The United States is set to award Samsung over $6 billion to expand the company’s presence in the country.

The Korean technology firm already has a burgeoning presence in Austin, Texas with projected plans for a new plant in Taylor to the tune of $17 million. The funding will be announced before the end of March and these awards will be drawn from the funding agreed in the 2022 Chips and Science Act.

What is the Chips and Science Act?

The act signed into law in August of 2022 was designed to boost the chip-making and semiconductor industry of America. Over $280 billion was allocated to boost U.S. competitiveness, innovation and national security over the next 10 years.

A total of $52.7 billion of this funding will be set aside for semiconductor manufacturing, R&D, and workforce development, with another $24 billion worth of tax credits for chip production on U.S. soil.

Despite being the world’s leading economy and the center of the global tech industry, the U.S. only produces 10% of its entire global supply of semiconductors. So the U.S. government has made it a priority to invest in companies that can produce them while creating jobs and contributing to local and national economy.

Samsung published a report last month detailing the company’s economic impact in the State of Texas to be $26.8 billion. The Austin and Taylor campuses supported 38,144 jobs in the area along with $1.7 billion in workers’ salaries

Greg Abbott, Governor of the State of Texas would said: “Texas is the No. 1 state for semiconductor manufacturing in the nation, thanks to partners like Samsung who contribute so much to our economy and communities in Central Texas and beyond.”

The Korean tech giant’s ties with the region go back to 1996, where “Samsung Austin Semiconductor has been an integral part of the Central Texas community by being drivers of job generation, economic impact and engagement within the community,” according to Jon Taylor, corporate vice president, Samsung Austin Semiconductor.

Samsung’s major rivals are Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker. Both are set to receive investment from the U.S. Government in a bid to make the bulk of their chips in America, but the announcements have not been made official yet.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo delivered a speech Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Raimondo reiterated the importance semiconductors will play in the future of U.S. technology: “We all know our modern world is powered by semiconductors. From windshield wipers to cell phones to pacemakers to rocket ships, chips are fundamental to every aspect of our lives and our economy.”

The Biden Administration last month announced that the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) would be backed by $5 billion in investment to natively research and develop more of the integral technology in America. This entity won’t be able to directly rival the corporate chipmakers operating in America, but it shows that there will be a public-private partnership presence in the research and development of U.S chips.

It remains to be seen which chipmaker will come out on top in the battle for the mantle of the biggest domestic producer of chips in the United States, but Intel, Samsung and TSMC are all in the frame to be heavily backed by the Chips Act for their investment in key states and their infrastructure.

Image: Samsung news.

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In a breakthrough that paved the way for unlimited carbon-free energy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engineers successfully tested a novel high-temperature superconducting magnet capable of generating a world-record 20-tesla magnetic field strength, a crucial milestone for enabling practical fusion power plants.

Nearly three years after achieving this test, MIT researchers have now published a comprehensive analysis validating their record-smashing superconducting magnet technology, a key step toward commercial reactors that could provide unlimited clean power

“Overnight, it basically changed the cost per watt of a fusion reactor by a factor of almost 40 in one day,” said Dennis Whyte, former director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center. “Now fusion has a chance of being economical.”

At the heart of the breakthrough is a magnet made from a superconducting material called REBCO that can operate at a higher temperature of 20 kelvins, eliminating the need for complex insulation between conductor windings. This “no-insulation” design, proved highly stable and simplified fabrication.

But the rigorous testing process didn’t stop there. Over several additional runs, researchers deliberately pushed the magnet beyond its limits to induce a “quench” – an intentional overheating that simulates worst-case operating conditions. Remarkably, the vast majority of the magnet survived this induced failure with minimal damage.

“That test actually told us exactly the physics that was going on, and it told us which models were useful going forward,” said Zach Hartwig, who headed the engineering group behind the magnet development.

The comprehensive data validated the team’s computer modeling and design approach, paving the way for scaling up the technology for SPARC, the compact fusion device being built by CFS.

Both MIT and CFS credit their close collaboration, combining academic and private sector strengths, as key to achieving this leap in a short timeframe. The decades of expertise at MIT’s fusion facilities also provided crucial knowledge and capabilities.

“This goes to the heart of the institutional capabilities of a place like this,” Hartwig said. “We had the capability, the infrastructure, and the people to do these things under one roof.”

What is Fusion Power?

Fusion power aims to replicate the nuclear process that powers the sun – fusing light atomic nuclei to release tremendous amounts of energy. If harnessed on Earth, it could provide a virtually limitless, carbon-free energy source with low radioactive waste. But achieving the extreme temperatures and pressures for fusion has remained an elusive challenge despite decades of efforts. This latest magnet breakthrough brings that goal closer to reality.

Featured image: Ideogram

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Chief executive of the world’s leading chip maker Nvidia says that artificial intelligence (AI) has reached a global tipping point, as revenues soar.

California-based Nvidia is responsible for more than 70 per cent of AI chip sales, with an even larger hold on training generative AI models. With the AI boom still in full flow, the company posted a barnstorming set of quarterly earnings yesterday. Revenues rose by a whopping 265% to reach $22bn between October 2023 and January 2024, compared to the year before.

For 2023 as a whole, turnover reached over $60bn. At the same time, Nvidia became one of the most valuable companies in the United States, with its stock market value rising by 225% over the 12 months – although that stock has recently started to fall.

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang attributes the success to the continued rise of AI, saying on Wednesday (Feb 21): “Accelerated computing and generative AI have hit the tipping point. Demand is surging worldwide across companies, industries and nations.”

The boom isn’t showing any signs of slowing down either, with Nvidia predicting a 233% jump in its quarterly revenues for the current quarter – higher than analysts’ earlier predictions from last year.

Over the past year, the company’s stock price has risen over three times its previous value, boosting Nvidia’s total market capitalization to surpass the $1.5 trillion mark (one of only seven trillion dollar companies in the world) and making it the flagship AI stock with retail and institutional investors. 

Challenges to Nvidia’s AI growth

However, that’s not to say it’s all without its own challenges. Supply chain issues and strained relations between China (the second-largest global economy) and the US are among some of the main obstacles that Nvidia has described.

In addition, with more and more companies wanting to tap into the emergence of AI, more competition will enter the market, presenting new challenges to the market leader. While Nvidia has dominated in the early stages of the AI market, it will also need to defend its place as top dog as more companies enter the field.

“Nvidia… will see challenges on the way up because first the revenue growth will likely stabilise and the euphoria regarding these growth and growth perceptions will level out,” Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote told the BBC, adding that Nvidia might be “constrained by their own capacity to respond to this fast-surging demand”.

Featured image: DALL-E

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Nvidia, the giant U.S. chip maker, has seen a 4.7% fall in its stock price since Friday’s closing bell ahead of the company’s earnings report later today (Feb.21).

Nvidia is on a blistering run, it has been one of the best-performing stocks of 2024 so far, up 44.2% year-to-date and an eye-watering 236.6% over 12 months.

What’s driving this incredible growth? Well, like many other Big Tech companies, it’s Nvidia’s part in the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution we see happening at the moment. Like those who sold pickaxes during a gold rush, Nvidia provides the essential GPU hardware that enables and powers the AI industry’s explosive growth.

Here's what you need to know ahead of Nvidia's earnings report: https://t.co/Z5iZSdftQ2 pic.twitter.com/x6llLr4YZj

— CNBC (@CNBC) February 21, 2024

But with quarterly results expected in a few hours it seems like investors aren’t confident the company can sustain this level of growth in the short term.

Frank Lee, head of technology research at HSBC, told Reuters, “The market is maybe a little bit hesitant whether they (Nvidia) can deliver a strong enough guidance to reinvigorate the market even higher.”

According to London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) estimates, analysts forecast that earnings per share will be $4.56 and that revenue will increase to $20.378 billion, up from $6.05 billion one year ago.

However, this astronomical figure and the potential for company stock to rise 50% every two months, “cannot be sustained” according to Barron’s Tae Kim.

Nvidia stock at all-time-high

According to Barron’s recent predictions on the company’s potential earnings report Nvidia’s stock has climbed 1783% across the past five years. This coincides with the race to be the leading force in the AI chip sector and the United States’s third most valuable company behind Microsoft and Apple.

The company also delivered a successful Computer Electronics Show (CES) that displayed the new RTX 40 series GPUs, introducing the RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super, and RTX 4070 Super. These more affordable and better-performing options have been a protracted attempt to battle competitor AMD in the gaming and performance device scene.

There is also the rumor of the codenamed Blackwell or B100 chip to be in development with a Q4 2024 – Q1 2025 release window. This chip would usher in an entirely new era of graphics cards, and could potentially stay the hands of investors waiting to see how the current Nvidia chips and those on show at CES will perform.

Although, other chipmakers faced recent share dips as rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) was down 1.3% in premarket trading and Intel was down 0.4% this week, showing this dip in collective AI leaders might not be exclusive to Nvidia.

Read more Nvidia news:

• 5 of the most popular AI companies to buy shares in
• Nvidia unveils AI chatbot ‘Chat with RTX’ for local PCs
• Nvidia is ahead of Amazon in market value — but for how long?

Image credit: Nvidia.

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Saudi Arabia is set to see a $100 billion investment over the next six years, with an aim to become a leader in the field of electronics and advanced industrials.

On February 1, 2024, the country’s Public Investment Fund company Alat was launched. Four partnerships and the news of major investment have now been revealed.

In an announcement today via press release (Feb 20) $100 billion will be invested by 2030. This will go towards enhancing the “capabilities of the technological sector, benefitting from the rapid development of this sector in Saudi Arabia.”

Alat will be partnering with Softbank Group, Carrier Corporation, Dahua Technology Ltd, and The Saudi Technology and Security Comprehensive Control Company (Tahakom).

The Global CEO of Alat Amit Midha said: “In conjunction with our international and regional partners, the first four of which we proudly announce today, we will redefine sustainable manufacturing.

“Alat’s mandate is focused on harnessing the Kingdom´s solar, wind and green hydrogen clean energy. 

“We are passionately using technology to transform businesses, leveraging cutting-edge AI technology and fourth-industrial revolution technologies for manufacturing. This is not only using clean energy but applying sustainability measures to all our operations, buildings, logistics and supply chain, with sustainability at the core of everything we do.”

According to its website, these plans will contribute $9.3 billion to non-oil GDP by 2030 and create 39,000 direct jobs.

Global partnerships

Alat’s global partnership with the Softbank Group will include a $150 million investment to set up a fully automated manufacturing and engineering hub that will serve local and global demand. The aim is for the manufacturing plant to be open by December 2024.

The agreement with Carrier Corporation includes the development of a manufacturing and R&D center, expected to create more than 5,000 local jobs.

Alat and Dahua Technology Ltd will invest $200 million to establish a secure and compliant global business for vision-centric products, called Alat AlVisio Technology Co. Ltd., and a manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia.

The fourth partnership, with The Saudi Technology and Security Comprehensive Control Company (Tahakom), will involve collaboration on solution designs, product specifications, and more, as well as building technology roadmaps and client and vendor relationships.

Featured image; Photo by Louis Reed on Unsplash

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Vice President Kamala Harris has announced that the US government will award $1.5 billion to expand semiconductor production. You can read the briefing-room official statement here.

US-based GlobalFoundries (GFS.O), the world’s third-largest contract chipmaker, will receive $1.5 billion to expand semiconductor production. On Monday, the Biden administration announced the decision, highlighting the need to “make progress on global supply chain challenges” and “secure domestic supply chains.”

The company will build a new semiconductor production facility in Malta, New York, while also expanding existing operations there and in Burlington, Vermont, as laid out in an initial agreement with the Commerce Department.

This is part of a long-standing push from the US government to strengthen US production of semiconductors and reduce reliance on imports from China.

“This investment will also create more than 10,000 good jobs over the next decade, including many union construction jobs that pay fair wages and offer benefits like child care services,” the Vice President said in a statement. “Additionally, the domestic production of these chips will provide more supply chain stability to the auto and aerospace industries across the United States that currently rely on the shipment of these chips from overseas.”

What do semiconductors do?

The tiny chips are primarily used in satellite and space communications and the defense industry. Everyday uses for semiconductors also include blind spot and collision detection in cars and EVs and cellular and wifi connections in smartphones and other connected devices. All in all, they are incredibly common and vital for many everyday technologies.

In addition, the new GFS.O facility in Malta will produce a specific type of chip not currently made elsewhere in the country. In Burlington, the production will focus on high-volume production of next-generation gallium nitride on silicon semiconductors to be used in electric vehicles, the power grid, and smartphones, according to a statement from Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo at a press briefing, as reported by Reuters.

Featured image: Pexels

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China is making significant progress in developing advanced semiconductors even as the United States tightens export controls to contain its technological ambitions.

The country’s leading chipmaker SMIC has new production lines in Shanghai to manufacture next-generation 5-nanometer (5nm) mobile processors, reports the Financial Times. The chips are designed by technology giant Huawei as part of its homegrown Kirin line of smartphone processors.

The importance of China’s 5nm chips

The 5nm node represents a significant milestone and lags just one generation behind the cutting-edge 3nm chips from global industry leaders. The process shrinks the smallest features on computer chips to just 5 nanometers wide. It’s exceptionally difficult to do. The technology required to undertake the task successfully is expensive and bleeding edge.

Establishing volume production at this advanced node signals Beijing’s strategic goals of greater self-sufficiency in semiconductors is close to being realized.

The 5nm semiconductor chips are used for high-end smartphone processors and modems as well as artificial intelligence and high-performance computing chips, enabling more powerful and energy-efficient processors for data centers, cloud infrastructure, and specialized AI hardware. They are vital to China’s AI ambitions. 

The collaboration between SMIC and Huawei demonstrates that China’s domestic semiconductor ecosystem retains the ability to innovate at leading-edge process nodes despite U.S. efforts to stymie development through export controls.

Insiders told the Financial Times that if the new 5nm line can successfully manufacture processors for smartphones, SMIC will also produce Huawei’s highest-performance artificial intelligence chip, the Ascend 920. This would help narrow the gap with advanced AI accelerators such as Nvidia’s dominant data center GPUs.

“SMIC is facing a more significant roadblock for production expansion after the US and its alliance tightened export restrictions on advanced chipmaking gear,” said the FT’s source. “Still, the fate of China’s chip industry and its technological development in the coming years will depend on these production lines by SMIC.”

Featured image: Pexels/Ágoston Fung: 

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Tesla has agreed to a $1.5 million settlement to resolve a California lawsuit alleging improper hazardous waste management at its facilities.

The suit was filed by 25 counties across the state last week, claiming Tesla unlawfully dumped toxic materials like batteries, solvents, and electronic waste at local landfills and transfer stations over several years.

As part of the swift settlement announced yesterday (Feb 1) by the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, Tesla has agreed to appoint third-party auditors to inspect its trash containers for hazardous waste over the next five years. The company will also strengthen internal procedures to comply with state environmental laws regarding waste transport, storage, labeling, and disposal.

The lawsuit follows prior violations cited by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2019, for which Tesla paid a small fine and pledged improvements at its Fremont factory. However, investigations by undercover officers in recent years revealed continued issues with improperly labeled and handled dangerous waste.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the new “settlement against Tesla, Inc. serves to provide a cleaner environment for citizens throughout the state by preventing the contamination of our precious natural resources when hazardous waste is mismanaged and unlawfully disposed.”

After being made aware of the hazardous waste issues through the District Attorney’s investigation, Tesla took steps to improve its compliance with the relevant environmental protection laws. Specifically, the company instituted new procedures across all of its service centers to quarantine and screen trash containers for hazardous materials.

Earlier this week Tesla, or at least its CEO Elon Musk, had a run-in with another state’s judiciary. A Deleware judge rejected a deal that would allow Musk to receive a $56 billion pay package.

Judge Kathaleen McCormick in Delaware called the compensation an “unfathomable sum,” ruling that he “failed” to prove that it was fair. The billionaire responded by announcing he planned to move Tesla’s legal headquarters to Texas.

Featured image: Joshua Sortino on Unsplash 

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President Biden’s Administration looks to award billions in U.S. investment dollars to major semiconductor companies located in the nation’s key battleground states.

Investment announcements have been earmarked by industry executives familiar with negotiations, as reports the Wall Street Journal.

The companies that are most likely to be backed by government funding are Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC) and Samsung to name a few.

The news comes as the election trail heats up in America. The future of chip-making and semiconductors are a key talking point more than a year on from the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science Act of 2022 (Chip Act).

What is the Chip Act?

The act signed into law in August of 2022 was designed to boost the chip-making and semiconductor industry of America.

Over $280 billion was allocated to boost U.S. competitiveness, innovation and national security over ten years.

The announcement, made by the White House stated these investments made by the Chip Act “will strengthen our Nation’s manufacturing and industrial base; create well-paying, high-skilled jobs in construction, manufacturing, and maintenance; catalyze regional economic development throughout the country; bolster United States technology leadership; and reduce our dependence on critical technologies from China and other vulnerable or overly concentrated foreign supply chains.”

In total, $52.7 billion of the act’s funds are allocated for semiconductor manufacturing, R&D, and workforce development, with another $24 billion worth of tax credits for chip production.

In December 2023, the Biden Administration allocated $35 million to BAE Systems for a facility in New Hampshire to produce semiconductors.

Intel has broadened its investment in states such as Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico, and Oregon and Samsung has a $17.3 billion project that has taken shape since 2021 in Dallas.

With the Chip Act set to bolster the employment and manufacturing industries of these states, Democrats will hope voters will back the incumbent President when Americans go to the polls in November.

Biden Administration keen to highlight economic wins

As the election’s media cycle starts to heat up there is a set pattern to the administration currently roosting in the White House.

Investment in emerging technology, cybersecurity and manufacturing has been a consistent narrative of the current administration.

The economic delivery and stewardship of employment, economic growth and investment are key pillars of any re-election push.

President Biden’s office has set out it’s stall in drafting standards for AI governance and new cybersecurity requirements for hospitals across 2023.

Those residing in the White House will hope this consistent investment in America’s future will linger long in the minds of American voters that live in the key-battleground states.

Image credit: Arron Kittredge, Pexels.

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The CEOs of two of the most influential chip firms in the world have met to discuss supply constraints, an obstacle to the ongoing rise in artificial intelligence.

Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s (TSMC) C. C. Wei met in Taipei this week to discuss AI chip supply constraints, as the heads of two of the biggest companies associated with such chips. TSMC produces the Nvidia chips that currently power most of the world’ generative AI training systems, reports Bloomberg.

Huang’s latest trip to Taipei came after the 60-year-old’s first visit to mainland China in four years, at the same time as the United States has blocked the export of America-based Nvidia’s range of high-end chips to China. Huang spoke openly to press on Thursday, January 25 about Taiwan (his birth country) and TSMC’s importance in Nvidia’s business and the wider production and sale of chips.

“The single greatest challenge in AI, of course, is scaling the capacity of AI,” Huang said before heading into his company’s local annual Lunar New Year celebrations. “We’re working very hard, TSMC, all of our supply chain partners here, are working very hard to keep up with the demand.”

US sanctions impacting the scale of AI

Huang has previously implied that an escalation of US sanctions against China could drive local Chinese firms to develop their own alternatives, offering more competition that could damage US companies down the line. In particular, the CEO has directly referenced Huawei, who included a China-made processor in a smartphone in 2023. The worry appears to be if Chinese chips can be found in smartphones, could they also be used to power generative AI?

For Nvidia, this could be bad news, as a company that tripled its market value last year, largely due to its hefty stake in AI development through its chips. Similarly, AI is responsible for much of TSMC’s recent success, with the company announcing a projected increase in capital spending just last week.

Featured image: Roméo A. on Unsplash

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It sounds like something straight out of a Star Trek episode, but researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have demonstrated a new method of 3D printing that can produce furniture in mere minutes.

MIT scientists revealed on Thursday (Jan.25) an exciting new manufacturing process that rapidly prints large metal parts using streams of molten aluminum. The new method, called liquid metal printing (LMP), deposits the molten metal into a bed of glass beads, where it quickly cools and solidifies.

How does it all work?

In the LMP process, aluminum is heated to 700°C (1292°F) in an electric furnace until molten. The liquid metal is then dispensed from a nozzle as it travels along a programmed path into a print bed filled with tiny glass beads. The beads act as a support material, allowing the aluminum to solidify rapidly after exiting the print nozzle.

Compared to other metal 3D printing techniques, LMP is extremely fast. Parts can be printed in just seconds or minutes, according to the researchers.

This speed comes at the sacrifice of resolution though. While suitable for making large components like architectural features, furniture frames, or prototypes, LMP cannot match the fine detail of some slower additive manufacturing methods.

The research team, led by MIT professor Skylar Tibbits, successfully printed aluminum parts like table legs and chair frames using their LMP technique. They combined these rapidly printed but low-resolution components with conventionally manufactured parts to assemble full pieces of furniture.

Researcher  Zain Karsan explains: “Our process rate is really high, but it is also very difficult to control. It is more or less like opening a faucet. You have a big volume of material to melt, which takes some time, but once you get that to melt, it is just like opening a tap. That enables us to print these geometries very quickly.”

Tibbits sees the rapid, low-cost nature of LMP as having huge advantages for manufacturing scale structures using recycled metals. “It has downsides too. But most of our built world…doesn’t need extremely high resolution. Speed and scale, and also repeatability and energy consumption, are all important metrics,” he says.

The researchers do acknowledge that LMP faces some ongoing technical obstacles related to heating consistency and material flow control. However, their goal is to refine the LMP machine and process to enable reliable printing that could someday convert scrap aluminum into end-use products or parts. This would be a game-changer for sustainable metal manufacturing, Tibbits notes.

More on 3D Printing

• How to 3D print amazing models for your games room on a Bambu Lab A1
• How to 3D print huge models for cosplay and game rooms with the Neptune 4 Max
• 3D Printing: 10 Ways it Could Transform the Construction Industry

Featured image: MIT

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has confirmed a setback with its second plant in Arizona delayed by up to two years, while the company is still waiting on certainty over US government grants.

It is another blow for the $40 billion site after news broke in July that the first factory will not be up and running until 2025, as reported by Bloomberg.

TSMC, the world’s largest semiconductor chip foundry, is aiming to start second phase operations in 2027 or 2028, which is also a disappointment to the Biden administration in the White House in its aspirations to boost the manufacturing of key components on US soil.

The first site will only commence the production of 4-nanometer chips next year with labor and cost factors cited by the company in the announcement last year.

“Our overseas decisions are based on customer needs and the necessary level of government subsidy, or support,” stated chairman Mark Liu.

At TSMC’s earnings conference in Taipei on Thursday, its chief financial officer Wendell Huang added the decision on the second factory comes as a consequence of delays to the first plant.

Delays to US government funding

Taiwan’s flagship company is locked in talks with the US government on incentives and tax credits, whilst still facing challenges in hiring its workforce. Decisions on grants are set to influence the scale of advances at the second location which is also up against the clock.

TSMC has intimated a delay of two years could result in a one-generation evolution of semiconductor tech.

Incumbent US President Joe Biden passed the Chips and Science Act into law more than one year ago but the legislation aimed to inject billions of dollars toward the likes of TSMC and Intel for further US expansion has yet to yield any subsidies.

The situation is likely to be a source of frustration for the iconic chipmaker given that TSMC has already received funds from the Japanese government for a lesser project in Kumamoto, which was unveiled after the Arizona plan.

Production at the site in Japan is anticipated to get underway later this year.

Image credit, pixabay, pexels.com

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Indian IT giants HCL, Infosys, TCS and Wipro reported strong financial results in their latest quarterly earnings, fueled largely by rising demand for artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Though hiring remained slow, revenue and margins grew substantially across India’s ‘big four’- HCL’s revenue rose 5.3% to $3.41 billion; Infosys increased margins by 0.1% to $4.66 billion; TCS grew revenues by 2.9% to $7.28 billion.

Despite a 6.9% decline to $2.66 billion for Wipro, its CEO Thierry Delaporte struck an upbeat tone, stating “It’s been a strong performance this quarter and it gives us good optimism for the quarters to come.”

“Viral” AI for business strategy

On the upward curve, AI is a dominant feature contributing to the outlook on the future.

“Almost every discussion with clients involves some element of Generative AI,” said Infosys CEO Salil Parekh, while his HCL counterpart C Vijakumar revealed his firm had 30 wins on their books in Gen-AI projects.

That sentiment was further endorsed by Wipro’s Delaporte who commented,  “AI is now moving from the curiosity and experimentation stage to becoming vital, I was going to say viral as well, to business strategy. In fact, we can confidently say that every long-term large deal now has an AI component.”

TCS also declared “AI.Cloud led the demand among Service Lines with strong momentum sustaining for Cloud migrations and increasing interest among customers for AI and Generative AI,” in a powerful indicator of the importance of AI for India’s leading businesses.

On staffing levels, HCL stood apart as the only one of the four firms to increase its numbers. Over the quarter, they recorded an added 3617 to their headcount, up 1.6% whilst the rest saw a decline, contributing to a total loss of 12,637 employees for the ‘big four’, collectively.

The automotive and aerospace industries were highlighted as key markets targeted for growth, with AI remaining a dominant trend leading to investment and returns.

Featured image: Pexels

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A new chapter in the electric vehicle (EV) sector has begun, as two Chinese car manufacturers recently unveiled sodium-ion–powered EVs, moving away from lithium, the metal that has transformed the industry. This technological breakthrough has led to concerns about Western companies losing their grip on sodium-ion battery innovation in China, which could result in a competitive disadvantage in the quickly growing EV market. The switch to sodium-ion batteries for electric vehicles could potentially reduce costs and reliance on scarce lithium resources, offering significant opportunities for the automotive industry. However, as Chinese companies lead the way in developing and implementing this cutting-edge technology, Western counterparts must invest in research and development to maintain their stance in the global EV market and not fall behind in this emerging space.

Benefits of sodium-ion batteries

Introducing sodium-ion batteries in these new vehicles signifies a significant departure from the widely used lithium-ion batteries in the EV industry. Sodium-ion batteries offer several benefits over lithium-based batteries, such as the abundance of sodium, making them more sustainable and affordable. Furthermore, these batteries typically perform better in extreme temperatures, making them an appealing choice for electric vehicles in diverse environments. Additionally, sodium-ion batteries have a longer life cycle, reducing the need for frequent replacements and reducing overall environmental impact. This cutting-edge technology also possesses faster charging capabilities, ultimately enhancing the user experience and convenience for electric vehicle owners.

Competitiveness in the EV market

The adoption of this technology by Chinese car manufacturers has initiated discussions about the competitiveness of the EV market, specifically about battery technology. As China seems to be leading the charge, concerns have emerged that Western companies are lagging in pursuing the potential advantages of sodium-ion batteries. These apprehensions are valid, considering that a shift to sodium-ion batteries could potentially lower production costs and improve the overall efficiency of electric vehicles. Therefore, Western companies must invest in research and development to keep up with the competition, or they risk falling behind in a rapidly growing industry that has the potential to reshape the automotive market.

Adapting to technological improvements

As the global demand for electric vehicles is expected to soar in the coming decades, Western manufacturers must act promptly to embrace and adjust to these technological improvements to maintain their place in the continuously growing EV market. Failure to adapt to the changing landscape could result in significant losses as more environmentally-conscious consumers shift their purchases towards eco-friendly vehicles. Companies that embrace innovation and participate in the global shift towards electric vehicles will ultimately benefit from brand loyalty, reduced environmental impact, and increased competitive advantage in the expanding market.

Sustainable practices will necessitate investment in research and development, strategic collaborations, and a dedication to sustainable practices in the quest for cleaner, more eco-friendly transportation options. Increasingly, companies and governments are recognizing the importance of these efforts, as demonstrated by the rise of electric vehicle adoption, the push for improved public transit, and the development of innovative transportation technologies.

The recent unveiling of sodium-ion–powered electric vehicles by Chinese car manufacturers has underscored the need for Western companies to keep pace with advancements in battery innovation. This breakthrough in sodium-ion battery technology presents a compelling alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries, offering benefits such as cost-efficiency and a wider availability of resources.

Featured Image Credit: Mike Bird; Pexels

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British telecommunications giant BT is in talks with Elon Musk’s Starlink to bring broadband and mobile services to remote areas in the United Kingdom, according to a Telegraph report.

Successfully tested last week, SpaceX’s satellite-based network sent its first text messages between two mobile phones in a breakthrough moment for the space transport services company.

It was delivered using the T-Mobile network in the United States but up to now, no UK carrier has been in place to enable a rollout of services on the other side of the Atlantic. That could now change with news of work being carried out in England as BT is said to be testing Starlink equipment at its Adastral Park research centre, near Ipswich.

The British firm wants to be able to deliver connections to hard-to-reach locations, which is something that Startlink wants to replicate across the globe. At this stage, BT is exploring what the satellite system can do for broadband services whilst also considering the capability to improve mobile connectivity.

Business priority for the partnership

The BT Group operates EE, the second-largest mobile network operator in the UK but approval would be required from the regulator Ofcom if a direct-to-mobile deal was to be agreed with Starlink.

Whilst there is obvious potential for both consumer and business markets, initial talks between both parties are said to be concentrating on the latter.

BT wants to be able to deliver effective broadband and mobile services to sites such as oil rigs, mines, and secluded remote workplaces. It is expected that a consumer offering would follow, given the crossover in providing services that were previously out of reach.

The British government has worked with mobile operators in a £1 billion scheme to target rural “not spots” but Vodafone, Three, and Virgin Media O2 have tempered expectations with a warning that the first phase of the project will be delayed by around two years.

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Malaysia is making a big push into semiconductor manufacturing with aims of meeting skyrocketing demand from the electric vehicle (EV) industry.

The country’s International Trade and Industry Minister, Zafrul Aziz, unveiled a strategy yesterday focused on boosting Malaysia’s production of chips critical for powering EVs and autonomous vehicles. Aziz stated the global pivot towards EVs represents a “tremendous opportunity” for Malaysia to excel as a major chip supplier.

Aziz has set out a plan to prosper from its burgeoning supply of semiconductors thanks to the insatiable demand for the product at present.

As reported by CNBC, he underlined how semiconductors are relied upon in modern auto manufacturing, but especially for EVs which can require up to 15,000 chips whilst a standard car would need around 5000.

Aziz detailed how they already supply the components “in the billions” and further outlined the scope for significant growth, with an ambition to lure the likes of Tesla to Malaysia for major expansion.

Such companies “want to realign to ensure the security of (their) supply chain, the resiliency of the supply chain is there, so they are coming closer to Malaysia and we are inviting many EV makers to come,” he stated.

Tesla currently enjoys a solid relationship with Malaysia, acting as one of its key charging station providers whilst it also counts on the Southeast Asian country for its supply chain.

Mayalysia’s EV market

Minister Aziz had previously spoken on his belief that EVs would act as a catalyst for manufacturing exports in Malaysia and as an active player in the market, they need to exploit the opportunity.

To deliver that objective, the government has set up a national semiconductor task force.

As part of their vision, they intend to dedicate resources to the front end of the chips industry, which involves wafer fabrication and engraving circuits, and not just the back end with its concentration on the assembly of integrated circuits and packaging.

The semiconductor business is said to account for 7% of  Malaysia’s GDP and half of its exports, on the back of a solid manufacturing background.

“The good thing about Malaysia is this industry started in the early 70s so it’s been here 50 years, and the foundation is strong for us today to move up the value chain,” added Zafrul Aziz.

Image credit, Umar Mukhtar, pexels.com

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A U.S. lunar lander launched for the Moon on Monday, the first in over 50 years, has suffered an anomaly.

Peregrine Mission-1 aimed to be the first US craft to moon-land since 1972’s Apollo 17. The launch appeared fine at first but company Astrobotic later said an anomaly occurred post take-off.

An Update on Peregrine Mission One: pic.twitter.com/Q20dGVOMml

— Astrobotic (@astrobotic) January 8, 2024

The launch marks private firms joining the space race to make lunar deliveries for NASA and other clients. It signals a shift towards commercial space travel as NASA relies on companies offering services in place of government-run missions alone. This spacecraft built by a private contractor ushers in new ambitions for corporate involvement in exploration to the moon and beyond after a half-century dry spell since Apollo landings ceased.

NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis program, United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Astrobotic set off from Cape Canaveral. The delivery service is packed full of assorted items including a chunk of Mount Everest, tiny robot cars developed by Mexican university students, and even the remains of legendary fathers of science fiction Gene Roddenberry and Arthur C. Clarke.

Rod Roddenberry the son of Gene, is working with space-memorial company Celestis, to send his father’s and some other notable genetic information into space. This includes Star Trek cast members cremated remains, memory files and DNA capsules of icons Nichelle “Uhura” Nichols, James “Scotty” Doohan, and DeForest “Bones” Kelley.

As reported by space.com, the DNA of George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy will also go up amongst the stars in the Celestis payload.

The first U.S. commercial robotic launch to the Moon successfully lifted off Jan. 8 on the first flight of @ULALaunch’s #VulcanRocket. @Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission 1 lander is expected to reach the lunar surface in February: https://t.co/csvx73ZqgP pic.twitter.com/N7Mxiqi8GC

— NASA (@NASA) January 8, 2024

CEO of Astrobotic, John Thornton praised the launch. “Today Peregrine Mission One achieved a number of big milestones. Peregrine powered on, acquired a signal with Earth, and is now moving through space on its way to the Moon. These successes bring us one step closer to seven nations landing on the Moon, six of which have never been to the Moon before.”

Space, the final frontier

The payload carried by the new Vulcan rocket originates from seven different nations and 16 commercial customers for Astrobotic. With some of the first lunar space payloads from Mexican and German space agencies and the UK’s Peregrine Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer, we reported last week.

The tiny Mexican space robots named COLMENA will be flung from the lander and Mexico’s National Autonomous University (UNAM) hopes they will scrub the surface and atmosphere of the Moon for sample data.

Gustavo Medina-Tanco, Head of Laboratory of Space Instrumentation at UNAM thanked Astrobiotic in a post on Linked in, saying “Dear Astrobotic operations team, thanks for taking care of COLMENA to the Moon.”

Vulcan sets new standards in exploration

United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan is a 61-metre rocket that will replace the Atlas V. It was assembled at Astrobotic’s headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA. The rocket contains parts made by hundreds of suppliers from across the US, including 184 Pennsylvania-based companies.

The development project with Boeing-Lockheed Martin includes engines from Jeff Bezos’s space company Blue Origin.

“Astrobotic would like to thank its suppliers, customers, sponsors, supporters, and 250-employee team, who have worked tirelessly for years to make this moment possible,” said Thornton.

Earlier this month, space exploration rival Space X launched the Starlink program. This satellite hopes to give network service anywhere on Earth.

Image credit: Astrobiotic.

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The Dutch government has partially revoked an export license for semiconductor equipment giant ASML (Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography) to ship some of its most advanced lithography machines to China, report Reuters.

The canceled export license affects ASML’s NXT:2050i and NXT:2100i systems. It comes after the European tech giant received “further clarification of the scope and impact” of expanded US export rules aimed at limiting China’s domestic chipmaking capabilities.

ASML stock price dips

ASML’s stock dipped 1.54% to 671.20 euros on the news, kicking off 2024 on a sour note on the first trading day of the new year.

While the license cancelation won’t have a “material impact” on ASML’s 2023 earnings, the company did not disclose the specific financial implications. It also remains unclear exactly how many lithography machines will be affected.

ASML’s most advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems have required a Dutch export license since September 2023 due to US government pressure. These advanced machines are crucial for producing leading-edge chips below 10 nanometers.

China claims discrimination

China was quick to criticize the Netherlands’ decision, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stating Beijing hopes the Dutch government will “protect the common interests of both countries and their companies and maintain the stability of international supply chains”.

The official X account for The Chinese Communist Party’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the Netherlands to “uphold fairness & market principles.”

We urge the Netherlands to uphold fairness & market principles, respect the spirit of contract and take concrete actions to protect the common interests of our two countries and of Chinese & Dutch companies and keep international industrial & supply chains stable. #ASML pic.twitter.com/wI3ai8I5Cr

— Spokesperson发言人办公室 (@MFA_China) January 2, 2024

Asia’s biggest economy was ASML’s third-largest market after Taiwan and South Korea in 2022. However, during Q3 2023, China accounted for a whopping 46% of ASML’s total revenue – making it the company’s largest market. Broader tensions have been rising due to US-spearheaded efforts to constrain China’s semiconductor industry through export controls and Beijing has been investing billions to foster its domestic chip capabilities but still lags years behind cutting-edge manufacturing.

Countries have been reluctant to export their most advanced semiconductor technology to China due to rising national security concerns, fears of enabling its military capabilities, and a brewing technology cold war with the US.  With chips becoming critical infrastructure for military systems and emerging technologies like AI, Western nations are increasingly wary of strengthening Beijing’s capabilities and economic competitiveness in strategic fields.

Picture: Pixabay

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has announced a significant power shift at the firm with its current chairman Mark Liu set to step down next year.

A statement from TSMC indicated its board had recommended current CEO and Vice Chairman C.C. Wei to step into Liu’s position.

As reported by Reuters, the world’s largest contract chipmaker is set to enact the boardroom change, subject to the upcoming company election in June.

Liu is set for a new beginning, with a company statement quoting him as saying that he wishes to put his “decades of semiconductor experience to other use, spend more time with my family, and start the next chapter of my life”.

He continued, “I am confident that TSMC will continue to perform outstandingly in the years to come.”

His would-be successor is no stranger to the company, with Wei having joined TSMC in 1998 and has been present on the board since 2017.

‘World-class’ qualities at Taiwan’s standard bearer

TSMC is a major supplier to Apple and Nvidia and they benefit at present from the surge in AI start-ups and applications. Their stock price has soared 30% this year, giving a company value of $483.3 billion.

On the back of this news, the chairman of a Taiwan-based investment portfolio firm reflected on the strength of Asia’s most valuable listed company.

James Hwang of  Franklin Templeton Securities Investment Management’s Taiwan office stated that it is likely to be a seamless transition for the “world-class company”.

“Its internal processes in terms of developing professional high-end leadership talent are comprehensive and polished. I don’t think the change (in leadership) will noticeably impact the operation or direction for TSMC going forward,” he said.

The company is considered in Taiwan as the “sacred mountain protecting the country” due to its superb economic performance and importance to the globe’s chip industry.

Most of TSMC’s ongoing production will remain in Taiwan but the firm is diversifying to Germany in Europe as well as Arizona in the US, and Japan to meet the insatiable demand for its products across the planet. These new plants would also provide balance to the risk of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

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Kokusai Electric Corp, a Japanese chip machinery maker, is hiring in China in a move to extend the 66% rally in stock prices it saw after its IPO in October, reports Bloomberg.

The anticipated growth in China comes down, in part, to the USA enforcing tighter export regulations on domestic chip manufacturers exporting to China. Kokusai Electric Corporation manufactures and distributes semiconductor manufacturing systems.

“Countless small-scale fabrication plants are springing up like mushrooms in China,” said Kokusai’s CEO Fumiyuki Kanai, in an interview with Bloomberg. “The Chinese government is providing aggressive support to the industry for activities including the internet-of-things, smartphones, and personal computers, ” he continued.

Kanai, who handled the Tokyo-based company’s IPO, believes that China holds continued value for Kokusai and that increasing the company’s support staff there will better serve clients. He also said that after investments for production and next-generation tool development, he will focus on shareholder returns, and will actively consider stock buybacks.

The Chinese chip market

“We have locations in China only to provide after-sale services and have no plans to do production or research there,” Kanai said. “We will increase personnel to cover the local demand.”

The Chinese market accounts for 40% of the chip gear maker’s revenue, with the expectation that this will rise to 50% in the near future.

As a result of strict export regulations from the USA, Chinese chip equipment producers were witnessing a surge in sales. However, more recent news suggests that the market may not be as stable as it appeared, with over 22,000 chip-related firms shutting their doors in 2023. This is in part due to a decline in demand caused by market changes due to Covid.

The most at-risk companies are the smallest ones which struggle to secure investments, and with their established position in the market, Kokusai is likely hoping to absorb some of the demand released by closing competitors. Kanai also stated that the company is looking to diversify into areas that complement its current range.

Featured image: RF._.studio/Pexels

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