Venezuela's minerals: huge potential, even bigger risk January 22, 2026 In the first weeks of 2026, Venezuela returned to the headlines not because it suddenly became stable, but because Washington once again began to play the country — politically and economically. On the US side, there were signals of intensified efforts aimed at shifting the balance of power in Caracas. In practice, this points to a “reset” scenario: Venezuela re-entering the investment conversation under a new framework. But setting politics aside for a moment, what could this actually mean for the electronics industry? Is Venezuela truly an Eldorado?
Duke Energy brings online 50 MW BESS at former coal plant January 22, 2026 The first BESS, at a cost of USD 100 million, was completed ahead of schedule, serving customers in North Carolina and South Carolina, beginning in November. Final testing is being completed this month. Construction of a second BESS will begin in May.
Jabil takes minority stake in EHT Semi January 21, 2026 Electronics manufacturer Jabil has made a strategic minority investment in US-based Eagle Harbor Technologies, operating under the name EHT Semi, and entered into a manufacturing collaboration focused on RF and pulsed-power systems for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
Jabil acquires Hanley Energy Group January 20, 2026 Jabil has acquired Hanley Energy Group, a specialist in energy management and critical power solutions for data centers.
VDL Groep acquires Dutch electronics company Sintecs January 19, 2026 Sintecs, a Dutch company based in Hengelo, designs complex digital electronics for customers in various high-tech industries, such as telecommunications, automotive, medical, energy and defence.
Northern, Obeikan to develop $200M Saudi battery plant January 19, 2026 The Battery Anode Material facility in Yanbu Industrial City, Saudi Arabia, will be built through a joint venture company majority-owned (51%) by Saudi diversified industrial group Obeikan and 49% owned by Canadian company Northern Graphite Corporation.
US launches “Pax Silica” initiative to secure global AI supply chains January 16, 2026 The US Department of State has unveiled Pax Silica, a new initiative aimed at safeguarding artificial intelligence (AI) and technology supply chains while promoting economic security among allied nations and trusted partners.
Memory market 2026: scarcity, strategy, and security of supply January 16, 2026 The memory super cycle is no longer a forecast - it is a reality. Across all major financial institutions and industry media, we see the same message. 2026 will be defined by structural undersupply, especially in DRAM and NAND. Here’s what we are seeing.
India’s Nash Energy commissions prismatic battery pack line January 16, 2026 The newly commissioned automated battery pack line at the company’s Bengaluru facility will primarily cater to the BESS, electric vehicle, material handling equipment, and electric bus and truck segments.
Cabot signs multi-year supply agreement with PowerCo January 15, 2026 Under the agreement, Cabot Corporation will supply its advanced conductive carbons and conductive dispersions for use in EV battery electrodes.
Origin AI, NXP team up to accelerate embedded WiFi sensing January 15, 2026 This endeavor fast-tracks the deployment of intelligent motion sensing into smart home devices, opening the door for powerful new services across home automation, security and energy management.
ABS partners with Siemens Energy to enhance battery safety January 14, 2026 The collaboration aims to create new insights into how lithium-ion battery systems behave under extreme conditions, ultimately enhancing design verification, safety assurance, and risk mitigation for next-generation applications.
Novo Energy pauses operations, lays off entire workforce January 13, 2026 Volvo Cars has announced an operational pause at its subsidiary Novo Energy as it continues the search for an external technology partner to support its battery production plans.
Syensqo, Axens launch Argylium to boost battery tech in Europe January 12, 2026 The new company, Argylium, is dedicated to the development and scaling up of materials for solid-state batteries.
Advanced materials firm Cambium raises $100 million January 09, 2026 This funding will accelerate both Cambium’s product pipeline and materials manufacturing in the US and Europe, supporting customers across aerospace, defense, energy, marine, motorsport, and other high-performance sectors.
Rajesh Power awarded BESS project in Gujarat January 07, 2026 The project is to be executed within 18 months from the date of signing the Battery Energy Storage Purchase Agreement (BESPA) and regulatory approvals.
Waaree Energies raises $110M for battery manufacturing January 06, 2026 The plant will focus on the production of high-performance cells and battery packs tailored for utility-scale storage systems, electric mobility, and distributed energy applications.
Enlightra raises $15M to advance energy-efficient laser links January 05, 2026 The funding has enabled the Swiss-American deeptech startup to develop and demonstrate its multi-color laser technology, which connects computing chips (GPUs, TPUs) in AI clusters faster and more efficiently than copper cables can.
onsemi to develop next-gen GaN power devices with GF January 02, 2026 onsemi will pair its silicon drivers, controllers and thermally enhanced packages with GlobalFoundries’ 650V GaN technology platform to deliver optimized gallium nitride (GaN) devices with higher power density and efficiency.
India’s KP Group to invest $4B in Botswana’s renewable energy sector January 01, 2026 These projects are expected to add nearly 5 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity. The collaboration also includes the development and strengthening of high-voltage transmission infrastructure within Botswana, along with regional interconnections to enhance power reliability and energy security.
ArcelorMittal announces new green energy projects in India December 30, 2025 Total capital expenditure for the three projects is anticipated to be USD 900 million and the power generated will be supplied to AMNS India, ArcelorMittal’s 60/40 Indian steelmaking joint venture with Nippon Steel.
Solstice breaks ground on $200 million Spokane expansion December 19, 2025 The expansion and modernization of its electronic materials facility in Spokane Valley, Washington, will play a key role in enabling the next generation of semiconductor fabrication, providing critical materials needed to produce smaller, faster and more energy-efficient chips.
The world reorders its minerals: rare earths at the close of 2025 December 19, 2025 As 2025 draws to a close, the rare earths and critical minerals sector no longer feels like a niche concern reserved for mining specialists and policy papers. It has become one of the quiet fault lines of the global technology economy. Not because the world suddenly ran out, but because access to them – predictable, affordable and politically neutral access – can no longer be taken for granted.
BMW Group, Encory launch direct recycling for batteries December 19, 2025 The direct recycling methodology, developed by experts from the BMW Group, eliminates the conventional, energy-intensive chemical or thermal processing previously required.
Panasonic to supply lithium-ion batteries for Zoox robotaxis December 19, 2025 Under the multi-year agreement, Panasonic Energy will deliver its latest 2170 battery cells beginning in early 2026 to support Zoox’s growing robotaxi service and operations.
Kitron receives order valued at €44 million December 19, 2025 EMS provider Kitron has received an order valued at EUR 44 million for the production and supply of advanced electronic components used in energy storage and electric grid balancing systems.
Qualcomm completes acquisition of Alphawave Semi ahead of schedule December 19, 2025 Qualcomm Incorporated has completed its acquisition of Alphawave IP Group, also known as Alphawave Semi, approximately one quarter ahead of the originally planned schedule. The move is aimed at strengthening Qualcomm’s expansion into the data centre market.
Sanmina expands with new energy manufacturing factory December 18, 2025 Sanmina Corporation will expand its energy business with the construction of a new manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas, aimed at serving the US energy market.
Avnet Silica enters new franchise agreement with DeepX December 18, 2025 Avnet Silica has entered into a new franchise agreement with DeepX, a South Korea-based hardware and software manufacturer specialising in highly efficient, powerful AI semiconductor technology.
AESC starts production at UK battery gigafactory in Sunderland December 18, 2025 Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) has launched its new electric vehicle battery gigafactory in Sunderland, UK, with production now underway.
PowerCo starts battery cell production at Salzgitter gigafactory December 17, 2025 Volkswagen-owned PowerCo has officially commissioned its gigafactory in Salzgitter, Germany, and started production of its first Unified Cells “made in Europe,”.
Seven defence technologies driving electronics demand in 2025 December 17, 2025 During this year’s Evertiq Expo in Kraków, the topic of defense electronics filled the conference room to capacity. The top list of defense companies I presented turned out to be only a starting point for conversations that continued long after the session had ended. Behind each of these manufacturers stand dozens of electronics suppliers: semiconductor producers, PCB and RF module manufacturers, and specialized EMS companies. So I asked myself a simple question: which defense technologies drove electronics demand most strongly in 2025? Let’s look at them from the industry’s point of view rather than from a catalogue of weapon systems.