Kevin Xu’s Post

The European Union has set aside hundreds of millions of euros to grow companies working on critical technologies, such as microchips and quantum technology. A new scale-up scheme is set to get the green light early this week, with a budget of €300 million for next year, according to a draft plan seen by POLITICO. The total budget for the next three years — until the end of the EU's current budget — amounts to €900 million.

Let’s just start this off by saying that Donald Trump doesn’t have a lot of deep longstanding beliefs on topics that don’t directly concern him. And he’s one of the most transactional #politicians I’ve ever seen, in a world of course where politicians are exceptionally transactional. We assume many things on Trump based on the past, but a couple of things can change and he can flip in another direction. If he think he can get something from you, he can change his “beliefs” 100% or even 200% and go in another direction. And then we’ve got Elon Musk, who is apparently not all that much different. Well, this is clearly the place to start. While Donald Trump has talked very critically and combatively about #China for several years, Elon Musk has been very positive about China and has now based half of Tesla’s global production capacity there. #Tesla was the first automaker of any kind given permission to build its own factory there without a joint venture with a Chinese company. Clearly, he has been granted special attention and favors in China. So, what happens now if Musk, who is a key part of Trump’s team now, is standing by Trump while he’s trashing China? What happens if Trump does go forward with bigger tariffs on #Chinese-produced products? Is Tesla’s position in China threatened if Trump doesn’t play nice on China? Frankly, with the flick of a switch or one phone call, Tesla’s production and sales in China could be demolished. Perhaps President Xi Jinping wouldn’t go that route. Or perhaps he would. But let’s assume something else. Let’s assume Musk gets Trump to soften his rhetoric and approach on China. Let’s say Musk somehow transfers who deferential and respectful he is to Xi Jinping on to Trump and Trump starts treating Xi Jinping more how he treats Vladimir Putin. Then what? How does China’s relationship with the #US change? (And let’s not discount the fact that Trump was recently having his campaign fundraiser Bibles made in China.) This article was triggered by news I saw this morning that Xi Jinping has called to congratulate Trump. “Xi urges China, U.S. to manage differences properly,” Reutersreports. “Xi calls for mutual respect, strengthened dialogue.” It seems that Xi would like to have a better relationship with the US again, and, frankly, are any of Trump’s fanatical cult followers going to care if Trump turns 180 degrees on China? Do any of them care if he’s pro-tariff or anti-tariff with China? Trump campaigned partly on putting big tariffs on Chinese goods, and stubbornly said this wouldn’t raise prices for #Americans, but some segments of the stock market are already reacting negatively to that, and we know Trump doesn’t want to be unpopular, especially on #WallStreet.

Investing in next-generation battery technology is critical in helping the U.S. regain its technology leadership and establishing a globally competitive battery industry in the coming years. Spending billions of dollars of government funding (taxpayer money) in conventional lithium battery technology and battery materials is unlikely to make the U.S. competitive in the battery and EV industry. #solidstatebattery #solidelectrolyte

Tokyo's industrial policy focus now is on sophisticated technologies ranging from batteries to solar panels, but the priority is to recapture a larger share of the global semiconductor sector, for which the Japanese government has earmarked more than $27 billion over the last three years.#Japan #Semiconductor #Investment #KnowlageEconomy #InformationTechnology #AI https://lnkd.in/eD7vXkBQ

Excellent insight: you long term commitment in terms of finance and politics, an educated and dedicated workforce, production which meets the demand in the European market. Europe and US need to analyse why the lost a leading position in the first place in formulating a policy. Entering in a subsidy race/competition to reach strategic autonomy or “sovereignty” might turn out to be costly (mind the Joel Bouchon example) and put another nail in the coffin of international and EU competition law. Strategic cooperation in recognition that high end emerging technologies have gone global is more promising than short term cutoffs which spur additional efforts for substitution. If gaining time is the goal there is need for a plan how to use it for which purpose, btw now and not tomorrow! Without being blue eyed and taking into account dual use, which, however, is ever increasing making its operationalability more and more difficult.

Great article covering how British manufacturers are innovating and preparing for a globally competitive future. I was glad to share my thoughts on how the UK can establish a competitive edge and boost the economy 📈  #manufacturing #uk #innovation

🚀 A bold chip vision for the EU: united growth or a common lag? The EU Chips Act marks a pivotal change, aiming to secure the future of semiconductor manufacturing in Europe with over €43 billion of investment and ambitious cross-border initiatives. But the success of the legislation depends on Member States' ability to finance and attract private investment while ensuring cohesion between regions. Will this lead to a single 'chip revolution' or will it widen the gap between technologically rich and peripheral states? 🌐💡 Find the answer in Václav Šmejkal's article! ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/dv8MPrPs #EUChipsAct #IndustrialPolicy #SemiconductorInnovation #EuropeTechnology #GlobalSupplyChains #TechLeadership #EUCompetitiveness #InnovationEcosystem #FutureOfTech #EconomicUnity

We are excited to see what the future industrial revolution looks like! With this announcement from the current federal government. Let's hope it's an ambitious agenda that will drive change in the manufacturing industry in Oz! #ambitiousagenda #fedralgovernmentaustralian #australiamanufacturing #Industry40 #FutureOfWork #TechRevolution #DigitalTransformation #AIinIndustry #SmartManufacturing #RoboticsRevolution #IoTInnovation #AutomationEra #SustainableIndustry #RenewableEnergyRevolution #AdvancedMaterials #CyberPhysicalSystems #SupplyChainOptimization #FutureIndustries

European Union leaders have vacillated between (1) whether to incentivize foreign firms at the cost of subsidizing European champions and (2) whether to bolster existing strengths in mainstream chip production or attract cutting-edge technologies. Policymakers should focus Chips Act funds on domestic firms to catalyze long-standing vertically integrated European value chains in mainstream #chip #technology. #semiconductor #manufacturing https://lnkd.in/eUseu_yF

✨ Europe's Prospects Were once better: Where will Europe stand in 2040? Stuttering Green Energy Expansion, Chip War with China, and Increasing Damage from Climate Change. 🪂 A Look from the Netherlands: ASML and the Semiconductor Crisis: The Netherlands, home to chip giant ASML, has become the focal point of the semiconductor war between Europe and China. Should ASML lose control over semiconductor production, key technologies such as artificial intelligence, 5G networks, and self-driving cars could falter. ASML's strategic importance highlights Europe's fragile position in the global technology race. 🪂 Future Agriculture: Technology as a Lifeline In the face of increasing climate disasters, scientists in the Netherlands are investing in innovative agricultural technologies. Agricultural robots and state-of-the-art greenhouses aim to compensate for drought and crop failures. These developments are essential to securing food supply in a future dominated by climate extremes. 🪂 Political Developments: Europe's Path to increased Surveillance: Behind the scenes, European politicians are working intensively to transform the EU into a surveillance state modeled after China. Significant progress has been made in recent weeks with the implementation of new directives and regulations: - Directive (EU) 2024/1640 (AMLD VI): This must be transposed into national law and regulates cooperation between authorities, responsibilities of central reporting offices (FIUs), as well as the register of beneficial owners and the bank account register. - Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 (AMLR): Material provisions for due diligence are regulated in this regulation to achieve higher harmonization and convergence in the application of anti-money laundering provisions. - Regulation (EU) 2024/1620 (AMLAR): This regulation establishes the European supervisory authority "AMLA", which will oversee high-risk, cross-border companies and coordinate national supervisory authorities. - Regulation (EU) 2023/1113 (TFR): This recast expands the scope to include transfers of crypto assets and is expected to come into force on February 1, 2025, along with MiCAR. 🪂 Invitation for Discussion and Engagement We invite all listeners and readers of Global Expansion 2030 Insights! to follow these exciting developments in Europe and the ASEAN region and actively engage with questions and comments. With visionary greetings Bernd Ferber #Europe2040 #GreenEnergy #ChipWar #ClimateChange #RegulationUpdates #GlobalExpansion #Shapethefuture