As AI and robotics evolve, market opportunities are expanding, but fragmentation remains a key hurdle. Advantech is tackling supply chain integration and system compatibility challenges by driving industry-wide collaboration. Through an open ecosystem, standardized frameworks, and developer engagement, the company is advancing scalable, secure, and cross-industry automation solutions.

The Japanese government’s decision to heavily subsidize Rapidus, a domestic semiconductor company, via legislative changes has ignited discussions among industry specialists. Asahi Shimbun reports that Rapidus’s focus on extreme semiconductor miniaturization is seen by some as an outdated strategy, reminiscent of a 19th-century obsession with “battleships and heavy artillery,” missing the true trends of the industry.

Chinese AI startup Butterfly Effect has disrupted the AI landscape with the unexpected launch of Manus, an early preview of what it touts as the world’s first general-purpose AI agent. According to the company and TechCrunch, Manus does more than generate ideas—it autonomously executes complex decision-making tasks based on minimal user input.