July, August & September 2023
Japanese technology news in the third quarter 2023 covered items including: the growth of home-grown semiconductor manufacturer, Rapidus; autonomous driving tech trials in Japan; Japan’s Soramitsu, the low-profile blockchain firm behind Cambodia’s Bakong CBDC; the country’s boost to Southeast Asia engagement in cyber-defense, amongst other fields; and more.
For our other editions, you should take a look at Asia’s tech news, daily, delivered via social media channels, and our Indo-Pacific tech newsletters for a weekly update on the region’s tech news.
Hit the links below for each month’s headlines, or scroll down for an all-in-one update on Japanese technology news in Q3 2023:
September 2023 | August 2023 | July 2023
e-Conomy Southeast Asia 2023 report – Google, Temasek, Bain and Co
September 2023
CSIS: Japan Seeks to Revitalize Its Semiconductor Industry
- Japan: Gov’t-backed Rapidus Corp hires over 200 in move to create cutting-edge chip foundry by 2027, potentially challenging Taiwan’s TSMC if successful
- Japan: PayPay payment app files more patents than Japan’s big 3 banks combined, in part to block patent trolls
- Japan to boost cooperation with SEA nations across transport infrastructure, cybersecurity and more, alongside training for 5000 in maritime law enforcement
- Japan: Gov’t-backed Rapidus breaks ground on Hokkaido facility, aiming for 2nm chip wafer plant online by 2025, and with engineers now studying with IBM
- Japan’s Toyota builds hydrogen production facility at California logistics center capable of delivering fuel for more than 200 Toyota Mirai fuel cell cars per day
A brief video intro to Mujin and MujinController, allowing multiple automation robots from different providers to be run from a single, unified system in real time
- Japan: ‘Rapidus envisions a chipmaking cluster spanning coast to coast, with easy access to multiple ports…’
- Japan External Trade Org’n preps for launch of Global Startup Acceleration Program, aiming to boost overseas expansion of Japanese startups, with 100 startups selected to participate
- An overview of Japan and India’s growing semiconductor industry partnerships, with both nations pursuing tech self-reliance and innovation-driven growth
- Japan: Gov’t to set dedicated and priority lanes outside Tokyo, preparing for level 4 autonomous driving and aiming for similar lanes nationwide once safety is assured
- Japanese public and private entities to develop Canada supply chains for EVs, encompassing mineral extraction and processing, and battery production, with Canadian gov’t support
The first expected area of cooperation involves the extraction of nickel and lithium in Canada by the state-owned Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security and others. Though Canada boasts large reserves of these minerals, it faces technical and human resource challenges in increasing production capacity.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Canada has one of the world’s largest lithium reserves — about half of that in China — but its production volume remains around 2% of China’s. Cooperation with Japan is aimed at increasing production.
Japanese battery and materials producers hope to process minerals mined in Canada and build factories for batteries that use those minerals.
- Japan: Schools in Kumamoto purchased 2 mechanical assistants to help children regain confidence in dealing with teachers and classmates, seeing truancy rise post-COVID
- A deep-dive look at Japan’s Soramitsu, low-profile blockchain firm behind projects including Cambodia’s Bakong digital currency
- Japan’s Mitsui trading firm to take 40% stake in Taiwan’s 73-turbine Hai Long Offshore Wind Power Project, with Canada’s Northland Power participating
- Japan’s Incubate Fund hits 1st close of 3rd fund with target of $50M for seed-stage investments, looking at India and South East Asia investments
- Japan: Astroscale won $25.5M contract from US Space Force to develop in-orbit service satellite capable of refueling other satellites, removal of debris and more
2023 Asia Pacific Regional Security – Key trends
- Japan: A quick look at Zip Infrastructure, aiming to beat traffic congestion with cost-effective electric-power ‘sky trams’
- Japan: Toregem Biopharma to trial antibody-based drug aimed at stimulating the growth of new teeth, activating dormant ‘tooth buds’
- Japan: US Space Force may establish unit in Japan, expanding on Hawaii unit and subordinate unit in South Korea
- A brief look at growing ties between Japan and Canada in lithium technologies
- India’s Adani inks JV with Japan’s Kowa conglomerate for green hydrogen products in Japan, Taiwan and Hawaii, with up to $50BN set for 10-year investment in hydrogen market
CSIS: Semiconductor Supply Chains & Indo-Pacific Economic Framework
August 2023
McKinsey & Co: Quantum Technologies Monitor
- Japan’s Soramitsu looks to build out Asia-wide cross-border payments with establishment of exchange for stablecoins, building on involvement in Cambodia’s Bakong CBDC, the Lao ‘digital kip’ and QR code payments
- Japan: Miyako Capital, Kyoto University VC firm, creates $140M fund to back startups in deep-tech biology and artificial intelligence, with state-backed funds also participating
- Japan: Interstellar startup sets sights on orbital launch in 2025, focusing on small satellite market with vehicle designed to send near one metric ton to low-Earth orbit
Zero, a vehicle designed to send nearly one metric ton to low-Earth orbit, will help meet demand for small satellite launch capacity “not only in Japan, but in the world,” Keiji Atsuta, Interstellar business development general manager, told SpaceNews. “We think that this rocket will change the market.”
- Japan’s SoftBank is suing defunct IRL social app firm for fraud, in the past having backed it at $1.2BN valuation, following revelation that 95% of users may have been fake
- Japanese gov’t to build Indo-Pacific information network in bid to counter cyberattacks, providing equipment and training to Pacific island countries that lack countermeasures
- Japan Organization for Metals & Energy Security partners Namibia’s Epangelo mining firm to explore for rare earths, seeking supply chain for cobalt and other minerals
- Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries backed Advanced Ionics, US-based startup producing hydrogen with 30% less power consumption and at lower temperatures
- Japan’s Fermelanta takes pitch competition win, with use of bacteria to produce high-value secondary metabolites including morphine
pwc Digital Trust Insights 2023: The Southeast Asia Perspective
- Japan: Legislators look to revise laws around Nippon Telegraph and Telephone to allow the telco to pursue 6G tech without regulatory restrictions, thereby boosting global competitiveness
- Japan: An intro to Alt Inc, working on ‘digital clones’, online avatars aiming to take on some of our work and routine, daily tasks
- Japan: PowerX works on ‘battery tanker’, cargo ship storing electricity from solar, wind and renewable sources produced in rural areas in on-board batteries, for transportation to urban end-users
“Imabari Shipbuilding (Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture), one of the investing companies, is designing the vessel and aiming to complete it by 2025.”
“The ship would be capable of transporting approximately 240,000 kWh of electricity at a time. This is the equivalent of the daily power usage of 24,000 households.”
- Google for Startups Women Founders Fund to provide equity-free funding and support to women-led AI startups in India, Japan & Korea
- China: Japan’s Toyota and China partner PonyAI ink JV to mass produce robotaxis using PonyAI autonomous drive tech and ride-hail services
- Cambodia’s digital currency: “…for QR code-based digital payments between Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam…. has 8.5M users and handled around $15BN in payments by the end of last year.”
CSIS: Securing Indo-Pacific Semiconductor Supply Chains
July 2023
CSET: Mapping emerging technologies and their supply chains
- Japan: Sony backs Startale Labs with $3.5M, with sights on large-scale Web3 adoption using the company’s multi-blockchain and infrastructure-focused capabilities
- Japan and ASEAN to establish research center focused on free flow of data across borders in bid to counter China’s data restrictions, to maintain business ability to analyze markets
“The center likely will study technologies allowing data that includes business secrets or customers’ personal information to be analyzed or used for machine learning while remaining encrypted. At present, such data needs to be decrypted before being analyzed, which runs afoul of regulations in several countries.”
“China has prioritized keeping data within its borders, restricting foreign companies operating in China from taking data outside the country. Personal information and data related to national security and the economy cannot be moved abroad without permission from authorities.”
- Japan: SBI Holdings financial services major to help Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp establish a factory in move to revive the country’s chip industry
- Japan: Telexistence robotics firm backed by SoftBank with AI-powered robotic arms for retail and logistics, building on presence in 300 FamilyMart convenience stores across Japan
Spamhaus Technology: Live Botnets Attack Map
- Japan: Container terminal at the Port of Nagoya hit by Russian ransomware attack
- Japan: Gov’t to expand cyber defense unit more than four-fold under new National Security Strategy in bid to counter China and North Korea cyber-attack activities
“To support this capability, the number of cyber specialists in Japan’s Self-Defense Forces will be raised over the next four years from about 890 now. China’s military has 175,000 cyberwarfare personnel, while North Korea has 7,000, Japanese estimates show.”
“Japan’s effort to keep up with cyberthreats is part of a broader defense buildup set out in policy documents updated last month.”
“The first step, starting in fiscal 2023, will be to grow the talent pool. A Ground Self-Defense Force signals school in Yokosuka, near Tokyo, will be reorganized to focus on training cyber specialists.”
- Japan: Gov’t unveils $6.3BN deal to buy and privatize JSR Corp semiconductor materials giant, taking control of world leader in chipmaking compounds
- Japan: MUFG Bank backs Groovenauts quantum computing firm, aiming to use quantum tech in financial services including derivatives trading and asset risk mgmt, while lifting operational efficiency
UNCTAD Global Report on Blockchain 2023
- Japan and United Arab Emirates to set framework to discuss possible UAE investment in semicon and battery plants in Japan, in medicine and space-tech, and fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia
- Japan: SoftBank Group to form VJ with Symbotic supply chain services provider for major investment in AI-powered warehouses project, GreenBox Systems
- Japan: ROSE, low cost, nature-inspired robotic gripper unveiled, for use in delicate work in multiple industries, with 3D-printable components
SharePass: Online digital security solution
Indo-Pacific TECH news
All-day tech news updates from across the broad – and increasingly strategically and technologically important – Indo-Pacific region, and across South and Southeast Asia:
- Indo-Pacific tech daily on Twitter
- Indo-Pacific tech daily on Facebook
- Indo-Pacific tech news on LinkedIn
Our mobile app is currently offline, due to the ongoing devolution of what was Twitter, now X.
We aim to have the app back online with a much-improved interface and broader functionality by the end of 2023.
World Economic Forum: Space Applications in Agriculture
Indo-Pacific TECH newsletter
Our weekly e-newsletters go out via Substack and LinkedIn, giving a one-glance grasp of the week’s technology news from the Indo-Pacific and South & Southeast Asia.
