards and AI-driven analytics – depends on having teams with the right skills. A 2025 Deloitte survey found that 62% of medtech executives identify a shortage of digital supply-chain talent as their top barrier to adoption (Deloitte, 2025) 

Companies are already feeling the pressure. “Technology is not the bottleneck, it’s having the right skills to interpret and act on the signals”, said Joe Robinson, Vice President of Enterprise Risk and Facilities at Medtronic, during an Everstream webinar in April 2025. Robinson oversees enterprise risk, crisis management, business continuity and supply-chain resilience for Medtronic’s global operations. 

Analysts warn that without adequate staffing, millions of dollars in projected ROI from platforms such as Resilinc and Everstream Analytics may remain theoretical. “AI agents can trigger alerts, but without trained teams, corrective actions still lag”, an Everstream risk intelligence lead said in May 2025. 

By 2026, the critical question may shift from adoption to compliance: will regulators and hospitals require manufacturers to maintain real-time supply chain visibility? 

Australia could be one of the main beneficiaries of this dramatic increase in demand, where private companies and local governments alike are eager to expand the country’s nascent rare earths production. In 2021, Australia produced the fourth-most rare earths in the world. It’s total annual production of 19,958 tonnes remains significantly less than the mammoth 152,407 tonnes produced by China, but a dramatic improvement over the 1,995 tonnes produced domestically in 2011.

The dominance of China in the rare earths space has also encouraged other countries, notably the US, to look further afield for rare earth deposits to diversify their supply of the increasingly vital minerals. With the US eager to ringfence rare earth production within its allies as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, including potentially allowing the Department of Defense to invest in Australian rare earths, there could be an unexpected windfall for Australian rare earths producers.