Telecommunications infrastructure

Estonia invests in Germany to strengthen European tech independence

During an official visit to Germany, Prime Minister Kristen Michal joined Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer to open a new Skeleton Technologies factory near Leipzig, underlining Estonia’s long-term commitment to European technological development.

An investment of 220 million euros that marks the most significant industrial commitment an Estonian company has made in Germany and reflects a shift towards mutual economic engagement.

The factory produces supercapacitors that aim to reduce energy consumption in AI data centres while enhancing the reliability of the power grid.

Michal noted that the relationship between the two countries has entered a new phase, as Estonia is now investing in Germany, rather than only receiving investment. He pointed to Germany’s industrial capacity and Estonia’s digital expertise as complementary strengths.

The project benefited from financial and strategic support through programmes such as EUBatIn, while partnerships with Siemens and Marubeni strengthened the technological foundation of the initiative.

Cooperation between Estonia and Saxony already extends across innovation, microelectronics and digital public services.

Several Estonian technology firms operate in the region, while universities in both countries maintain active collaboration in engineering, IT and business administration. These links continue to grow and support talent, research and industrial development.

The new factory is presented as a practical step towards European technological resilience, as the components used in the supercapacitors are sourced from European suppliers.

Estonian officials argue that Europe must develop and produce key technologies instead of relying on external suppliers. The opening of the plant is seen as the beginning of broader cooperation in IT, green technology, defence and advanced manufacturing.

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Salesforce expands investment in Greece with Greek AgentForce

The presence in Greece is expanding as Salesforce increases its investment and introduces AgentForce in the Greek language.

Salesforce works with major Greek groups such as Motor Oil and OPAP and plans to enter more sectors, including banking and insurance. Senior executives view Greece as a market with strong potential for broader adoption of AI tools.

Executives at the company highlighted growing interest among Greek firms that are already testing or deploying AI agents to support customer services and internal operations.

Robin Fisher, Senior Vice President for the EMEA Growth Markets, noted that the organisation has doubled the number of staff supporting the Greek market over the past two years and intends to continue increasing its investment every three years or sooner.

He also pointed to the presence of Energy Cloud in Greek enterprises and the rapid development of new AI agents for local clients.

The introduction of AgentForce in the Greek language is expected to help companies manage processes more efficiently and support a more profound digital transformation. The initial release covers AgentForce Service and Employee Agent, with broader availability planned for the future.

AgentForce Service operates as a constantly available customer service platform that can be adapted to any sector, offering faster issue resolution and more personalised assistance based on real-time data.

Its design enables full cooperation between employees and AI agents, providing a more effective service model.

Employee Agent functions as a proactive digital assistant that supports staff with daily tasks inside familiar environments, such as Slack or mobile devices. It can manage meetings, assist with onboarding, access internal knowledge and prepare summaries before client discussions.

Salesforce emphasises that the broader rollout of Greek language support will help organisations improve productivity and achieve greater efficiency by combining human expertise with automated capabilities.

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New digital strategy positions Uzbekistan as emerging AI hub

Uzbekistan has outlined an extensive plan to accelerate digital development by introducing new measures at major AI forums in Tashkent.

The leadership detailed a national effort to strengthen the domestic AI ecosystem, supported by a supercomputer cluster built with Nvidia and a National Transfer Office established in Silicon Valley.

AI-focused curricula will be introduced across regional Future Centres to broaden access to advanced training.

A strong emphasis has been placed on nurturing young talent. An annual interschool competition will identify promising AI startup ideas. At the same time, a presidential contest will select one hundred young participants each year for internships in leading technology companies in the US, the UAE and Europe.

November will be marked as ‘AI month for youth’, and the Silk Road AI Forum will become a recurring event.

A central part of the strategy is the ‘five million AI leaders’ project, which aims to train millions of students, along with teachers and public servants, by 2030. The programme will integrate AI education across schools, vocational institutions and universities instead of limiting it to specialist groups.

The government highlighted the country’s growing appeal for technology investment. Nearly two billion dollars have already been secured for AI and digital projects, IT service exports have risen sharply, and startup activity has expanded significantly.

Work has begun on a central green data centre, developed in collaboration with a Saudi partner, as Uzbekistan seeks to strengthen its position in regional digital innovation.

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Huawei and ZTE expand 5G foothold in Vietnam amid US concern

Vietnam has moved to expand its use of Chinese 5G technology, awarding Huawei and ZTE a series of new contracts. Under recent deals, the two companies will supply advanced 5G radio equipment to strengthen network coverage, while European vendors remain responsible for core systems.

Vietnam, which borders China, Laos, and Cambodia, previously echoed allies’ warnings that Chinese-made 5G gear posed an unacceptable security risk. Recent tariff frictions with the United States and shifting economic priorities have since pushed officials to reconsider that stance.

According to local reports, Huawei and ZTE have together secured contracts worth about 43 million dollars for non-core 5G equipment. Ericsson and Nokia are expected to continue supplying the 5G core, with Chinese vendors focused on antennas and related infrastructure at the network edge.

In April, a consortium including Huawei won a 23 million dollar deal to provide 5G gear, shortly after new US tariffs on Vietnamese exports came into force. Analysts say those measures have strained ties between Hanoi and Washington while nudging Vietnam to deepen economic and technological links with Beijing.

Vietnamese supply chain specialist Nguyen Hung says Hanoi is prioritising its own strategic interests, seeing closer ties with Chinese vendors as a route to deeper regional integration. US officials warn the deals could damage network trust and limit access to advanced American technology.

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South Korea accelerates AI adoption as NVIDIA strengthens national ecosystem

NVIDIA AI Day Seoul drew more than 1,000 visitors who gathered to explore sovereign AI and the rapid progress shaping South Korea’s digital landscape.

Attendees joined workshops, technical sessions and startup showcases designed to highlight the country’s expanding ecosystem instead of focusing only on theoretical advances.

Five finalists from the Inception Grand Challenge also presented their work, reflecting the growing strength of South Korea’s startup community.

Speakers outlined how AI now supports robotics, industrial production, entertainment and public administration.

Conglomerates from South Korea, such as Samsung, SK Group, Hyundai Motor Group and NAVER Cloud, have intensified their investment in AI, while government agencies rely on accelerated computing to process documents and policy information at scale.

South Korea’s ecosystem continues to expand with hundreds of Inception startups, sovereign LLM initiatives and major supercomputing deployments.

Developers engaged directly with NVIDIA engineers through workshops and a Q&A area covering AI infrastructure, LLMs, robotics and automotive technologies. Plenary sessions examined agentic AI, reasoning models and the evolution of AI factories.

Partners presented advances in training efficiency, agentic systems and large-scale AI infrastructure built with NVIDIA’s platforms instead of legacy hardware.

South Korea’s next phase of development will be supported by access to 260,000 GPUs announced during the APEC Summit. Officials expect the infrastructure to accelerate startup growth, stimulate national AI priorities and attract new collaboration across research and industry.

The Seoul event marks another step in the country’s effort to reinforce its digital foundation while expanding its role in global AI innovation.

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Australia moves to curb nudify tools after eSafety action

A major provider of three widely used nudify services has cut off Australian access after enforcement action from eSafety.

The company received an official warning in September for allowing its tools to be used to produce AI-generated material that harmed children.

A withdrawal that follows concerns about incidents involving school students and repeated reminders that online services must meet Australia’s mandatory safety standards.

eSafety stated that Australia’s codes and standards are encouraging companies to adopt stronger safeguards.

The Commissioner noted that preventing the misuse of consumer tools remains central to reducing the risk of harm and that more precise boundaries can lower the likelihood of abuse affecting young people.

Attention has also turned to underlying models and the hosting platforms that distribute them.

Hugging Face has updated its terms to require users to take steps to mitigate the risks associated with uploaded models, including preventing misuse for generating harmful content. The company is required to act when reports or internal checks reveal breaches of its policies.

eSafety indicated that failure to comply with industry codes or standards can lead to enforcement measures, including significant financial penalties.

The agency is working with the government on further reforms intended to restrict access to nudify tools and strengthen protections across the technology stack.

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New AI and 5G technology transforms stadium experience

Fans attending live football matches in the UK can now enjoy uninterrupted connectivity with a new technology combining AI and 5G.

Trials at a stadium in Milton Keynes demonstrated that thousands of spectators can stream high-quality live video feeds directly to their mobile devices.

Developed collaboratively by the University of Bristol, AI specialists Madevo, and network experts Weaver Labs, the system also delivers live player statistics, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, and real-time queue navigation. Traditional mobile networks often struggle to cope with peak demand at large venues, leaving fans frustrated.

The innovation offers clubs an opportunity to transform their stadiums into fully smart-enabled venues. University researchers said the successful trial represents a major step forward for Bristol’s Smart Internet Lab as it celebrates a decade of pioneering connectivity solutions.

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Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 by Qualcomm brings faster AI performance to flagship phones

Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Mobile Platform, positioning it as a premium upgrade that elevates performance, AI capability, and gaming. The company says the new chipset responds to growing demand for more advanced features in flagship smartphones.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 includes an enhanced sensing hub that wakes an AI assistant when a user picks up their device. Qualcomm says the platform supports agentic AI functions through the updated AI Engine, enabling more context-aware interactions and personalised assistance directly on the device.

The system is powered by the custom Oryon CPU, reaching speeds up to 3.8 GHz and delivering notable improvements in responsiveness and web performance. Qualcomm reports a 36% increase in overall processing power and an 11% boost to graphics output through its updated Adreno GPU architecture.

Qualcomm executives say the refreshed platform will bring high-end performance to more markets. Chris Patrick, senior vice-president for mobile handsets, says Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is built to meet rising demands for speed, efficiency, and intelligent features.

Qualcomm confirmed that the chipset will appear in upcoming flagship devices from manufacturers including iQOO, Honor, Meizu, Motorola, OnePlus, and vivo. The company expects the platform to anchor next-generation models entering global markets in the months ahead.

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Australia strengthens parent support for new social media age rules

Yesterday, Australia entered a new phase of its online safety framework after the introduction of the Social Media Minimum Age policy.

eSafety has established a new Parent Advisory Group to support families as the country transitions to enhanced safeguards for young people. The group held its first meeting, with the Commissioner underlining the need for practical and accessible guidance for carers.

The initiative brings together twelve organisations representing a broad cross-section of communities in Australia, including First Nations families, culturally diverse groups, parents of children with disability and households in regional areas.

Their role is to help eSafety refine its approach, so parents can navigate social platforms with greater confidence, rather than feeling unsupported during rapid regulatory change.

A group that will advise on parent engagement, offer evidence-informed insights and test updated resources such as the redeveloped Online Safety Parent Guide.

Their advice will aim to ensure materials remain relevant, inclusive and able to reach priority communities that often miss out on official communications.

Members will serve voluntarily until June 2026 and will work with eSafety to improve distribution networks and strengthen the national conversation on digital literacy. Their collective expertise is expected to shape guidance that reflects real family experiences instead of abstract policy expectations.

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UAE strengthens digital transformation with Sharjah’s new integration committee

Sharjah is advancing its digital transformation efforts following the issuance of a new decree that established the Higher Committee for Digital Integration. The Crown Prince formed the body to strengthen oversight and guide government entities as the emirate seeks more coordinated progress.

The committee will report directly to the Executive Council and will be led by Sheikh Saud bin Sultan Al Qasimi from the Sharjah Digital Department.

Senior officials from several departments in the UAE will join him to enhance cooperation across the government, rather than leaving agencies to pursue separate digital plans.

Their combined expertise is expected to support stronger governance and reduce risks linked to large-scale transformation.

Its mandate covers strategic oversight, approval of key policies, alignment with national objectives and careful monitoring of digital projects.

The members will intervene when challenges arise, oversee investments and help resolve disputes so the emirate can maintain momentum instead of facing delays caused by fragmented decision-making.

Membership runs for two years, with the option of extension. The committee will continue its work until a successor group is formed and will provide regular reports on progress, challenges and proposed solutions to the Executive Council.

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