Explaining Taiwan’s lead in advanced semiconductor manufacturing January 30, 2026 Ever wanted to pick the brains of someone deep inside the semiconductor industry? Semiconductor industry veteran Marco Mezger sat down in TaiwanPlus’ Now You Know series to answer viewer questions – explaining, quite literally, why things work the way they do.
Kandi partners with Qiji to boost battery swapping ecosystem January 30, 2026 China Battery Exchange will serve as a strategic supplier to Qiji Energy. In this capacity, it will drive the solution layout, equipment selection, and manufacturing of mechanical and control systems for heavy-truck battery swap stations.
GCT licenses chipsets to satellite communications provider January 30, 2026 The agreement enables the integration of GCT’s 5G and 4G chipsets into the satellite provider’s user equipment, unlocking new capabilities for global, resilient, and high-bandwidth connectivity, both via satellite and terrestrial networks.
Indian AI semiconductor startup Agrani Labs raises $8M January 30, 2026 The proceeds will be used to scale engineering efforts and advance product development as Agrani Labs works towards building globally competitive AI compute solutions.
Waabi secures $1 billion to advance Physical AI Platform January 30, 2026 The funding will fuel the continued advancement of Waabi’s Physical AI Platform, further accelerate the Canadian company’s commercial progress in autonomous trucking, and support its expansion into robotaxis.
Metlen expands green energy footprint in UK, Ireland, Italy January 30, 2026 In the UK, Metlen secured a new EPC contract with Elgin for the 24.5 MW Maesmawr solar park. In Ireland, Metlen signed a new EPC contract for a solar project in County Louth. In Italy, it signed a 7-year physical Tolling Agreement for a 25MW BESS in Apulia region.
Movu Robotics, MHS Lift to advance warehouse automation January 30, 2026 Using autonomous shuttle robots within specially designed rack lanes, Movu atlas allows warehouses to minimize aisle widths while maximizing usable storage space.
MHI, Mitsubishi Electric invest in space venture January 30, 2026 Japan LEO Shachu was established in July 2024 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui with the aim of creating a new economy in Low Earth orbit (LEO) by leveraging Japan's technology and industrial foundation.
BAE-linked teams win contracts for Link 16 radios and Typhoon AESA radar January 29, 2026 BAE Systems-linked teams have been awarded two defence electronics contracts covering tactical radio systems and fighter radar production, according to information published on the companies’ official channels. The awards include a U.S. Navy contract for Link 16-enabled MIDS JTRS radio terminals and a UK Ministry of Defence order for ECRS Mk2 AESA radars for the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon fleet.
Valens Semiconductor to cut 10% of workforce under efficiency plan January 29, 2026 Valens Semiconductor has announced an operational efficiency plan that includes a reduction of approximately 10% of its workforce across multiple departments.
Factronix sees growing interest in reclaimed components January 29, 2026 At Evertiq Expo Warsaw 2025, Factronix CEO Stefan Theil used his presentation on “Component Reclaim – a green solution for the electronic industry” to underline how recovered components are moving from a niche option to a practical supply-chain tool.
GA-ASI, Calidus to collaborate on production of MQ-9B, GCA January 29, 2026 The MOU provides a framework for cooperation between GA-ASI, GA-Intelligence, and Calidus where all parties will look to collaborate on programs in the areas of airframe manufacturing, final assembly, test and checkout, as well as flight operational test and acceptance.
Can memory manufacturing return to Germany? Neumonda lays out its case January 29, 2026 When German memory company Neumonda talks about bringing semiconductor memory manufacturing back to Germany, it sparks curiosity — not about the technology itself, but about the scale, the investment needed, and whether it’s actually possible.
RSPL raises $3 million to boost silicon ingot manufacturing January 29, 2026 Indian company Raana Semiconductors Pvt. Ltd. (RSPL) plans to initially focus on producing 10–12 inch solar-grade silicon ingots, with a longer-term roadmap towards semiconductor-grade wafer manufacturing.
NASA launches Athena — its most powerful supercomputer January 29, 2026 Housed in the Modular Supercomputing Facility at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California, Athena delivers more computing power than any other NASA system, surpassing the capabilities of its predecessors, Aitken and Pleiades, in power and efficiency.
Wallbox, Eneco partner to expand EV infrastructure in Benelux January 29, 2026 Under the agreement, Wallbox will supply its commercial AC charger, eM4 Twin, as the primary hardware solution for initial Dutch deployments through Eneco eMobility’s installation network.
ESMC holds topping-out ceremony at Dresden fab site January 28, 2026 European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC) has celebrated the topping-out of its new office buildings at its Dresden semiconductor fab, the company said in a LinkedIn update. The ceremony marked the placement of the final structural beam in the central building.
Who is the leader in R&D spending? January 28, 2026 For years, the global technology narrative seemed simple: the United States led in innovation, while China was primarily seen as the world’s manufacturing floor. But that picture has been changing rapidly, almost in real time. As competition between Washington and Beijing increasingly centres on technology and strategic industries, a key question emerges: do the numbers actually reflect this shift? Has China truly caught up with — or even overtaken — the United States in research and development spending? And how does the broader global ranking look beyond this high-profile rivalry?
ASML tops forecasts on AI chip demand, plans workforce cuts January 28, 2026 Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML reported much stronger-than-expected bookings for the fourth quarter, as chipmakers step up investments to support booming demand for artificial intelligence hardware, according to a Reuters report.
Connected Energy to develop EV battery testing facility January 28, 2026 This dedicated hub will test and integrate batteries from multiple EV bus and truck manufacturers, demonstrating the clear business case for repurposing them in grid-scale, second-life BESS.
Aegis completes acquisition of simulation software provider Simio January 28, 2026 Aegis Software has completed the acquisition of Simio, a provider of digital twin simulation and advanced planning and scheduling (APS) software. The transaction brings together manufacturing execution and operations software with simulation-based planning and scenario modelling capabilities.
State of Louisiana, Persona AI launch humanoid pilot January 28, 2026 The pilot program advancing humanoid robotics in active heavy-industry environments is to be conducted at SSE Steel Fabrication’s (SSE Steel) large-scale fabrication facility in St. Bernard Parish.
Embraer partners with Adani to develop India’s aircraft ecosystem January 28, 2026 The collaborative industrial partnership will aim to establish an assembly line, followed by a phased increase in indigenization to advance India’s Regional Transport Aircraft (RTA) program.
KAUST establishes ‘Quantum Foundry’ to boost quantum ecosystem January 28, 2026 By enabling structured, shared access to KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) quantum cleanrooms, the Foundry supports device prototyping and process development, allowing industry and academic partners to collaborate on emerging quantum technologies.
Rigetti bags $8.4M quantum computer order from C-DAC January 27, 2026 The system, a 108-qubit quantum computer, will be installed on-premises at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC’s) Bengaluru center and is scheduled to be deployed in the second half of 2026.
GlobalLogic, Elektrobit to advance software-defined vehicles January 27, 2026 GlobalLogic and Elektrobit have collaborated for the past 15 years, supporting Elektrobit’s products in areas such as Adaptive & Classic AUTOSAR middleware, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems, and connectivity.
Micron breaks ground on $24B wafer fab expansion in Singapore January 27, 2026 Micron Technology has broken ground on a new advanced wafer fabrication facility in Singapore, marking a planned investment of approximately USD 24 billion over the next ten years.
AT&S to triple cleanroom capacity at Leoben site January 27, 2026 AT&S is expanding production capacity at its main site in Leoben, Austria, by tripling its cleanroom area in response to sustained demand for embedding technologies. The company said the expansion is driven by a strong order situation and several major projects secured in recent months.
IonQ to acquire SkyWater in a $1.8B deal January 27, 2026 US quantum computing company IonQ has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire US-based semiconductor foundry SkyWater Technology in a cash-and-stock transaction valuing SkyWater at approximately USD 1.8 billion.
Samara raises $10M to accelerate spacecraft production January 27, 2026 The funding will allow the US company to scale operations within its new 11,200-square-foot production facility, adding staff and equipment to increase manufacturing capacity and shorten delivery timelines for future missions.
terralayr announces €192 million equity raise January 27, 2026 The funding will enable terralayr to further grow its grid-scale battery storage portfolio in Germany, while scaling the company’s LAYR flexibility-as-a-service platform.
ASMPT reviews strategic options for SMT Solutions segment January 27, 2026 ASMPT has initiated a review of strategic options for its SMT Solutions segment. The company said the assessment is intended to support long-term value creation while allowing ASMPT to focus more closely on its Semiconductor Solutions segment.