Q4 2024: Critical tech

Critical technologies in the news, globally, in 4th quarter 2024 covered a huge range of technologies, implementations, challenges, achievements and concerns, for obvious reasons.

In December 2024   |   In November 2024   |   In October 2024

Also available:
Indo-Pacific Insight
Geopolitics, emerging risks, supply chains…

Critical Tech News: December 2024

• Google unveils new ‘Willow’ quantum computing chip, claiming a major breakthrough with 5-minute computation near-impossible with current supercomputers / full item
• More on Ayar Labs, a photonics chip technologies firm backed recently in a $155M funding round with participants including AMD Ventures, Intel Capital, and NVIDIA / full item
• Ayar Labs raised $155M from backers including NVIDIA, AMD Ventures and Intel Capital with photonics for faster, more efficient chips / full item
• Musk’s xAI reportedly landed priority access to Foxconn-made NVIDIA GB200 AI servers with a $1.08 billion order, with delivery as soon as January 2025 / full item

“Now the chips that Advanced Micro Devices, known as AMD, and Amazon have created… are adding to signs that credible alternatives to NVIDIA are finally emerging.” / full item

• iGenius and NVIDIA partner for data center construction in southern Italy by mid-2025, set to feature around 80 NVIDIA servers, each containing 72 Blackwell chips / full item
• Tenstorrent AI chip firm competitor to NVIDIA reportedly gains backing from Amazon’s Bezos in a $700M fundraise led by South Korea’s AFW Partners and Samsung Securities / full item
• Vast Space, a commercial space station developer, inks deal with SpaceX for 2 private astronaut missions to the ISS, pending NASA approval / full item
• T-Mobile opens beta registration for Starlink satellite-to-smartphone service, enabling text messaging early 2025 on newer devices in most US cellular dead zones / full item
• SpaceX launched 30 satellites on December 21st, second in Bandwagon ‘rideshare’ series, delivering payloads from South Korea, Finland, the US and others / full item

SpaceX is petitioning Texas authorities to incorporate its Starbase launch site and HQ as a city / full item

• US Federal Comm’s Commission clears SpaceX for use of Starlink satellites to provide T-Mobile customers with direct-to-cell services, marking the first such approval / full item
• Musk’s xAI reportedly landed priority access to Foxconn-made NVIDIA GB200 AI servers with a $1.08 billion order, with delivery as soon as January 2025 / full item
• France’s Flamanville 3 nuclear reactor is now online and connected to the national grid, with electricity production set to develop in line with testing and safety protocols / full item
• A brief overview of the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle, in the Himalayas, identified as the nation’s most suitable location for ground-to-sat quantum communications / full item
• Australia: Quantum Brilliance secures Au$13M equity investment for quantum diamond foundry for devices capable of room-temperature operation / full item
• South Korea: SDT quantum computer manufacturing specialist raised $14M in pre-IPO funding, building on global partnerships / full item
• Taiwan: US semicon giant, Micron Technology, inaugurated its recently-acquired office space in Taichung, accommodating 500 employees, looking at DRAM chip production / full item
• Taiwan: An overview of Taoyuan municipality’s moves towards becoming a new global innovation hub, building on 12000 factories and industrial output over $122BN / full item
• India: Mindgrove Technologies fabless semiconductor design firm raised $8M Series A, targeting sales of its first chip and following Secure IoT system-on-chip launch / full item
• Vietnam has emerged as a burgeoning hub for the semiconductor industry, now home to 174 foreign-invested projects with a total registered capital of nearly 11.6 billion USD… / full item

“India’s chip market is projected to grow 17% annually and reach approximately $80BN by 2028… lagging behind Taiwan, China and South Korea, but remarkable considering India’s starting point…” / full item

• Taiwan is to launch the ‘Chip Team Taiwan’ initiative for robotics, drones and space industry supply chains to decrease external supply chain dependencies / full item
• Vietnam: A brief look at what the country believes will come from its recent partnership with chips giant, NVIDIA / full item

‘Chinese firms have grown domestic market share, but new Huawei phone shows little sign of technology progress’ / full item

• Imports of solar-grade polysilicon, wafers, and tungsten products from China to the US face tariff increases of 25-50% from Jan 1st, 2025, in response to alleged unfair trade practices / full item
• India: Netrasemi semiconductor firm secured $1.8M pre-A with machine learning-focused system-on-chip designs, targeting enabling edge-AI computing / full item
• India: An overview of the Shakti semiconductor fabrication plant, a joint initiative between India’s Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the US Space Force / full item
• Malaysia: ‘Penang Silicon Design @5km+’ initiative launches, a further move to advance Malaysia in global integrated circuits design, dovetailing with the Nat’l Semiconductor Strategy / full item

Japan: About 90% of the world’s advanced chips are produced by [TSMC] whose model involves operating at massive scale… If Rapidus succeeds, it would challenge both the economics and geography of the industry’ / full item

• Vietnam: NVIDIA and Vietnam Gov’t ink agreement for joint development AI R&D centre, and AI-focused data centre / full item
• NVIDIA preps for mass production of Blackwell AI-focused chips by TSMC in early 2025, for the first time considering TSMC Arizona plant for production / full item
• Taiwan: TSMC may be considering 2nm production outside of Taiwan in response to tariff changes / full item
• Taiwan: TSMC has begun equipment installation at its 2-nanometer facility in Kaohsiung, preparing for trial production runs in H1 2025 / full item
• South Korea: DeepX chips firm preps to receive wafers from Samsung Electronics’ 5nm process, focusing on on-device AI semiconductors and following 87% yields / full item
• South Korea: Gov’t to roll out $10BN in low-interest loans in 2025 to support the chips industry, with advanced complex under construction in bid to attract firms / full item
• China beats 2024 space launch milestone with 68th 2024 launch, but Kinetica-1 solid rocket failed in later launch stage / full item
• China: Landspace secures $123 million in state investment to speed development of reusable, methane-liquid oxygen launch vehicles / full item
• China: Galactic Energy conducted 4th sea launch, adding to potential for a record-breaking 67 space launches in 2024 / full item
• SpaceX launched 30 satellites on December 21st, second in Bandwagon ‘rideshare’ series, delivering payloads from South Korea, Finland, the US and others / full item
• A brief overview of the recent 2024 Humans In Space Challenge, coordinated by South Korean pharma firm, Boryung, looking at health challenges, solutions and opportunities / full item
• Taiwan is in talks with Amazon around use of Project Kuiper satellite system for emergency communications; and potentially other providers as additional redundancy / full item
• Indian troops find Starlink-like satellite internet device alongside weaponry in Manipur, likely used to circumvent conventional ‘net restrictions with satellite communications / full item
• Australia: James Cook University instals Starlink on several remote sites, and student accommodation, in Queensland, providing reliable internet for education access / full item
• China: ‘Laser Diamond Constellation’ test satellites enter orbit, looking at inter-satellite communications most likely in the context of mega-constellation sat plans / full item
• Japan: United States Space Force activated its first unit in Yokota Air Base, Tokyo, in cooperation with Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force’s military space operations group / full item

“Indian police will seek details from… Starlink… to hunt down drug smugglers who used its satellite internet device to navigate deep seas and bring meth worth $4.25BN into Indian waters…” / full item

• New Zealand’s Zenno Astronautics gains backing from Mitsubishi Electric ME Innovation Fund with superconducting tech for space and satellite control applications / full item
• China: First Long March 12 rocket launches from new spaceport, Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site / full item
• China: Beidou sat-nav roadmap to 2035 is unveiled, with test sats for 2027 launch, and next-gen sats in place circa 2029 / full item
• UN Agency for Digital Tech is partnering Int’l Telecommunication Union and Int’l Cable Protection Committee to create Int’l Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience / full item

GenAI in manufacturing & supply chains: “…by automating document generation, verifying completions before transit, and communicating with customers…” / full item

• Australia’s Country Liberal Party in the NT and Indonesia ink first-of-its-kind MOU on critical minerals development between an Australian jurisdiction and Indonesia / full item
• Imports of solar-grade polysilicon, wafers, and tungsten products from China to the US face tariff increases of 25-50% from Jan 1st, 2025, in response to alleged unfair trade practices / full item
• Bolivia inks $1BN deal with China’s CBC, a CATL subsidiary, to build 2 lithium carbonate production plants, with separate Citic Guoan Group contract under negotiation / full item
• LambdaTest raised $38M with cloud-based platform that lets companies test their applications across more than 5000 browser and operating system combinations / full item
• China: Zuchongzhi3 quantum computer claims milestones including surpassing Google Sycamore processing benchmarks and equivalence to elements of Google’s Willow processing / full item
• South Korea: SDT quantum computer manufacturing specialist raised $14M in pre-IPO funding, building on global partnerships / full item
• Taiwan: US semicon giant, Micron Technology, inaugurated its recently-acquired office space in Taichung, accommodating 500 employees, looking at DRAM chip production / full item
• Taiwan: An overview of Taoyuan municipality’s moves towards becoming a new global innovation hub, building on 12000 factories and industrial output over $122BN / full item
• India: Mindgrove Technologies fabless semiconductor design firm raised $8M Series A, targeting sales of its first chip and following Secure IoT system-on-chip launch / full item
• Vietnam has emerged as a burgeoning hub for the semiconductor industry, now home to 174 foreign-invested projects with a total registered capital of nearly 11.6 billion USD… / full item

Japan: “About 90% of the world’s advanced chips are produced by [TSMC] whose model involves operating at massive scale… If Rapidus succeeds, it would challenge both the economics and geography of the industry…” / full item

• Vietnam: NVIDIA and VIetnam Gov’t ink agreement for joint development AI R&D centre, and AI-focused data centre / full item
• NVIDIA preps for mass production of Blackwell AI-focused chips by TSMC in early 2025, for the first time considering TSMC Arizona plant for production / full item
• China: 140 semiconductor industry firms added to US Chips Act ban, preventing receipt of exports of advanced chip-making equipment and direct chip purchases / full item
• Meta is reportedly planning a globe-spanning subsea cable network at least 40,000km in length and likely to cost $10 billion / full item
• Singapore: University-developed AQSolotl startup launches to commercialize quantum technologies that facilitate communications between traditional and quantum systems / full item
• A brief look at the recent 2024 Innovation Leaders Summit in Tokyo, and the Australian tech firms and startups, including Quantum Brilliance and Novalith, that presented / full item
• Taiwan delegation meets with Oman representatives around support and participation in Oman’s 3+7 year semiconductor program / full item
• Malaysia: More detail on the Penang Silicon Design @5km+ initiative, creating an interconnected ecosystem for IC design and technology firms within 5km+ radius of the Bayan Lepas Industrial Park / full item
• Taiwan: Japan’s Tokyo Electron, Asia’s biggest semicon equipment supplier, launches $61.5M center in Tainan, looking to boost capacity to meet growing demand / full item
• Space Machines Co, an Australia-India in-space servicing firm, inks agreement with UK’s Lúnasa for space debris imaging systems, and satellite orbit and manoeuvring / full item

Critical Tech: November 2024

• India’s data centers: “The future expansion of DC industry till 2026 will require approximately 7.3 million sqft of real estate and a capital investment of $3.8 billion…” / full item

Critical minerals: “…in 2022 global demand for lithium exceeded its supply by 9%, but by the end of 2024, the lithium production volume will exceed the consumption volume by 11%…” / full item

• Canada’s Photonic Inc gains access to 19-mile Telus PureFibre network in British Columbia for real-world testing of quantum communications and encryption / full item
• Germany’s Ubitium secures $3.7M seed funding for universal RISC-V processor that eliminates the need for specialized chips, enabling advanced AI at no additional cost / full item
• What’s in the new Building Chips in America Act and what does it mean for the semiconductor industry? From the World Economic Forum / full item
• ‘Multi-Datacenter Training – OpenAI’s Ambitious Plan To Beat Google’s Infrastructure’ via SemiAnalysis / full item
• With approximately one million objects measuring between 1 cm and 10 cm orbiting Earth… space debris is a looming issue for the growing space economy… / full item

‘From carbon mapping to shooting dust into space from the Moon, how will space tech help us solve the climate crisis?’ / full item

• Video: An intro to The Exploration Company’s NYX vehicle, a European competitor to SpaceX’s Dragon, targeting cargo services to the Int’l Space Station, and human space transport / full item
• Gogo in-flight internet connectivity firm recently acquired rival Satcom Direct to counter rising competition from SpaceX Starlink in providing Wi-Fi to business jets / full item

‘Looking to the skies: The importance of satellite cybersecurity’ “More than 7,500 operational satellites are estimated to be in operation, with thousands of launches planned…” / full item

• Download: ‘Supply chain networks in the age of generative AI – Turning promise into performance’ from Accenture / full item
• Japan and Peru are set to ink collaboration agreement on minerals mining, with Japan providing development and tech expertise to resource-rich Peru / full item
• Amazon partners Switzerland’s Unbound Potential for battery system featuring no critical raw materials, longer shelf life and lower costs for stationary applications / full item

“Approximately 50% of the critical minerals on Australia’s Critical Minerals List are co-products or by-products of major commodities… Australia has large economically demonstrated resources.” / full item

• For others like the Philippines with its 7,100 islands and Indonesia with 16,000,47 satellites offer one of the most cost-effective approaches to addressing digital exclusion… / full item

China: A deep dive look at the ‘Eastern Data, Western Computing’ project, its component parts, considerations and dovetail projects / full item

• China: Space Transportation, aka Lingkong Tianxing Technology, claims successful prototype engine test for future Yunxing hypersonic passenger airplane / full item
• Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute completes procurement of its first full-stack quantum computer from Finland’s IQM, set for installation in Q2 2025 / full item
• India: Dept of Science & Tech has selected 8 firms for support under Nat’l Quantum Mission and N’l Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems / full item
• Australia: Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator awards over $60M in R&D contracts to 21 projects spanning quantum, defence tech, universities and the CSIRO / full item

“Just like Moore’s Law… the scaling law is not a law of nature. It is not really a law at all. It is an empirical observation that can be true for a while…” / full item

• Australia: Canada’s BTQ Technologies quantum computing firm partners Macquarie University on advanced quantum algorithms and secure communications research / full item
• Report: ‘Post-Quantum Cryptography – Securing digital communications between Banque de France and the Monetary Authority of Singapore’ / full item
• TSMC looks to mass produce chips on its N2 – 2 nanometer class – technology in late 2025, and A16 – 1.6nm class – process in late 2026 / full item
• Advanced Micro Devices, AMD, is reportedly to enter the mobile devices market with new accelerated processing chips from a TSMC-produced 3nm process / full item
• China’s Huawei reportedly plans mass-production of its most advanced AI chip in Q1 2025, partly in bid to reach commercially-viable 70% functionality of chips produced / full item
• China: Xingyun IC gains backing with alternative approach to next-gen high-performance GPU chips for AI, looking to general x86 servers rather than proprietary AI hardware / full item
• Taiwan: TSMC plans to establish 10 new factories worldwide in 2025, covering demand for 2nm processes and advanced semiconductor packaging, in part driven by AI growth / full item
• South Korea: Samsung Electronics commences gear installation at new NRD-K R&D complex, looking at future product development across all semiconductor fields / full item

“For others like the Philippines with its 7,100 islands and Indonesia with 16,000,47 satellites offer one of the most cost-effective approaches to addressing digital exclusion…” / full item

• Taiwan proposes economic partnership agreement with the European Union, looking at participation under the European Chips Act / full item
• Biden administration confirms $6.6BN subsidy for Taiwan’s TSMC, alongside up to $5BN in loans, marking the first instance of a major CHIPS Act award reaching this stage / full item
• China: Beijing and state enterprises and funds are to establish a $4.6BN 12-inch wafer fabrication facility, further boosting domestic semiconductor production / full item
• Japan: Gov’t commits over $65 billion in additional funding for semiconductor and AI tech development to 2030, with Rapidus a key beneficiary / full item
• “Although TSMC plans to make 2-nanometer chips [abroad] in the future, its core technology will stay in Taiwan…” / full item

“…despite Trump’s threat to repeal Biden’s 2022 Chips and Science Act… experts say they don’t think he’ll ultimately do much more than perhaps tweak it around the edges.” / full item

• Firms including TSMC and GlobalFoundries complete pre-agreement negotiations for grants under Chips & Science Act for US facilities, with Biden-Trump transition raising questions / full item
• Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp is reportedly to receive ASML’s most advanced chipmaking machine before year-end, second only to Intel / full item
• India: Gujarat rolls out India’s first dedicated state-level semiconductor policy, with expected jobs boost of up to 53,000 / full item
• Taiwan’s TSMC’s Arizona facility will roll out its first 4 nanometer chips in December, with production expected to ramp up through 2025, and 3nm chips slated for 2028 / full item
• Japan: Gov’t partners Tenstorrent, a Silicon Valley AI chip firm, to train up to 200 chip designers over 5 years, as part of Japan’s bid to develop its semiconductor industry / full item

“…the semiconductor market in India, currently valued at $23.2 Bn, is predicted to reach $80.3 Bn by 2028.” / full item

• Intel CEO reportedly derailed the firm’s TSMC semiconductor discounts with ill-considered remarks, losing 40% price cut in the process / full item
• Download: ‘Supply chain networks in the age of generative AI – Turning promise into performance’ from Accenture / full item
• Australia: Deloitte expands Space Info Sharing & Analysis Centers with new Watch Center Hub in Australia to deliver real-time threat intelligence and cybersecurity / full item
• Australia: Norway’s KSAT partners WA’s Starsite to host, maintain and operate a new lunar mission-focused site in WA, featuring a 20M antenna / full item
• India: TakeMe2Space preps India’s first AI lab for orbit in December, aiming to demonstrate real-time data processing in orbit, making research more affordable and accessible / full item
• China’s manned lunar mission, targeting a moon landing by 2030, includes a a three-day rover vehicle exploration of the moon’s surface / full item

China’s SpaceSail inks MoU with Telebras, Brazil’s state-owned telecoms company, to provide its ‘Thousand Sails’ satellite internet services similar to StarLink / full item

• Australia: Adelaide’s OmnigenIQ adapts its bioreactor tech for use in space, enabling production of vital biologicals during missions rather tha requiring transport from Earth / full item
• China: Recent Shijian-19 space mission successfully tested a small, expandable module in orbit, potentially for use in planned Tiangong space station expansion work / full item
• European and Japanese space agencies issue joint statement on boosting cooperation on areas including planetary defense, moon exploration, Mars missions and more / full item
• China: Space Transportation, aka Lingkong Tianxing Technology, targets H2 2025 for first test of Mach 4-capable Cuantianhou near-space reusable spaceplane prototype / full item
• India: PierSight preps Varuna satellite for in-orbit demonstration, aiming for 24/7 all-weather maritime surveillance / full item
• New Zealand: Dawn Hypersonics, part of Dawn Aerospace, achieved supersonic flight with prototype, completing a 66,000 foot ascent in just 118.6 seconds / full item
• India is now planning to build a moon-orbiting space station by 2040 as part of roadmap to establish a long-term Indian presence beyond Earth orbit / full item
• China Aerospace Science & Tech Corp unveils concept for fully-reusable heavy-lift rockets, targeting 100-ton delivery to low Earth orbit and 50 tons to lunar transfer orbit / full item
• Taiwan: An intro to the TAcc+ International SpaceTech Startup Supporting Program and some of the participating firms / full item
• China’s CAS Space commercial space launch firm launched 15 satellites into orbit including one for the Sultanate of Oman, marking the firm’s first overseas customer / full item
• China’s CAS Space, a commercial spinoff from Chinese Academy of Sciences, looks to deliver launch services to global clients in light of fierce domestic competition / full item
• Australia’s Gilmour Space gains launch permit from Australian Space Agency for first flight of Eris small launch vehicle from Queensland’s Bowen Orbital Spaceport / full item
• China Manned Space Engineering Office has selected two low-cost cargo transportation systems to serve the Tiangong space station, each capable of delivering at least 1800kg to orbit / full item
• Taiwan: Some SpaceX suppliers have reportedly transferred portions of manufacturing supply chains off the island, following SpaceX concerns over geopolitical tensions / full item
• China: Cosmoleap launch secured $14M for Yueqian reusable rocket, and vehicle recovery system inspired by SpaceX, likely targeting mega-constellation sats delivery / full item
• ‘1st Australian Space Education Forum’ is set for November 25 in Perth, WA, delivered in partnership with the Australian Space Agency / full item
• SpaceX launched its first mission for the Indian Space Research Organisation, delivering a 4700kg satellite to orbit in the 3rd scheduled SpaceX launch in 24 hours / full item
• New Zealand: OpenStar Technologies hit nuclear fusion energy milestone, generating plasma for the first time / full item
• Malaysia: Gov’t is considering small modular reactors as a power source, seeing SMRs as a small, safe, and more cost-effective energy option into the future / full item
• Samsung now reportedly to curb supply of chips 7nm and smaller to China firms, aligning with US limitations on tech access, with Intel likely next to cut supply / full item
• Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co notified Chinese chip design firms it is halting production for them of chips at 7 nanometres or smaller, aligning with US sanctions / full item

Taiwan’s shift towards renewable energy is creating substantial challenges for industries… [TSMC] is now facing higher electricity costs in Taiwan compared to any other region where it operates… / full item

• South Korea’s Perigee Aerospace space launch firm and Thailand’s Geo-Informatics & Space Tech Development Agency ink MOU to develop Thai space infrastructure and capabilities / full item
• China: Huawei is preparing to launch its first smartphone equipped with a fully-homegrown operating system, HarmonyOS Next / full item
• ‘Semiconductor back-end manufacturing, less capital-intensive than strategic front-end chipmaking, is dominated by China and Taiwan, but Vietnam is among the fastest-growing countries’ / full item
• Online now: Asia’s Tech News Podcast / Audio episode 2, a 10-minute round-up of Asia-Pac tech news headlines / full item

Critical technology: October 2024

• Niron Magnetics launches commercial-scale production of rare earth-free magnets, potentially cutting wind turbine industry reliance on raw materials from China / full item
• Democratic Republic of Congo sets sights on ‘better investors, more investors and diversified investors’ for critical mineral deposits and infra, seeing security in diversification / full item
• Available now: Future Risks Report 2024 from AXA, a survey of the opinions of 3012 experts in 50 countries, and 19003 members of the public in 15 countries / full item

Myanmar: “Starlink, which is not yet licensed in Myanmar, is in high demand… There may be more than 3,000 Starlink dishes in use in the country…” / full item

• Earlier this year, the Quantum Delta NL consortium of the Port of Rotterdam Authority secured a world-first scalable quantum internet connection in the port of Rotterdam / full item
• OpenAI is working with Broadcom and TSMC on its first in-house AI chip, alongside use of AMD and NVIDIA chips, to both diversify and build high-demand infrastructure / full item
• Arm chip licensing firm issues notice that may terminate Qualcomm license to use Arm chip design IP, potentially impacting any Qualcomm-linked smartphone or PC / full item
• ‘Asia’s Space Ambitions – Driving the Next Chapter in Global Space Competition’, articles from NBR touching on China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Singapore & India / full item
• Abu Dhabi Technology Innovation Institute and UAE Space Agency partner for quantum infrastructure for ground-space communications / full item

“Vast’s Haven-2 concept joins 3 other commercial space-station proposals… submitted to NASA, and would string together modules launched from 2028 through 2032.” / full item

• SpaceX Starship test flight returns first stage booster to launch pad for the first time, using mechanical arms to secure the unit / full item

“…supply chain risk intelligence firms… have had no trouble signing up customers… Interos inked large contracts with the Defense Department and Canada’s Coast Guard and Royal Navy….” / full item

• Singapore: DBS Bank rolls out DBS Token Services to further grow blockchain options for institutional clients, integrating smart contract capabilities with existing services / full item
• China: A broad overview of the many steps taken to implement a national blockchain infrastructure / full item
• India joins Minerals Security Partnership, US-led coalition of 14 countries and the European Union aiming to expand, diversify and stabilize critical minerals supply chains / full item
• Thailand: Google to invest $1BN in building data centre and cloud computing region to meet SEA demand for AI, creating 14K jobs annually until 2029 / full item
• China: CRRS Corp Qingdao Sifang unveils hydrogen train capable of 200kmph, claiming 745 miles on a single charge, capable of refueling in 15 minutes and emitting only water / full item
• Australia: An intro to Novalith, producing battery-grade lithium faster, cheaper and greener / full item

“…supply chain risk intelligence firms… have had no trouble signing up customers… Interos inked large contracts with the Defense Department and Canada’s Coast Guard and Royal Navy….” / full item

• Australia: Q-CTRL quantum infrastructure software firm secured an additional $59M, with focus on ‘middleware’ for hardware providers / full item

“Chinese scientists have mounted what they say is the world’s first effective attack on a widely used encryption method using a quantum computer.” / full item

• Australia: UK’s Quantum Motion opens lab in Cicada Innovations space in Sydney, looking to tap into Australia’s research talent pool / full item
• Japan: Gov’t commits to quantum encryption by 2030, enlisting Toshiba, NEC and others with public-private investment over 5 years to prepare for next-gen cyber-attacks / full item
• Australia: An overview of the nation’s moves into quantum technologies, focusing on PsiQuantum, the firm chosen to lead the way / full item
• Australia: An overview of quantum tech firm, Q-CTRL, following its recent $86.3M Series B extension / full item

Video: ‘The global race to build fully functional quantum computers’, Australia overview from ABC News / YouTube

• China Aerospace Science & Tech Corp’n launches 2nd group of 18 satellites for 14,000-sat ‘Thousand Sails’ mega-constellation, aka ‘G60 Starlink’ / full item
• China: BeiDou sat-nav system gained $1.78BN in commitments for new projects, deepening competition with GPS and targeting integration with vehicles, agriculture and more / full item
• India looks to auction, not allocate, satellite spectrum for sat-delivered internet, raising possibility of Starlink service alongside home-grown Bharti Airtel and Reliance Industries / full item
• China: Intel is planning a $300M investment to expand chip packaging and testing in Chengdu, expected to bolster the Chengdu plant’s role in Intel’s global supply chain / full item
• Taiwan may soon establish overseas support hubs for chip-making firms to help in acquiring land, electricity, water, and workers, boosting partnerships in the process / full item
• Taiwan’s TSMC reportedly achieves 4% higher yields at its first US plant in Arizona, at this point surpassing Taiwan facility yields / full item

Video: ‘How quantum computing will reshape Australia’s economy’, an interview with Rita Gatt, National Lead Partner on Regulation, Security and Risk with Deloitte / YouTube

• South Korea: Rebellions chip-maker partners Samsung Foundry, Arm, and ADTechnology for AI CPU chiplet platform, looking for scalable power and processing efficiency / full item
• The Philippines is betting that its low costs and ample workforce could help attract manufacturers. Talent shortage is one of the main challenges for global chipmakers… / full item
• TSMC-NVIDIA 30-year collaboration is reportedly under strain, following repeated test failures of new NVIDIA Blackwell semiconductor series / full item
• More semiconductor and chip-manufacture exports to China face restrictions, including NVIDIA A800 and H800, and impacts likely on those sold by Intel and AMD / full item
• Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and Arizona’s Amkor, a major global semicon packaging firm, partner for first chip packaging facilities in the US / full item
• Japan: Rapidus chipmaker and Denso auto supplier partner to share design methods for advanced chips, targeting standardization in Japan for AI and autonomous vehicles / full item
• The Philippines is looking to develop 128,000 semiconductor industry-focused engineers and technicians by 2028, further growing its place in packaging and assembly / full item
• Subsidiary of Taiwan’s GlobalWafers, MEMC, hit by data breach exposing names, Social Security numbers, government ID numbers, passport numbers and more / full item

“Between 2024-2030, Vietnam aims to become a global center for semiconductor human resources and establish basic capabilities in research, design, production, packaging, and testing.” / full item

• China: TikTok parent firm, ByteDance, is to develop an AI model trained primarily using Huawei chips as ‘tech war’ pressures grow on access and supply chain / full item

“India-based IC design startup L&T Semiconductor Technologies revealed it’s developing 15 products, which will be mass-produced in two years…” / full item

• India continues space position with Chandrayaan-4 mission targeting a lunar south pole landing for samples collection, potentially in 2028 / full item
• Video: A 25-minute look at India’s fast-growing space industry, from Bloomberg / full item
• China: Deep Blue Aerospace offers first 2 tickets for seats on a vehicle taking passengers into space in 2027, priced around $210K and with plans for more ticket sales in November / full item
• China: Fifth Gaofen-12 satellite enters orbit for China’s Earth observation system, with stated focus areas including land surveys, urban planning and road network design / full item
• Philippine Space Agency, the European Union, and PH Dept of Science & Tech launch CopPhil Centre, infrastructure program and satellite data mirror site / full item

“Satellite internet market in India is set for growth and has the potential to generate US$1 billion revenue in the near future.” / full item

• India: Space Based Surveillance project approved for Phase 3 launch of 52 AI-backed satellites over 5 years to boost land and sea surveillance capabilities / full item
• Australia: Paladin Space lands $100K SA State Gov’t grant to further develop space debris removal technologies, looking to new machine learning techniques for image analysis / full item
• Space Kidz India launches ShakthiSAT, a globally-minded initiative to train 12000 female high school students in aspects of space technology / full item
• China is to launch 2-3 quantum communications satellites in 2025, and one in 2027, connecting with ground-based networks in pursuit of global coverage / full item
• Air New Zealand is to roll out Starlink in-flight WiFi service in 2025, joining United Airlines and Air France in trialling satellite connectivity technology / full item
• Space42 launches, result of merger between UAE firms, Yahsat satellite operator and Bayanat geospatial AI services provider, valuing Space42 at near $3BN / full item
• China: Shijian-19 reusable satellite launches to research low Earth orbit radiation’s impact on seeds, potentially generating beneficial mutations such as short breeding cycles / full item
• The case for public data banks: “Public AI data banks could democratize access to data, reducing Big Tech’s dominance and fostering innovation in AI.” / full item

“Malicious actors, even if they tried, could not have an impact at scale such that there would be a material effect on the outcome of the [2024 US} election…” / full item

• ‘Risks On The Horizon’, a European Commission Joint Research Centre examination of emerging risks across a range of domains / full item
• Download: Thoughtworks Technology Radar, a twice-yearly look at tech tools, techniques, platforms, languages and frameworks / full item
• Australia: Parliamentary inquiry rejects calls for ban on AI-generated images and videos in election campaigns despite near-certainty of the tech being used for disinformation / full item
• Australia-China research identifies new method for lithium extraction from saltwater, with lower environmental impacts and faster processing, and freshwater as a by-product / full item
• Australia-linked Ioneer gains US federal permit for Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron mine, potentially supplying lithium for 370K EVs a year and quadrupling US production / full item
• Australia: University researchers develope battery component using food-based acids, potentially making lithium-ion units more efficient, affordable and sustainable / full item
• Taiwan: University researchers announce development of world’s smallest quantum computer, for the first time using a single photon to perform quantum calculations / full item

“Sophgo was founded by Micree Zhan… Zhan is also the co-founder and chair of Bitmain, the largest Bitcoin ASIC designer and a provider of water-cooled crypto mining systems.” / full item

• Taiwan’s TSMC suspended shipments reportedly for Sophgo, a China-based chip designer affiliated with Bitmain crypto-mining firm, after chip made for Sophgo appeared on a Huawei AI processor / full item

“TSMC halted shipments to the client around mid-October after it realised semiconductors fabricated for that entity had found their way into Huawei products…” / full item

• Japan: Gov’t rolls out plans for a 300MW wind farm off Hokkaido coast to boost energy for new Rapidus semiconductor manufacturing facility, and new SoftBank data centre / full item
• Taiwan’s Foxconn partners NVIDIA to construct the world’s largest factory for NVIDIA’s GB200, a chip focused on artificial intelligence systems / full item
• India: Tata Group continues global semiconductor supply chain bid with subsidiary semicon plant in Kerala, in partnership with Taiwan’s PSMC / full item

Asia Tech Weekly: Australia lithium, TSMC & Huawei, Thai-China space launch, DPRK Linux hack, Starlink & Myanmar, Johor datacenters, Indonesia vs Temu, Apple Music & China Mobile, PH-EU space data… / full item

• Thailand: Prime Minister invites China to build a satellite launch base for providing 6G technology in Thailand / full item
• China: Domestic firms dominate state-owned China Telecom $2BN server procurement shortlist, likely continuing moves to eliminate foreign hardware from its networks / full item
• China Telecom has trained LLMs using domestic-only AI chips – most likely Huawei Ascend chips – with one model reportedly using 1 trillion parameters / full item

Indo-Pacific Insight

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