24 Jan
Latest News and Trends

Price war looms large for Chinese new energy vehicle vendors despite reclaiming market share

In the past two years, China’s independent car brands have gained dominance in the Chinese automobile market, thanks to the rapidly rising popularity of new energy vehicles. Chinese independent brands are still expecting an increase in sales for 2025, but the outlook of China’s new energy vehicle sector may not be as promising as they expect.

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24 Jan
Latest News and Trends

Stargate initiative reveals tensions between OpenAI and Microsoft

The Stargate project, a landmark US$500 billion joint venture announced by US President Donald Trump in early 2025, has exposed growing tensions between OpenAI and Microsoft. While initially co-developed by the two companies, Microsoft’s role has been significantly reduced, shifting from an expected leadership position to only a technology partner, raising questions about the implications of their partnership in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

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24 Jan
Latest News and Trends

Nissan to cut 9,000 jobs globally as restructuring efforts accelerate amid Honda merger talks

Nissan Motor plans to cut approximately 9,000 jobs worldwide as part of a major restructuring effort, according to reports from Kyodo and Nikkei Asia. More than 70% of the layoffs—around 6,700 positions—will impact production staff, while the remaining cuts will affect administrative roles. The job reductions are part of Nissan’s strategy to scale down global production capacity by 20% by the end of fiscal 2026, which runs from April 2026 to March 2027.

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24 Jan
Latest News and Trends

Screen to boost semiconductor equipment production capacity by 20% to meet AI demand

Japanese semiconductor cleaning equipment manufacturer Screen plans to increase its semiconductor manufacturing equipment production capacity to 120% of the 2023 level by fiscal year 2026 (April 2026–March 2027), aiming for annual revenue of approximately JPY600 billion (approx. US$3.9 billion) to meet growing demand in semiconductor manufacturing.

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24 Jan
Latest News and Trends

European automakers face carbon penalty storm, pressuring EU to reconsider regulations

The European Union (EU) has raised carbon emission standards to 93.6g/km starting in 2025, leading to penalties that could reach EUR15 billion (US$15.6 billion), according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). Despite multiple communications with the European Commission yielding no results, manufacturers are now uniting to pressure the Commission for an early revision of this regulation.

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