Asia's Tech News, Weekly: August 7th 2024

Singapore cybersecurity, China's G60 satellites, Indian semicon jobs, Japan's hikikomori opportunity, Vietnam's digi-business goals, HK crypto trading, Aus-US space launch opportunities...

Aug 07, 2024

• China: State-run Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Tech launches first batch of G60 mega-constellation satellites, with sights on more than 15,000 satellites to overtake Starlink's 5,500

• India: Tata Group’s Assam semiconductor plant is expected to be operational by mid-2025, with projected jobs boost of 27,000 positions in total

• Southeast Asia Outlook 2024-34: "Over the next decade, Southeast Asia should outpace China in GDP growth and foreign direct investment..."

• Taiwan's Foxconn and Extreme Tech Challenge partner to co-host 'Semi & AI for Climate Startup Cup' competition

• Near 300 small Indian banks are now back online and able to access payments systems following tech service provider ransomware attack

"...Japan can inject about $10BN a year into its economy if even 10% of the nation’s 1.5M hikikomori re-engage in the workforce via the metaverse." (pdf link)

• China: "...proposed infrastructure includes...data communication, positioning, navigation... space situational monitoring for ground-based, near-Earth, cislunar, lunar surface & deep space..."

• Hong Kong: MassPhoto and HKSTP prep first production line for gallium nitride wafers, touted as next-gen semicon material, targeting 10K units annually by 2027

• Malaysia: Gov't to require social media services with more than 8M users in the country to apply for a license, in bid to beat increasing cyber issues

• Cyber Security Agency of Singapore has released the Singapore Cyber Landscape 2023, an overview of key developments in the year past

• Indonesia's HerLens wins at US-ASEAN Science, Tech & Innovation Cooperation Program with AI-driven cervical cancer early detection

• Japan: Interstellar Technologies raised new $21M round for rocket and comms satellite development, moving to vertical-integration model used by SpaceX, and with sights on launch of its first orbital rocket in 2025

• China: Long March 3B rocket places 2nd of new series of high-orbit geostationary comms satellites, providing no images, platform info, potential uses or customer info

• Australia: Canva to acquire LeonardoAI, fast-growing AI-driven text-to-image and text-to-video platform

• South Korea's INNOHAS gains VinaCapital Ventures backing with plant-based alt-meats, looking at SEA expansion, and Sunlit Foods OEM growth internationally

• India: GalaxEye Space secures $6.5M in new funding to launch inaugural 'Drishti Mission' satellite, with use cases in defense, agriculture, aquaculture and beyond

Japan: "Yamakoshi [village] has attracted 1,700 'digital citizens' through the sale of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in an initiative aimed at supporting and sustaining its aging population."

• Unilateral restrictions on China access to AI chips from suppliers including Micron and SK Hynix, and production equipment, now under US consideration, potentially in force by September

• Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group to take 8% stake in Philippines' GCash for $393M, valuing the company at $5BN

• More on China's US IPO-bound Windrose electric trucks firm, offering semi trucks with 670km range under full load, backed by fast-charge claim of 245mile range in under 36 minutes

• Japan: Rapidus preps for April 2025 test production of 2-nanometer semiconductors, backed by IBM as investor and client

• Vietnam: Ministry of Info & Comms and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce & Industry in agreement to digitally transform 1 million businesses by 2026, with 2030 positioning as overall context

The global chip war could turn into a cloud war: "It’s not unreasonable to bet that control over AI data centres will have political as well as economic implications."

• ERIAKOS fraud campaign ID'd by Recorded Future dodges automated safety scans with over 600 mobile-only fake web shops using Facebook ads to steal personal and financial data

• Convera Fintech 2025+ report: "...Asia-Pacific is close behind with 26% of global [cross-border payments] revenues..."

• China: Space Pioneer commercial launch firm continues towards first launch of Tianlong-3 rocket despite uncontrolled launch and explosion in June

• Hong Kong: Futu Securities, the city's largest online brokerage, enters crypto by enabling retail Bitcoin and Ether trading, Bitcoin deposit bonuses and more

• Cambodia: Bakong Tourist app preps for launch, allowing tourists to pay with and top up Bakong digital wallet using credit cards, without a Cambodian bank account

Digital dollars - Unlocking economic efficiency with stablecoins

• Singapore's Beep raises $3.3M to expand Voltality, integrated charge stations, payment services and vehicles stack, in Thailand and Malaysia

• India: Vaanam private sector space-tech accelerator launches in Tamil Nadu, set to host the country's 2nd launchpad

• India: WazirX, crypto exchange that suffered $230M cyberattack, proposes remedy of users accessing 55% of their assets, but locking 45% in Tether-equivalent tokens

• China: Mercedes-Benz becomes first foreign automaker approved for Level 4 urban/highway fully-autonomous driving tests in Beijing

• South Korea: An intro to Sweetndata, developing AI-driven digital twins for the entertainment industry, focusing on creators and fan engagement

"Australia could host up to 100 rocket launches, including SpaceX launches... as a result of the US Technology Safeguards Agreement..."

• India: Bharat Web3 Association boosts cybersecurity focus following $230M hack on WazirX crypto exchange, looking also to lift consumer protections

• Cambodia: An overview of the recent Digital Assets 101 seminar hosted by EuroCham Cambodia, looking at startups and innovations in the Kingdom's Web3 spaces

• Board of Investment of Thailand launches Matching Fund to match funding provided by venture capital funds at up to 50M ($1M) baht per firm

• Philippines: Japan's Zip Infrastructure approved for feasibility survey for 'sky tram' autonomous aerial tramway in mountain resort city of Baguio

• South Korea: An overview of the 2024 Gangnam Global Roadshow, providing mentorship to 12 Korean startups with the aim of international growth

• ASEAN Blue Economy Forum is set for August 10th in Laos, or online, looking at sustainable growth for ASEAN through innovation and collaboration

• Global Digital Asset Regulatory Summit 2024 is set for August 30th, hosted by the Digital Economy Council of Australia

• Coinfest Asia 2024 is set for August 22-23, running out of Bali, Indonesia, gathering all things Web3, crypto, blockchain and beyond

• Korea 2024 DeepTech & AI Summit is set for September 25-27, the first Asia edition from Spain's South Summit

• StartUP@Taipei unveils the AI-focused tech startups selected to attend TechSauce Global Summit 2024 in Thailand

China: "Except for a few top-tier companies...most auto parts companies are meeting demands even at a loss in order to retain customers"

In wider-world technology news:

» Lockheed Martin goes all-in on lunar ambitions, rolling out its vision in 'A Water-Based Lunar Architecture'

» 'Commercial payments, reinvented - Your blueprint for accelerating payments revenue growth' from Accenture

» Download: 'The institutional DeFi Trilemma Balancing Risk, Reward, and Capacity in Decentralized Finance' from InToTheBlock Research (pdf link)

"Of the 1,729 local municipalities in Japan, 744 are 'likely to vanish' by 2050, according to a report released [in April] at a symposium by the Population Strategy Council..."