➀ The UK government announced a £10 million semiconductor innovation funding program, claiming it will drive technological advancements across industries;
➁ The budget is widely criticized as inadequate, with TSMC's equivalent capital expenditure for just three hours dwarfing the entire UK initiative;
➂ Industry experts and commentators ridicule the initiative's disconnect from reality, highlighting bureaucratic inefficiencies and lack of strategic alignment with semiconductor sector needs.
➀ Rapidus faces funding issues as it prepares to produce its first prototype chips next month.
➁ The company requires $32 billion for 2nm chip production by 2027, but has only secured $9.6 billion.
➂ The Japanese government plans to contribute an additional $674 million this year and is facing pressure to explain how the remaining $27 billion will be raised.
➀ Infineon has received approval from the European Commission (EC) for €1 billion in funding under the European Chips Act for its Dresden fabs.
➁ The funding requires final approval from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
➂ The Dresden site is also supported under the EC's IPCEI ME/CT program.
➀ Quantum computing, despite being dominated by big players, is surprisingly fragmented with numerous research initiatives in the UK;
➁ Ed plans to identify promising projects, offer support to spin them out as startups, and use his connections to boost their profile;
➂ He aims to attract investment while maintaining a low profile through his offshore trust.
➀ The Fraunhofer Society's Saxony microelectronics institutes are expanding their technological capabilities in the field of chiplet innovation and significantly contributing to the APECS Pilot Line under the European Chips Act. Saxony is investing 38 million euros in support.
➁ The total funding amounts to 730 million euros, provided by Chips Joint Undertaking, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and other national funding. APECS is coordinated by the Fraunhofer Society and implemented by the Research Factory Microelectronics Germany (FMD).
➂ The APECS Pilot Line is a key component of the EU Chips Act to promote chiplet innovations and increase research and manufacturing capacities for semiconductors in Europe.
➀ The DeepSeek AI announcement, which significantly impacted stock prices;
➁ Modular electronics revolutionizing prototyping and low-volume production for limbed robots;
➂ Government funding for the Orbex Prime rocket, the first orbital rocket manufactured and launched in the UK.
➀ The UK government has announced a £20 million investment in Orbex's Prime rocket, which will be the first orbital rocket manufactured in the UK and launched from British soil.
➁ Orbex, a UK-based private company specializing in low-cost orbital launch services, is set to launch the first Prime rocket towards the end of 2025.
➂ The Prime rocket is powered by renewable bio-propane fuel, making it an ultra-green launch system and aiming to reduce carbon emissions.
