Innovation Updates
MINT | APRIL 28, 2024
India’s Bharat 6G Alliance is poised to join forces with the European telecom industry body, Industry Alliance 6G, to advance collaboration in advancing 6G technology. This is in line with the Indian government’s aim to forge partnerships with other global entities to gain deeper insights into the commercial and societal requirements of 6G. Launched in 2023 by the Department of Telecommunications, the Bharat 6G Alliance was established to bring industry players, academia, and research organizations together to advance the Bharat 6G mission. India and the European Union (EU) have been strengthening their cooperation in high technologies through the EU-India Trade and Technology Council. The two entities also signed an MoU on semiconductor cooperation recently.
THE WHITE HOUSE | APRIL 25, 2024
U.S. President Joe Biden announced a preliminary agreement with Micron, under the CHIPS and Science Act, providing up to $6.14 billion in funding for semiconductor manufacturing facilities in New York and Idaho. This investment aims to create over 70,000 jobs and unleash $50 billion in private investment by 2030. Micron’s investment, totaling up to $125 billion, will establish a leading-edge memory chip ecosystem, crucial for technologies like artificial intelligence. The projects include the construction of multiple fabs in New York and Idaho and will focus on the production of leading-edge dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chip production, along with high-volume manufacturing of leading-edge DRAM chips. Additionally, at least $40 million has been allocated for training and workforce development. Micron has also committed to workforce principles, sustainability efforts, and community investments. This agreement is part of President Biden’s agenda to revitalize communities, promote economic growth, and strengthen national security through investments in manufacturing and clean energy.
NIKKEI ASIA | APRIL 15, 2024
Open AI established its first Asia office in Tokyo, Japan, with the aim to explore possible partnerships to source high-performance chips. While speaking at the opening of the new office, chief operating officer Bud Lightcap said that OpenAI expects the demand for GPUs to be robust in the coming years, and is keen to ensure that GPU-making capacity does not diminish. Japan has emerged as a significant player in leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing technology, with the Japanese consortium Rapidus set to begin mass production of chips as early as 2027. Japan is looking to leverage AI to compete with an increasingly assertive China, accelerate the adoption of digital services, and mitigate the impact of deepening labor shortages. OpenAI has also established offices in London and Dublin.
INDIA AI | APRIL 11, 2024
Infosys and Intel have announced an expanded collaboration to assist global enterprises in accelerating their AI initiatives. The partnership will offer advanced AI solutions to help businesses become more cost-effective, performance-driven, and responsible by design. As part of this collaboration, Infosys Topaz, an AI-first set of services, solutions, and platform, will integrate Intel-based solutions using Intel software and products including Intel Gaudi accelerators, Intel Core Ultra Processors, and Intel Xeon processors. Infosys will also utilize AI training assets to enhance the skills of its employees on Intel’s product portfolio and offer generative AI expertise to its extensive network of global customers across various industries.
MINT | APRIL 8, 2024
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will receive up to $6.6 billion from the U.S. government for a factory complex currently under construction in Phoenix. This funding is part of a broader push by the U.S. administration to revitalize the domestic semiconductor industry. The U.S. Department of Commerce is overseeing the grant, to be awarded after thorough due diligence, under the 2022 Chips Act. The Chips Act is a key component of the U.S. administration’s strategy to reestablish chip manufacturing within the country. Under the act, $53 billion has been allocated for grants, research funding, and other incentives to reverse the trend of the chip industry moving overseas over the past three decades. The United States’ share of chip manufacturing declined from 37 percent in 1990 to just 12 percent in 2020.
Regulatory Updates
THE NEW YORK TIMES | APRIL 30, 2024
European Union regulators have expressed concerns about tech giant Meta’s perceived lack of adequate safeguards against misleading advertisements, deepfakes, and other forms of deceptive information spread online to exacerbate political divisions and influence elections. The statement seems to be a move to urge Meta to take more action ahead of the upcoming elections in all twenty-seven EU countries. These elections are being closely monitored for signs of foreign interference, particularly from Russia, which aims to undermine European support for the war in Ukraine. The EU’s position reflects a robust approach to regulating online content. The Digital Services Act, implemented in 2023, grants EU regulators broad powers to control the content disseminated on platforms and services owned by Meta and other major online platforms.
BLOOMBERG NEWS | APRIL 26, 2024
Japan plans to expand restrictions on exports of four technologies related to semiconductors or quantum computing. These shipments will require signoffs by export control officials to all countries, including trading partners they look upon more favorably, such as South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. The move is designed to better oversee exports of components with military applications and is in line with similar moves around the world, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan. The change will take effect as early as July 2024. Last year, Japan expanded restrictions on exports of twenty-three types of leading-edge chipmaking technology, a move that followed American lobbying efforts towards international partners for matching its sanctions on China.
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT | APRIL 25, 2024
The European Parliament has approved the Net-Zero Industry Act, aimed at strengthening the EU’s production in technologies crucial for decarbonization. The Act, which had already been informally agreed upon with the European Council, sets a target for Europe to manufacture 40 percent of its annual deployment needs in net-zero technologies by 2030, as outlined in National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), and to capture 15 percent of the global market value for these technologies. The supported technologies include renewables, nuclear, industrial decarbonization, grid enhancements, energy storage, and biotech. The legislation simplifies the permitting process by establishing maximum timelines for project authorization based on their scale and output. It also introduces “Net-Zero Acceleration Valleys” initiatives to expedite the permitting process by delegating some environmental assessment evidence collection tasks to member states. The law will require formal adoption by the council to become enforceable.
THE INDIAN EXPRESS | APRIL 24, 2024
The U.S. Senate approved a bill that would require ByteDance, the Chinese tech company that owns TikTok, to sell the popular app within the next nine months to a year. Failure to do so would result in a ban on TikTok in the United States. This decision reflects concerns among lawmakers in the United States about potential data access and surveillance by China through the app. The bill, passed by a wide margin in the U.S. House of Representatives, will be swiftly signed into law, said President Joe Biden. This legislation marks the latest development in an ongoing tech conflict between China and the United States.
MINT | APRIL 18, 2024
According to sources in the know, Microsoft’s OpenAI partnership could face an EU antitrust investigation as regulators try to understand the effect the collaboration will have on competition. The probe would look into whether the partnership restricts or distorts competition within the EU internal market or whether Microsoft’s market power distorts the market through certain practices. However, no decision has been taken by the EU enforcer yet.
Technology and International Affairs
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST | APRIL 27, 2024France and Germany have solidified collaboration efforts to develop a next-generation battle tank featuring artificial intelligence and laser technology, marking a significant advancement in modern warfare. The two nations signed a memorandum of understanding, splitting the industrial production of the tank, known as the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), equally between them. This move underscores efforts to demonstrate unity amid previous disagreements, particularly regarding support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. The MGCS will consist not just of one armored fighting vehicle but a system of manned and unmanned vehicles. It will include drones to protect the tank and artificial intelligence and laser technology. Equally funded by Paris and Berlin and run under German management, the project was initially guided by defense industry firm KNDS, a tie-up between Nexter from France and Germany’s KMW.
THE WHITE HOUSE | APRIL 11, 2024
The United States, Japan, and the Philippines held the first Trilateral Leaders’ Summit in Washington, DC, to encourage cooperation between the three maritime democracies on economic and security issues. The joint statement released after the summit saw Japan and the United States commit to strengthening the Philippines’ maritime capabilities against Chinese aggression. Japan and the United States expressed intent to provide $8 million for Manila’s information communications technology ecosystem. The statement also mentioned the first trilateral Cyber and Digital Dialogue, to be held later this year, to explore more opportunities to cooperate. The statement also focused on strengthening semiconductor supply chain resilience. This will include the creation of a semiconductor workforce development initiative that will see students from the Philippines receiving world-class training at leading American and Japanese universities. Furthermore, through the CHIPS and Science Act’s International Technology Security and Innovation Fund, the United States and the Philippines plan to coordinate their efforts to develop and expand the latter’s semiconductor workforce.
THE WHITE HOUSE | APRIL 5, 2024
The sixth ministerial meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) held in Belgium focused on various aspects of advancing transatlantic cooperation on critical and emerging technologies. Key outcomes included reaffirmation of commitment to safe and trustworthy AI, establishment of a Quantum Task Force, collaboration on post-quantum cryptography, efforts to build resilient semiconductor supply chains, cooperation in biotechnology for addressing global challenges, alignment on standards for critical technologies and clean energy transition, dialogue on clean energy incentives, and collaboration on critical minerals supply chains diversification. These efforts aim to strengthen transatlantic ties and promote technological innovation while addressing global challenges such as climate change and economic security.
ASEAN | APRIL 5, 2024
Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to advance the growth of cross-border QR payments using compatible platforms, encapsulated in a twenty-five-point statement released at the eleventh meeting of finance officials held in Laos. The statement highlighted the importance of “financing, payment, and service connectivity,” and specifically mentioned QR payments. The leaders applauded the launch of cross-border linkages between Cambodia-Lao PDR, Cambodia-Vietnam, Singapore-Indonesia, Singapore-Malaysia, and Lao PDR-Thailand, which positions ASEAN as a leader in QR payment integration globally, according to the joint statement.
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST | APRIL 2, 2024
Britain and the United States have announced a new partnership focused on the science of AI safety. The collaboration will seek to address concerns surrounding next-generation of AI. U.S. Commerce Secretary and the British Technology Secretary signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington, DC, to collaborate on the development of advanced AI model testing. Building upon commitments made at the AI Safety Summit held at Bletchley Park in November 2023, this formal partnership between Britain and the United States includes plans for joint testing exercises on publicly accessible AI models and potential personnel exchanges between the institutes. Additionally, both countries aim to develop similar partnerships with other nations to promote AI safety.
Next 30 Days
GLOBAL TIMES | APRIL 29, 2024
Chinese President Xi Jinping will make state visits to France, Serbia, and Hungary from May 5 to 10, invited by their respective leaders. These visits come at a crucial time as China and Europe seek to expand cooperation amid increasing global competition and geopolitical complexities. In France, Xi’s first stop, the focus will be on celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of diplomatic ties and enhancing bilateral relations through cultural and economic cooperation. Talks with French President Emmanuel Macron will cover various issues of mutual interest, including China-EU relations and global affairs. During his trip to Serbia, the first in eight years, there are expectations of signing new agreements to deepen collaboration in innovative areas. The visit to Hungary will mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. According to experts, Xi’s visit will elevate bilateral relations to new heights, providing stability and positive energy to a turbulent world.
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, JAPAN | APRIL 26, 2024
Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida is scheduled to attend the Ministerial Council Meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), to be held in France on May 2 and 3. Japan will chair this year’s Ministerial Council meeting, which also marks the sixtieth year of Japan’s accession to the grouping. PM Kishida is also scheduled to hold a summit meeting with France to exchange views on bilateral relations and international affairs. He is also set to visit Brazil and Paraguay, his first visit since assuming office, to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation between Japan and the two Latin American countries.