The UN has designated 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, recognizing significant breakthroughs in quantum hardware, quantum error correction, and practical quantum applications throughout the year. Research firm QURECA reports that worldwide investment in quantum technologies has exceeded US$55.7 billion, reflecting growing global interest.
Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII), a Foxconn subsidiary, is continuing to expand its strategic investments in artificial intelligence (AI) compute infrastructure. Foxconn announced on the evening of December 1, 2025, that FII, through its China-based Tianjin subsidiary Fulian Precision Electronics (Tianjin) Co., will inject CNY2 billion (US$282.6 million) into its unit Fulian Cloud Computing (Tianjin) Co., a move aimed at long-term strategic planning.
Acer Cyber Security (ACSI), a leading cybersecurity firm under the Acer Group, is setting AI and cloud services as its core operational focus for 2026. General manager I-Nan Wu highlighted ongoing efforts to develop new products and services, projecting double-digit growth for the company's operations next year.
The US is moving to reinforce critical mineral and semiconductor supply chains with key allies as the West's push to expand rare earth magnet production runs into a worsening shortage of heavy rare earth elements. Officials from eight allied nations will gather at the White House on December 12, 2025, to negotiate new agreements on energy, advanced manufacturing, semiconductor production, AI infrastructure, and logistics, according to Bloomberg. The initiative seeks to limit dependence on China, which controls more than 90% of global rare earth and permanent magnet refining capacity.
Japanese industrial robot manufacturer Fanuc announced on December 1, 2025, that it will partner with Nvidia to develop AI-driven robots capable of performing tasks based on verbal commands. The collaboration aims to integrate Nvidia's AI technology and embedded computers into Fanuc's robots, enabling autonomous operation and advanced simulation in virtual factory environments.
Merck Group's Kaohsiung semiconductor technology flagship campus officially completed phase one on December 1, marking Merck's first large-scale semiconductor materials technology campus worldwide. It has invested a total of EUR500 million (approx. US$580.5 million) over the past five years to build the campus, which covers key materials technologies required for AI applications, including thin-film technology, specialty gases, and formulated materials.
Giga Computing, a subsidiary of Gigabyte Technology, has entered a strategic partnership with India-based electronics manufacturing services provider Syrma SGS Technology to begin local production of Gigabyte server products in Tamil Nadu, the companies announced on Thursday. The move aligns with India's "Make in India" policy and is intended to expand Giga Computing's supply chain footprint in South Asia.
Alibaba Group's open-source Qwen model, recognized as a key player in the AI market, now forms the foundation of Singapore's large language model (LLM) SEA-LION. The latest version, Qwen-SEA-LION-v4, is based on Qwen3-32B.
India has ordered smartphone makers to pre-install a state-owned cybersecurity app on all new devices and push it to existing phones via software updates. The move is already drawing industry pushback over privacy implications.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has remained one of the few sectors with sustained global momentum over the past two years, but the underlying architecture of AI computing is shifting. ChatGPT sparked a GPU-led surge driven by Nvidia, while Google's Gemini 3 has redirected attention to AI servers built on its proprietary TPU accelerators.
OpenAI's decision to take an ownership stake in Thrive Holdings has reignited debate over whether the arrangement constitutes another circular deal. While analysts warn the structure obscures true performance, OpenAI and Thrive insist it is a mutually reinforcing partnership rather than an artificial value loop.
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