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Critical technologies, globally: News in March 2024
Japan’s tech news: March 2024
- Japan: Institute for Molecular Science and firms including Fujitsu, Hitachi and NEC partner to establish company to commercialize high-speed quantum computer by 2030 / read it here
- Japan’s Astroscale launches rocket via New Zealand’s Rocket Lab services to inspect ‘dead’ rocket debris in orbit, aiming to identify method to remove this, and later, other, debris, from space / read it here
- AsterX 2024 Military Space Exercise took place in France, with Japan and South Korea taking part for first time, likely heralding future presence in European, NATO and US bids to boost cyber defense / read it here
- Japan: Google opens its first Asia-Pacific cyber defense hub in Tokyo, aiming to facilitate cybersecurity research, and to share critical information with gov’t officials, business and universities / read it here
- Japan: A brief interview intro to EX-Fusion, working on laser-powered nuclear fusion as a next-gen clean energy source / read it here
- Japan: An interview intro to Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank’s moves to develop regional startup ecosystems in the country, centered around Japanese universities / read it here
- ‘Honda and Nissan have put aside the “traditional approach” of fierce rivalry to join forces and work together on electric vehicle technology as Japan’s carmakers try to catch up with Chinese competitors.’ / read it here
- Japan: Metro Gov’t to open doors to new Tokyo Innovation Base in May in bid to make Tokyo the world’s most startup-friendly city / read it here
- Japan: Takanawa in Tokyo to launch Takanawa Gateway City program in July, looking at tech startup and business creation in collaboration with University of Tokyo and other institutions / read it here
- Researchers from Japan and Switzerland successfully laser-etch circuits onto glass, triggering generation of electric current upon light exposure / read it here
- Japan: Taiwan’s TSMC to partner Sony and Toyota for over $20BN investment in second Japan plant, producing chip-on-wafer-on-substrate semiconductor packaging / read it here
- Japan: New ABCI-Q supercomputer, designed to advance quantum computing research, to be powered by NVIDIA hardware and platforms / read it here
- An overview of Japan’s recent cybersecurity outreach to Pacific Islands nations, connecting gov’t officials and comms providers from Palau, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru and Kiribati / read it here
- Japan: Fujitsu partners government-backed Riken research institute for generative AI tech in protein analysis, cutting a portion of drug development time by a factor of 30 / read it here
- Japan: Tokyo Stock Exchange launches TSE Asia Startup Hub, aiming to be ‘an ecosystem where TSE and IPO stakeholders collaborate to encourage promising Asian companies to choose TSE for IPOs’ / read it here
- Japan: NTT Digital telco to launch cryptocurrency wallet by year-end, compatible with NFTs and with eyes on the gaming market, partnering with US-based NowGG platform for cloud and browser gaming / read it here
- Japan: An overview of the recently-launched Tokyo Innovation Base, the city’s bid to create a high-impact tech startup hub / read it here
- ‘From reactive to proactive: Japan’s advances in cybersecurity and cyber defence strategies’ from India’s Observer Research Foundation / read it here
- India: Union Cabinet green lights Gujarat chip plant in collaboration Japan’s Renesas and Thailand’s Stars Microelectronics, focusing on trains, defence, space and EVs / read it here
- “Japanese foreign direct investment (FDI) in India was USD40.84 billion. In 2023 alone, this figure was USD1.79 billion, making Japan the fifth-largest investor in India…” / read it here
- Japan’s Aeon retail group to launch an app-based digital banking business in Malaysia, targeting underserved segments of the country’s financial economy / read it here
- Singapore: Japan’s Toppan breaks ground on Singapore semiconductor packaging materials plant, targeting production of chip substrates by year-end 2026 / read it here
- The Indo-Pacific: “…minilateral arrangements, typically involving small groups of 3 to 6 members, have increasingly come to occupy an in between layer in the region’s security architecture.” / read it here
NBR: Taiwan’s response to disinformation – a model for coordination
Japanese tech: Feb 2024
- Intel, Japan’s NTT and South Korea’s SK Hynix partner on next-gen photonics chips, allowing communication using light instead of using electrons, with sights on semiconductor integration
- Japan: Gov’t considers which companies will receive subsidies from $20.3BN fund for clean hydrogen supply by the end of 2024, looking to cut the cost gap between H2 and fossil equivalents
- Japan and Italy to step up defense and economic ties as Rome positions for a greater Indo-Pacific role, shortly after Italy’s exit from China’s Belt and Road Initiative
- “In order to drastically strengthen cyber defense, the Japanese government aims to introduce “active cyber defense,” which monitors information systems from peacetime to detect signs and prevent serious cyber attacks before they happen.”
- “Japan expects to expand the number of specialized cyber units to approximately 4,000 by the end of 2027 from approximately 890 in 2022.”
- Japan to run cyber-defense drills with Pacific Islands nations Palau, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Kiribati
- Japan: An intro to SKY Perfect JSAT, set to deploy orbital lasers to deliver high-precision ground surface data via LiDAR tech, alongside laser-driven space debris removal
- Japan: Gov’t backs research on cutting-edge fabrication tech with $300M for Leading-edge Semicon Tech Center, seeking coordination on nanotech, AI and more, and with support for Rapidus chip manufacturer
- Japan: Rapidus semiconductor firm plans prototype production of 2nm chips by H1 2025, stepping into direct competition with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing’s 2025 2nm mass production plans
- Japan: “In June 2023, an obscure semiconductor materials supplier announced that it was set to be taken over by an investment fund in a $6.4bn deal….”
- Japan: Leading-edge Semiconductor Technology Center gains gov’t backing to as much as $300M with sights on 1.4nm chip manufacturing know-how by 2028, in partnership with Rapidus semicon firm
- Japan: City of Kochi to step into the metaverse for boost via ‘virtual tourism’ in partnership with Philippines-based Start Lands
- Japan component of US Space Forces expected to activate this year, building on activation of South Korea component in December 2022
- Japan: Techstars to launch 3-month program in Tokyo, selecting 12 startups for mentorship on business models and pitches, with potential for $120K investment
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency successfully launched its new H3 rocket, a delivery vehicle with a 6.5 metric ton payload capability
- Japan: Cabinet reportedly approved a relaxation to investment rules, allowing VC-style funds to hold cryptocurrencies and crypto-assets
- Japan: An overview of the factors underpinning the country’s achievements in swiftly developing a semiconductor manufacturing industry
- Japan: Softbank Group founder reportedly exploring establishment of $100BN AI chip company, Project Izanagi, with sights on similar industry standing to NVIDIA, Intel and AMD
- Inaugural Japan Global Innovators’ Forum set for March 15th, with discussions focusing on age tech, disaster relief tech, ESG and clean energy
- Japan: Government-backed research group to partner Tenstorrent Inc on the design of its first advanced AI semiconductor chip, built on open-standard RISC-V architecture
- Taiwan’s Touche Solutions’ enters Japan’s robotics sector with Touche ‘tactile skin’ to be integrated into Denso’s new ‘collaborative robot’ models as foundational safety measure
- Samsung wins its first 2nm AI chip order from Japan’s Preferred Networks Inc in switch from PFN’s past TSMC supply of advanced chips
- Samoa to gain $16M in grant aid to improve National University of Samoa facilities, boosting connections with the Pacific Islands nation
- Australia: Japan’s NEC conglomerate and Canada’s D-Wave launch two quantum tech services for the Australian market, featuring cloud access to quantum computing alongside consultancy services
- “In 2022, the bulk of its research and development engineers were based in China but [Taiwan’s] Alchip has begun moving roles overseas, many to Japan…”
- Australia: Battery manufacturing supply chain set for Queensland with agreement inked with Japan’s Idemitsu for grid-scale production of vanadium flow batteries, an alternative to lithium-ion
ASPI: The Sydney Dialogue – critical, emerging & cyber technologies
Japanese tech: January 2024
- Japan: Telecoms industry sets sights on solar-powered airborne 5G mobile base stations by 2025 to provide mobile services, operating at 11-15 miles altitude and with expected coverage of 200km
- Japan: Taiwan’s TSMC to formally open its first Japan semiconductor facility in February, set to produce chips at 28nm scale to cater to auto and consumer electronics sectors
- Japan: Toshiba and Rohm semiconductor firm join for gov’t-supported $2.7BN development and manufacture of power devices, dovetailing with moves towards tech self-sufficiency
- Japan: Mercari, major e-commerce platform, to accept Bitcoin from June, adding to other crypto-focused offerings including Mercari Bitcoin trading service
- Japan’s Bellsystem24 and Taiwan’s Intumit partner for generative AI-backed call center chatbots, looking to launch in Taiwan this year
- Japan’s Marubeni conglomerate backs Italy’s D-Orbit space logistics firm in $100M funding round to further develop in-orbit servicing, transport and debris cleaning
- Japan: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-built satellite enters orbit primarily to gather national security intelligence, but with remit to also monitor the scope of major natural disasters
- ‘With Japan facing a significant labor shortage on the horizon, many industries including the agricultural and manufacturing sectors are hoping robots will be a high-tech game changer‘
- An intro to Japan’s EX-Fusion, working on ground-based laser systems to destroy space junk, building on 2023 partnership with Australia’s EOS Space Systems for debris detection and laser test site
- Japan gov’t to revise social media legislation requiring swifter content deletion for derogatory and defamatory posts, mandating shorter times for response and details of outcome
- Japan’s SLIM moon lander enters lower lunar orbit in preparation for January 19th landing attempt – livestream takes place via
- University of Tokyo, Seoul Nat’l University and University of Chicago have entered into a trilateral technology partnership to train a quantum-focused workforce and strengthen collective competitiveness
- Japan: $100M XKSK Fund is in development, looking to back around 30 startups
- Japan’s ‘Smart Lander for Investigating Moon’ successfully achieved landing, but overall mission now uncertain due to problems with solar panels
- Japan: An overview of the inroads made by China’s robotics firms into Japan’s logistics sector
- Japan: An intro to Hyundai’s Mobion concept vehicle, featuring new wheel system allowing vehicles to move in any direction, including sideways
- ICYMI: Vietnam’s VinCSS and Japan’s VicOne, Trend Micro subsidiary, partnered on auto cybersecurity, focusing on vulnerabilities in smart car electronic control units as use of open-source software rises
- Taiwan announces plans for first lunar mission, with Deep Space Radiation Probe potentially to launch in Q4 aboard Japanese lander
- Available to download: ‘The Quad and Submarine Cable Protection in the Indo-Pacific – Policy Recommendations’ from the Stockholm-based Institute for Security & Development Policy
- A brief overview of Indo-Pacific space-technology developments, and rising concerns, from Nikkei Asia
2024 Cisco Cybersecurity Readiness Index
Asian tech news: Other platforms
- Daily – LinkedIn / Twitter/X / Facebook
- Newsletters – weekly on LinkedIn / Substack
- Monthly collections – countries across AsiaPac / IndoPac
- Asia tech, quarterly – 3 months’ coverage per country
- Critical technologies – global news, monthly & quarterly
