The rapid growth of the global low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications sector, coupled with intensifying competition in next-generation communications technologies, is driving strong demand across the supply chain and reshaping the global space economy.Under a startup development program led by Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), through its Commercialization and Industry Services Center, organized the "2026 Taiwan-UK-France Next-Generation Communications & Space Industry Delegation." From March 3 to 12, 2026, the delegation brought together over 11 Taiwanese space and communications startups, established companies, and industry representatives to London, Oxford, Toulouse, and Paris.During the visit, the delegation attended major industry events, including Space-Comm Expo and Paris Space Week, and engaged with key European stakeholders such as the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT), Eutelsat OneWeb, Thales Alenia Space, Airbus Defence and Space, and CNES. These engagements enabled Taiwanese companies to establish linkages across the European space supply chain, from components to system integration.Building on the foundation established during its 2025 UK visit, ITRI further strengthened international collaboration by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Space South Central, a leading space cluster in southern England. The partnership focuses on advancing aerospace supply chain integration, promoting bilateral industry engagement, and supporting startup selection and international expansion. It also aims to establish a long-term Taiwan-UK collaboration platform for the space industry, reinforcing ITRI’s role in accelerating the global reach of Taiwan's SpaceTech startups.Expanding Opportunities at Space-Comm ExpoSpace-Comm Expo, one of Europe's leading commercial space exhibitions, was held from March 4 to 5, 2026, at ExCeL London, attracting over 250 companies and approximately 6,900 industry and academic professionals.The Taiwan Pavilion, "Taiwan Space," was prominently located at the center of the exhibition hall and served as a key engagement hub. On the opening day, a Taiwan-UK Cultural Exchange Tea Reception welcomed international partners, government representatives, and industry experts, fostering dialogue in a relaxed setting and drawing strong visitor interest.One-on-one meetings were arranged between the delegation and leading UK satellite companies, including BAE Systems and Filtronic, focusing on collaboration opportunities in the satellite component supply chain. Additional engagements were conducted with the Space Denmark delegation and companies affiliated with Space South Central, enhancing the visibility of Taiwanese startups in Europe and laying the groundwork for future partnerships.On March 5, ITRI convened the Taiwan-UK Space Industry Roundtable in collaboration with Satellite Applications Catapult (SA Catapult). CEO John Abbott delivered a keynote on UK satellite application market trends. The roundtable brought together representatives from ESA Business Incubation Centre, Airbus Launchpad, and Open Cosmos, facilitating direct engagement on technology applications and supply chain integration while strengthening prospects for international collaboration.Taiwan Pavilion Takes Center StageIn addition to facilitating direct engagement between the delegation and the UK space sector, ITRI hosted the "Taiwan Country Showcase" on the main stage of Space-Comm Expo on March 4, highlighting Taiwan's comprehensive space industry capabilities.The session was moderated by Jessi Fu, Manager of the Strategic Alliances & Marketing Department at ITRI's Startup Ecosystem & Incubation Division. Featured speakers included Julien Hennequin, Senior Business Development Manager at Tensor Tech; Henry Chen, Senior Manager at BaseTech; and Lloyd Jacob Lopez, Co-Founder of HEX20. Together, they presented a systematic overview of Taiwan's space industry, spanning from key components to system-level integration. The session attracted nearly 100 European industry participants and sparked lively on-site discussions, significantly enhancing the global visibility of Taiwan's space sector.On March 5, ITRI further organized the "Global Industry Showcase," a dedicated technology forum for Taiwanese startups. This session enabled delegation members to directly present their latest technological advancements to European industry stakeholders, covering forward-looking domains such as B5G/6G communications, satellite manufacturing, and space applications. The forum effectively demonstrated Taiwan's unique competitiveness and innovation capabilities within the global space industry.Harwell Campus, located on the outskirts of Oxford, is a key hub in the global space sector. Following the conclusion of Space-Comm Expo, ITRI arranged a visit on March 6 to the UK Satellite Applications Catapult, followed by a tour of RAL Space, the UK's national satellite testing facility. These visits provided delegation members with deeper insights into the UK's capabilities in satellite applications and testing and validation.An additional exchange session was held at the Magdrive Lab, where delegation members engaged with representatives from more than 10 UK space companies. The session further strengthened existing networks and facilitated follow-up discussions on potential collaborations and business opportunities.In addition, the delegation visited Eutelsat OneWeb in London's West End, where they held in-depth discussions with Neha Idnani, Regional Vice President for APAC. The exchanges focused on exploring cross-border collaboration opportunities in low Earth orbit satellite communications, wireless communications, Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) applications.Toulouse Engagements Highlight France's Aerospace EcosystemFollowing the conclusion of Space-Comm Expo, ITRI organized the delegation’s visit to France from March 9 to 11. The group first traveled to Toulouse - widely recognized as France's "Silicon Valley" for aerospace and one of Europe's leading aerospace hubs - to engage with key players in the regional space industry ecosystem. During Paris Space Week 2026, the delegation also conducted business meetings with international buyers and investors from more than 150 companies across over 40 countries, expanding collaboration opportunities beyond those initiated at Space-Comm Expo.Upon arrival in France on March 9, ITRI arranged visits to satellite mission service provider Loft Orbital and nanosatellite manufacturer U-Space. In addition, a joint matchmaking and exchange session was organized with GIFAS (the French Aerospace Industries Association) and Aerospace Valley, facilitating technical exchanges and one-on-one business meetings between Taiwanese and French companies. These engagements enabled delegation members to explore multiple potential collaboration opportunities and establish follow-on business collaborations.On the following day, the delegation visited Thales Alenia Space, one of the world's leading satellite system manufacturers; Univity, a French startup; Eutelsat, a major low Earth orbit satellite communications operator based in Toulouse; and Airbus Defence and Space, Europe's largest space and defense systems provider. These visits provided valuable insights into the technological developments and supply chain requirements of major European system integrators. Direct engagement with key decision-makers also enabled in-depth discussions on product applications and partnership models, further strengthening the feasibility of Taiwanese companies entering international markets.During Paris Space Week 2026, ITRI continued to facilitate business matchmaking and engagement with global space industry stakeholders, supporting delegation members in expanding potential collaboration pipelines. Notably, prior to the main delegation itinerary, Taiwan’s Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration (SMESA), together with ITRI, visited Station F - Europe's largest startup incubator - to proactively establish an international network for space startups and deepen connections between Taiwan and Europe's innovation ecosystems.Overall, the initiative effectively enabled Taiwanese companies to access the European supply chain, delivering tangible outcomes in business matchmaking, technology exchange, and brand visibility. The visit not only generated concrete orders and follow-up collaboration opportunities, but also provided deeper insights into the European space industry landscape, laying a solid foundation for long-term international partnerships.Strengthening Taiwan's Global Space PositionThe delegation included nine startups and SMEs from the TAcc+ program, along with two major industry associations, covering key areas such as satellite manufacturing, communication subsystems, ground equipment, payload applications, and system integration.The initiative resulted in multiple high-level business matchmaking engagements and the signing of the MOU with Space South Central, marking a significant milestone in advancing the internationalization of Taiwan's space industry.Looking ahead, ITRI will continue to build on its strengths in international engagement and delegation planning, aligned with the TAcc+ program, to follow up on collaboration opportunities generated during the visit. It will also actively attract high-potential European space startups to establish a presence in Taiwan, further enhancing the global competitiveness and long-term development of Taiwan’s space sector.TAcc+ hosted the Taiwan Country Showcase at Space-Comm Expo, highlighting Taiwan's space industry. Credit: ITRI

Global Unichip Corp. (GUC), the advanced ASIC leader, today announced the successful demonstration of a 12 Gbps HBM4 IP platform implemented on TSMC's 3nm process technology at the Partner Pavilion of the TSMC 2026 North America Technology Symposium. The platform features GUC's in-house full functional HBM4 Controller and PHY IP, integrated with a partner's HBM4 memory, and used TSMC's industry-leading CoWoS advanced packaging technology.GUC's previous-generation HBM3E PHY and Controller, deployed in customers'3nm products, have achieved speeds 15% above specification in production. JEDEC continues to drive an aggressive HBM roadmap, increasing memory throughput and capacity while further doubling the data bus width in HBM4. Comparing with HBM3E, GUC's HBM4 IP delivers 2.5x bandwidth, while improving power efficiency by 1.5x and area efficiency by 2x.In line with GUC's previous HBM, GLink, and UCIe IP solutions, the HBM4 IP integrates proteanTecs' interconnect monitoring solution to provide high visibility for PHY testing and characterizing, while enhancing in-field performance and reliability for end products.To address the growing demand for 3DIC architectures, GUC's HBM4 PHY also supports a face-upconfiguration, enabling integration with TSMC's SoIC face-to-face technology. The PHY macrointegrates TSVs for PHY's I/O signals, power, and ground connections, and also reserves TSVs forpower feedthrough to the top die, supporting the power distribution requirements of the upper logic die."We are proud to be the first company to demonstrate a 12 Gbps HBM4 IP to customers at theTSMC Symposium" said Igor Elkanovich, CTO of GUC. "Together with GUC's UCIe and GLink-3D IPs, we offer a complete 2.5D/3D IP solution for modern 3.5D system architectures, includingTSMC SoIC-X on CoWoS."For more information,please visit our website.12 Gbps Eye Diagram. Credit:Guc

Tracking devices play a critical role in the Internet of Things (IoT) by enabling real-time monitoring and data collection across various industries. As IoT applications expand, the demand for energy-efficient solutions becomes increasingly important. This article explores the rise of battery-efficient tracking devices and their transformative impact on IoT ecosystems.Advancements in Tracking DevicesTracking devices first emerged with the advent of GPS technology, revolutionizing location-based services. Early applications were limited, but as the Internet of Things (IoT) grew, tracking devices expanded into sectors like logistics, agriculture, and personal safety, offering real-time monitoring.However, traditional devices faced challenges like short battery life and high maintenance costs. To address these issues, advancements in energy-efficient technologies, such as low-power wireless communication and optimized sensors, led to the development of battery-efficient models. These innovations have paved the way for longer-lasting and cost-effective tracking devices that are essential for the expanding IoT landscape.How Battery-Efficient Technology WorksBattery-efficient tracking devices use low-power wireless technologies like LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to enable long-range communication with minimal power consumption. Sleep modes, energy harvesting techniques (such as solar or kinetic energy), and ultra-low-power processors help extend battery life.Advances in sensor technology allow these devices to collect accurate data while consuming less energy. For example, a GPS trailer tracking uses these technologies to provide long-lasting performance to ensure reliable location tracking without frequent recharging. This makes it ideal for industries like logistics that require continuous monitoring with energy-efficient solutions.Impact on IndustriesBattery-efficient tracking devices have a significant impact across various industries:In logistics and fleet management, they reduce maintenance costs and extend tracking durations for vehicles.In agriculture, smart farming solutions leverage these devices to monitor livestock and machinery with minimal energy consumption.Personal safety benefits from wearable devices that track health and location, requiring less frequent charging.Additionally, the environmental impact of these devices is profound, as longer-lasting batteries help reduce waste and the environmental concerns associated with battery disposal.Benefits Over Traditional Tracking DevicesBattery-efficient tracking devices offer several key advantages over traditional models. Longer operational life is a major benefit, as these devices can run for months or even years on a single charge, reducing the need for frequent recharging or battery replacements. This is especially valuable in remote or hard-to-reach locations.Additionally, reduced maintenance requirements lower operational disruptions, as there’s less need for battery changes or regular maintenance. Lower operational costs are another advantage, with businesses saving on battery replacements and charging infrastructure.Lastly, increased accessibility and scalability enable businesses to deploy more devices across large-scale operations, such as fleet management or asset tracking, without incurring high costs. These benefits make battery-efficient tracking devices an essential solution for industries looking to optimize their IoT networks and reduce long-term costs while enhancing operational efficiency.EndnoteBattery-efficient tracking devices are playing an important role in making IoT systems more sustainable and practical. As technology continues to improve, these devices will become even more integrated into various industries, helping to streamline operations and reduce energy consumption. The ongoing development in this area promises a future where tracking solutions are efficient and cost-effective.