Portuguese startup Sensei, specialising in contactless store technology, has secured €15 million in a Series A funding round led by BlueCrow Capital. The investment also saw participation from Lince Capital, Explorer Investments, Kamay Ventures, and existing backers like Metro AG and Techstars Ventures. This follows Sensei’s 2021 seed round of €5.4 million.
Sensei aims to establish 1,000 fully autonomous retail points by 2026, with current operations in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Brazil. The company uses AI-powered sensors and computer vision to automate checkout, offering customers a seamless shopping experience and real-time store management for retailers.
As competition heats up in the contactless retail space, Sensei is up against major players like Standard Cognition, Trigo, and AiFi, which have raised substantial funds to develop similar technology.
Thailand’s Commerce Minister, Pichai Naripthaphan, has revealed that Nvidia, the US-based chip-making giant, is preparing to announce significant investment plans in Thailand. This unveiling is expected to occur during Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s scheduled visit to Bangkok in December. While Minister Pichai did not disclose the exact details of the investment or the financial scale, the move marks a notable step in Nvidia’s expansion efforts in the Southeast Asian region.
Nvidia’s decision to invest in Thailand reflects the country’s growing importance as a hub for technology and innovation in the region. The potential investment could also strengthen Thailand’s position in the global semiconductor industry, as demand for advanced chips continues to surge, particularly in sectors like AI, gaming, and data centres. The Thai government will likely welcome this development, which aligns with its broader goals to attract more high-tech investments and drive economic growth through technological advancements.
This upcoming announcement highlights the deepening relationship between global tech giants and Southeast Asia, with Thailand emerging as a key player in attracting multinational companies like Nvidia. More details are expected to be revealed during Huang’s visit, potentially signaling a significant economic boost for the region.
India is set to introduce new restrictions on the import of laptops, tablets, and personal computers starting in January, aiming to boost domestic manufacturing. This move could significantly impact the country’s IT hardware market, valued between $8 billion and $10 billion, which currently relies heavily on imports. The Indian government hopes to shift more production locally through this initiative, which is expected to reshape the industry.
The country previously attempted to limit imports of such devices but faced backlash and pressure from international companies, particularly from the US. At present, companies can import laptops into India through a simple online registration system. However, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is now developing a new system that will require prior authorisation for imports.
India’s IT hardware market, which is worth nearly $20 billion, depends on imports for two-thirds of its demand, with much of it coming from China. To encourage local production, the Indian government has offered $2.01 billion in subsidies, attracting interest from major manufacturers such as Acer, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. Many of these companies are reportedly preparing to begin local manufacturing under India’s production incentive program.
The US Commerce Department has announced plans to award $325 million to Hemlock Semiconductor to expand its production of semiconductor-grade polysilicon. The funding is part of a larger effort to shift and strengthen the United States chip supply chain.
The grant, from the $52.7 billion semiconductor manufacturing and research subsidy programme, will support the construction of a new facility in Hemlock, Michigan. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stressed the importance of a reliable source of polysilicon for manufacturing semiconductors, which are critical to the nation’s economic and national security.
Hemlock Semiconductor, a joint venture of Corning Inc and Shin-Etsu Handotai, is making a significant investment in advanced technologies to maintain its position as a leading supplier to the semiconductor market. The expansion aligns with the Biden administration’s broader plan to boost domestic chip production through grants to major companies.
The administration has already announced preliminary awards totalling $36 billion from the $39 billion set aside for manufacturing subsidies. While only one grant has been finalised, officials expect more deals to be concluded by the end of the year.
A recent study by McKinsey highlights that Portugal must retrain around 1.3 million workers, about 30% of its workforce, by 2030 to adopt generative AI and close its productivity gap with the rest of the European Union. Portugal has long struggled with low productivity, which has contributed minimally to GDP growth compared to the EU average. However, the study predicts that by rapidly integrating AI and automation, the country could significantly boost productivity, matching projected EU levels.
Generative AI, which creates content like text and images based on past data, could help Portugal compete with more developed economies if the workforce is prepared for the technological shift. This change will also require the public, private, and education sectors to collaborate in reshaping job roles and work processes. For every euro invested in AI technology, McKinsey suggests that three euros will be needed for managing organisational transitions.
Besides upskilling 1.3 million workers, the study indicates that around 320,000 employees in roles like customer service will need to transition to new jobs. This large-scale transformation could position Portugal for stronger economic growth in the coming years.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has enacted new regulations requiring all mobile phones sold in the US to be compatible with hearing aids, significantly enhancing accessibility for individuals with hearing loss. Specifically, these rules mandate that manufacturers adopt standard Bluetooth coupling for universal connectivity, thereby eliminating proprietary standards.
In addition, mobile handsets must meet specific volume benchmarks to ensure that sound quality is maintained when the volume is increased. Furthermore, to inform consumers, handset manufacturers must clearly label their devices to indicate compliance with these new hearing aid compatibility standards.
Notably, these changes stem from years of study and advocacy by the Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Task Force, which provided recommendations to the FCC. As a result, the FCC’s regulations aim to provide greater choice and improved functionality for the 48 million Americans with hearing loss, ensuring they can access a wider range of mobile technologies and features.
Vietnam has unveiled a national strategy to develop its semiconductor industry, with a focus on gradually building expertise and integrating it into the assembly, packaging, and testing (APT) stages of the value chain. The goal is to position Vietnam as a global semiconductor hub in the long term. According to a report from The Diplomat, Vietnam’s stable political environment and neutral diplomatic stance are key advantages in attracting foreign investment and partnerships in this sector.
The country’s youthful population also presents a major advantage as labour shortages loom in major semiconductor hubs like the US and South Korea. Investments in education and talent development will help Vietnam strengthen its presence in areas like chip design and research. Partnerships, such as those with Amkor, Cadence, and Synopsys, further support Vietnam’s ambitions to grow in the semiconductor space.
However, the report highlights challenges, including geopolitical pressures to align with either the US or China, competition from other countries like India, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and the need to meet global sustainability standards. Balancing these challenges with the demands of a growing industry will be crucial for Vietnam’s success in becoming a key player in the global semiconductor market.
Vietnam is committed to ensuring universal access to fibre-optic internet by 2030, aiming to connect every city, province, industrial facility, and household nationwide. The initiative includes launching at least two new international submarine cable routes and achieving 99% coverage of the 5G broadband network by the end of 2025, with a goal for all internet users to benefit from fibre-optic connections offering speeds of at least 1 Gbps.
Additionally, each citizen will have access to one Internet of Things (IoT) connection and a digital identity, with over 70% of adults expected to possess a digital or electronic signature by 2030. To support this digital transformation, Vietnam plans to establish hyper-scale, AI-supportive, and edge data centres that meet international standards while focusing on attracting domestic and international investments in digital infrastructure.
Enhancing digital infrastructure is vital for Vietnam’s socioeconomic growth and competitiveness in the global market. The government seeks to create a robust economic foundation that supports innovation and drives sustainable development by investing in and improving its digital capabilities. As Vietnam positions itself in the digital age, these strategic initiatives will empower citizens with greater access to technology and bolster the nation’s economic resilience and global standing.
South Korea plans to accelerate the growth of its private cloud industry to enhance competitiveness in AI. The Ministry of Science and ICT outlined a strategy to double the local cloud market to 10 trillion won (£6 billion) by 2027 through partnerships with global companies.
The government acknowledged that South Korea trails over a year behind global cloud leaders, with underdeveloped AI infrastructure. Key initiatives include encouraging the use of private cloud systems across public sectors, such as education and defence, and easing regulations to facilitate the transition. Incentives such as expanded tax benefits are also planned for AI and cloud enterprises.
A national AI computing centre with supercomputer capabilities will be established to further bolster infrastructure. In addition, an AI innovation fund will launch with an initial government investment of 45 billion won (£27 million) in 2025, encouraging private-sector contributions to the cloud ecosystem’s growth.
Plans are also underway for an AI safety research institute under the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute. This initiative follows Seoul’s AI safety summit earlier this year, where global leaders agreed on collaborative efforts to promote safe and inclusive AI development.
A1 Austria, Eurofiber, and Quantcom have joined forces to develop a high-speed dark-fibre network connecting Frankfurt and Vienna, marking a significant advancement in European telecommunications. Scheduled for completion in December 2025, this ambitious project aims to deliver an ultra-low-latency infrastructure essential for meeting modern telecommunications’s growing demands.
By collaborating, these three providers are not only bolstering their technical capabilities but are also ensuring that the network will support a wide array of critical applications, including cloud services, media broadcasting, AI, and machine learning (ML). Furthermore, the network’s low latency will significantly enhance connectivity for key industries across Europe, making it a vital asset for telecommunications companies, fixed network operators, and global enterprises.
Ultimately, this new fibre network is poised to serve as a critical backbone for the region’s digital ecosystem, facilitating seamless communication and data exchange. As a result, it is expected to have a substantial economic impact by connecting various industries and enabling high-performance connectivity, thereby acting as a catalyst for growth across multiple sectors.
Moreover, this initiative addresses the current demand for faster and more reliable data transfer and lays the groundwork for a more robust digital infrastructure in Europe, thereby fostering innovation and economic development in the years to come.
