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- ICYMI: US Dep’t of Defense looks to establish ‘mine-to-magnet’ supply chain for rare earth materials, seeing overseas supply as presenting single-points-of-failure risks / read it here
- Critical minerals: “International prices for gallium are now more than double where they were when Beijing’s new export curbs were announced…” / read it here
- Deepfakes: “If you tell somebody they’re looking at a deepfake before they watch it, the social psychology of watching that video is so powerful that they will still reference it as if it was fact.” / read it here
- “As more than 2 billion people in 50 countries head to the polls this year, artificial intelligence-generated content is now widely being used to spread misinformation, as well as to confuse and entertain voters…” / read it here
- ICYMI: An intro to Norway’s Photoncycle, working on solid hydrogen-based tech to store energy in an ammonia synthesis reactor, claiming vastly lower cost and flexibility than other solutions / read it here
2024 Artificial Intelligence impact on Elections Tracker
- ICYMI: Zap Energy, backed by Bill Gates and others, hits fusion energy milestone, claiming energy production at a fraction of complexity and cost of other systems / read it here
- ICYMI: Quantum tech startup Alice & Bob lands $17.8M innovation grant from France’s public investment bank, Bpifrance, aiming for a new architecture for fault-tolerant quantum computing by 2027 / read it here
- ICYMI: Eliyan Corp lands $60M Series B led by Samsung with connecting architecture for semiconductor ‘chiplets’ / read it here
- ICYMI: US chips firm, Rivos, raised $250M tomanufacture its first server-grade chip geared for artificial intelligence work, built on RISC-V open-standard architecture / read it here
- ICYMI: A brief intro to Astranis satellite internet operator, potentially a StarLink competitor but placing sats in orbit at at 22000 miles rather than low-Earth orbit at 340 miles / read it here
- ICYMI: A brief intro to Astranis satellite internet operator, potentially a StarLink competitor but placing sats in orbit at at 22000 miles rather than low-Earth orbit at 340 miles / read it here
Microsoft: East Asia cybersecurity – Same targets, new playbooks
- ICYMI: An intro to Paris’ Dark and its Interceptor space vehicle, low-impact tech to de-orbit debris without creating new debris fields / read it here
- ICYMI: Quantum tech startup Alice & Bob lands $17.8M innovation grant from France’s public investment bank, Bpifrance, aiming for a new architecture for fault-tolerant quantum computing by 2027 / read it here
- ICYMI: OpenAI delays roll-out of Voice Engine cloning tech in bid to minimise misinformation in an important global election year / read it here
- “Biology is code. It’s code written in As, Ts, Cs, and Gs, not 0s and 1s like in a computer… is the programming code that defines what the organism is made out of, how it builds itself, and all the things it does…” / read it here
- China: Huawei to roll out MateBook Pro X laptop featuring Intel AI chipset running Huawei’s Harmony OS and Pangu LLM / read it here
Critical technologies, quarterly: First quarter 2024 news summary
- ICYMI: Europe sees production of the region’s first lithium with Vulcan Energy Resources set to address portions of the battery supply chains for electric vehicles / read it here
- “India is in talks with several countries seeking partnerships for technical help on lithium processing… to bolster its nascent lithium mining and electric vehicle industries and avoid relying on China. / read it here
- Japan and NASA partner for lunar exploration with Japan to develop rover vehicle for crewed and uncrewed use, and NASA providing launch and delivery / read it here
- Australia: Diraq quantum tech firm hits milestone for spin-based quantum processors, functioning at temperatures 20 times warmer than before while holding stability and accuracy / read it here
- South Korea’s Quantum Intelligence Corp partners Classiq quantum computing software firm to speed drug development using quantum computing in pharmacology / read it here
- Video: ‘Australia’s Place in the Global Quantum Economy’, a panel discussion from the recent Quantum Australia 2024 conference / read it here
- China: Origin Wukong quantum computer boosts data security with implementation of post-quantum cryptography / read it here
ASPI: The Sydney Dialogue – critical, emerging & cyber technologies
- China: Origin Wukong quantum computer boosts data security with implementation of post-quantum cryptography / read it here
- Australian gov’t makes near $1BN investment in quantum tech firm, PsiQuantum, with sights on delivery of the country’s first quantum computer / read it here
- China: ‘Xiaohong’ chip hits 504-qubit quantum computing milestone, the highest number of qubits in a superconducting quantum chip in the country / read it here
- Australia: University of Sydney awarded $18.3M federal grant over 4 years to establish research and commercialisation group for the country’s quantum sector / read it here
- China: Former CEO of Arm China reportedly launching firm which will directly compete with Arm, developing chips under the RISC-V architecture / read it here
- Taiwan: Ministry of Digital Affairs partners Chunghwa Telecom to use UK-HQ’s Eutelsat OneWeb for low-Earth orbit satellites in communications around disaster response / read it here
- China: Huawei and partner, SiCarrier, file patents for low-tech alternative way to make advanced semiconductors, potentially side-stepping the need for extreme ultraviolet lithography / read it here
- European Union and Republic of Korea to collaborate on research and innovation in semiconductors, with projects set for selection in June for commencement by year-end / read it here
ORF: China’s digital silk road in the Indo-Pacific
- India’s Polymatech Electronics inks MoU with Japan’s Orbray to expand semiconductor wafer production and expertise / read it here
- ICYMI: An intro to UXL Foundation, consortium of tech firms including Intel, Google and Qualcomm challenging NVIDIA not in chips but in the software that drives them / read it here
- Japan: Gov’t approves $3.9BN in new subsidies to home-grown chips firm, Rapidus, stepping up the country’s moves into semiconductor manufacturing / read it here
- Taiwan Semiconductor’s US unit to gain with $6.6BN subsidy for advanced production in Arizona, and up to $5BN in low-cost US gov’t loans, targeting 2nm process in 2028 / read it here
- Japan: Semiconductor materials maker, Shin-Etsu Chemical, to invest near $550M in new plant, targeting production in 2026 / read it here
- South Korea’s Rebellions AI semiconductors firm partners Arteris on system-on-chip integration to boost chip energy and efficiency and performance / read it here
- South Korea to invest near $7BN in AI by 2027 in bid to retain global position in global semiconductor industry / read it here
- Vietnam: Viettel, part of Military Industry & Telecoms Group, set to play larger role in the country’s moves to develop a domestic semiconductor chip industry / read it here
ASEAN-European Union Strategic Partnership 2024-2025 (pdf link)
- China: Huawei now building huge Shanghai semiconductor R&D center, hiring globally-experienced personnel in bid to develop home-grown industry, de-fang tech restrictions, and gain global market advantage / read it here
- Malaysia’s Sarawak Microelectronics Design Semiconductor recently inked MOUs with 2 UK firms, one in the chips space, the other in blockchain and web3 / read it here
- China-owned Nexperia, semiconductor-related firm HQ’d in the Netherlands, acknowledges ransomware hack, with confidential documents uploaded to darknet extortion site / read it here
- China: A little more on Huawei’s $1.66 billion R&D facility in Shanghai, which includes a remit to develop lithography technologies for home-grown semiconductors / read it here
- India: Tesla inks deal with Tata Electronics to procure semiconductor chips for worldwide operations / read it here
- Malaysia: Gov’t to build SE Asia’s largest circuit design park, offering tax breaks, subsidies and visa fee exemptions to draw firms and investors in bid to break into high-end tech manufacturing / read it here
- SemiCon Southeast Asia 2024 event set for May 28-30 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, looking at all things semiconductor-related / read it here
- Taiwan to establish its first overseas integrated circuit design training base in the Czech Republic, looking at September to commence operations / read it here
ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy 2021-2025 (pdf link)
- Australia: iLAuNCH Trailblazer initiative commissions Nikon multi-metal 3D printer to make space missions more affordable and efficient with lighter, faster and more robust aerospace components / read it here
- “China continues to add new members to its International Lunar Research Station initiative, but many of these are subnational, suggesting issues attracting partners…” / read it here
- Japan: Ispace and Takasago Thermal Engineering partner to produce H2 using solar panel energy during space mission later this year / read it here
- Japan: Astroscale space junk removal firm potentially targeting Tokyo listing in June, with the domestic space sector projected to hit $53BN in value by early next decade / read it here
- India: Agnikul Cosmos space firm postponed maiden launch of Agnibaan rocket for the second time, delaying Indian test of semi-cryonic engine / read it here
- Australia: Space Machines Company reportedly struggling to establish and hold communications with Optimus spacecraft, following launch of on-orbit satellite inspection, servicing and protection vehicle / read it here
- ‘South Korea has successfully launched its second military reconnaissance satellite, days after North Korea reiterated its intention to launch multiple spy satellites this year.’ / read it here
The Chainalysis 2024 Crypto Crime Report
- 2024 International SpaceTech Startup Supporting Program from Taiwan Accelerator Plus applications close May 10, seeking firms focused on Asia-Pacific markets / read it here
- South Korea: Korea AeroSpace Administration, the country’s NASA equivalent, preps for formal May launch with recruiting drive to secure the strongest talent pool / read it here
- India: Space-tech firms set to meet with Elon Musk on sidelines of the billionaire’s upcoming visit for discussions around Teslan and StarLink services / read it here
- India: An intro to Digantara’s Space Domain Awareness Command & Control Centre, aiming for multi-domain activities from satellite assembly to space object monitoring / read it here
- China to leverage fast-evolving commercial space sector to speed mega-constellation ambitions, allowing state-owned firms to focus on civil and military programs / read it here
- China: May 3rd launch approaches for Chang’e-6 launch to collect first set of lunar far-side samples, building on technical, engineering, scientific and communications tech of past missions / read it here
- Japan’s Astroscale publishes close-up image of space debris, 11 meters long, 4 meters diameter and weight of 3 tons, illustrating necessity of removal / read it here
Microsoft: East Asia cybersecurity – Same targets, new playbooks
- China: Crew of three astronauts arrive at Tiangong space station following launch from Gobi desert Jiuquan spaceport, marking the 7th crewed mission to Tiangong / read it here
- India: Dhruva Space raised $9.6M Series A2 funding with plans for mass production facility for satellite-focused equipment / read it here
- Australia: An overview of the recently-announced Solar SunShot, a Au$1 billion government initiative to bring solar manufacturing back to Australia / read it here
- Japan: Tokyo Uni of Science and DENSO Corp researchers make breakthrough in solid-state Li-ion batteries with non-flammable units capable of high- and low-temperature operation / read it here
- ICYMI: Bank for International Settlements and 7 central banks, including Japan and Korea, partner for Project Agorá, exploring tokenization of bank deposits via ‘unified ledger’ / read it here
- Australia-India Cyber & Critical Technology Partnership Grant Round 4 applications are open – deadline is May 24th / read it here
- China: A little more on Huawei’s $1.66 billion R&D facility in Shanghai, which includes a remit to develop lithography technologies for home-grown semiconductors / read it here
- A little more on the recent collaboration MOU between the Korean Positioning System and Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite system, aiming for autonomous positioning services / read it here
USIP: Transnational Crime In Southeast Asia – A Growing Threat
- “Taiwan is also interested in stepping into the Indian semiconductor industry because the Indian government has already announced it would cover 50% of the costs of setting up semiconductor fabs.” / read it here
- South Korea faces challenge in balancing US and China relations in supply of semiconductor-related technologies and equipment / read it here
- The factors underpinning Taiwan chip-maker moves into Japan, creating production bases in a strategy that dovetails with Japan’s bid for a semicon industry revival / read it here
- ICYMI: SiMa raises $70M with inference-focused chips for everyday consumer devices, using AI models on devices to identify objects rather than ‘learn’ / read it here
- India’s Tata Group conglomerate heading to Taiwan in high-level tech talent hunt, looking initially at growthe in the consumer electronics semiconductor sector / read it here
- China: ByteDance Singapore affiliate, Picoheart, invests in InnoStar Semiconductor’s licensable IP for system-on-chip tech, with use cases including in AI datacenters / read it here
- China: ByteDance Singapore affiliate, Picoheart, invests in InnoStar Semiconductor’s licensable IP for system-on-chip tech, with use cases including in AI datacenters / read it here
- China-South Korea researchers publish on potential semiconductor breakthrough, with tellurium-based approach to materials / read it here
Orbiting Now / Satellite orbit data
- Samsung Texas arm to gain $6.4Bn Chips Act funding to create full ecosystem for development and production of US-based chips / read it here
- South Korea and Japan to collaborate on development and operation of satellite navigation systems in East Asia, looking to better enable the two systems to coexist and interoperate / read it here
- South Korea and Japan to collaborate on development and operation of satellite navigation systems in East Asia, looking to better enable the two systems to coexist and interoperate / read it here
- Thailand joins China-led International Lunar Research Station project, joining Venezuela, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, South Africa and Egypt / read it here
- Hong Kong: EnerVenue looks to space for energy storage for use on Earth with nickel-hydrogen batteries, fireproof and capable of far wider temperature operation than Lithium-Ion / read it here
- India: More on the €100M partnership between Indian Institute of Technology Madras and France’s Starburst Accelerator, aiming to boost India’s aviation, space and defense ecosystem / read it here
- Asia tech, weekly: Indo-Pacific Climate Tech, Korea-Japan sat-nav, Thailand joins China’s moon bid, Australia & quantum, India-Japan semicon wafers, Indonesia’s $200M AI centre, North Korea adds 4G… / read it here
- Japan and NASA partner for lunar exploration with Japan to develop rover vehicle for crewed and uncrewed use, and NASA providing launch and delivery / read it here
- Japan’s Kaga Electronics’ proposed Mexico factory project selected by JP gov’t for its Indo-Pacific & Central-South America Regional Supply Chain Involvement Support Project / read it here
- Japan and European Union reportedly to enter talks on cooperation in advanced materials for next-gen chips and batteries in moves to reduce reliance on China on supply and materials / read it here
ASPI: AUKUS Pillar 2 Critical Pathways – A road map for int’l collaboration
Tech news: Asia & Indo-Pacific
- Daily: On Twitter/X / On Facebook / On LinkedIn
- Weekly: Asia’s Tech News, Weekly – Linkedin & Substack
- Monthly: Asia & IndoPac monthly tech summaries
- Quarterly: Asian tech quarterly, every 3 months
