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Dec 23, 16:21
Japan's H3 rocket launch fails, delaying GPS independence

Japan's flagship heavy-lift rocket, the H3, suffered another setback on Sunday after its eighth flight failed, dealing a blow to the country's ambitions to strengthen its independent space capabilities.

Interest in drones and robotics has continued to build across markets in 2025, yet not all automotive electronics manufacturers are convinced the moment has arrived.
Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. said it is on track to begin limited production at its first US manufacturing site by the end of 2025. The milestone positions the Taiwanese aerospace supplier to benefit from a global reordering of supply chains and closer alignment with US defense and commercial customers.
Chinese suppliers have significantly increased the prices of drone components and dual-use technology exported to Russia, according to trade data that highlights Moscow's growing vulnerability as the conflict in Ukraine continues. Analysis of figures from China's General Administration of Customs indicates that costs for military-grade hardware rose sharply through October 2025, even as export volumes in several categories declined.
Lithium battery maker SYNergy ScienTech is eyeing the growing demand for batteries in drones and unmanned vehicles by investing in related product development in 2025. With R&D and prototyping efforts in the field ongoing, the company will continue to expand into the non-consumer electronics sector, says president Colin Hsieh.

SpaceX could go public as early as 2026 and emerge as one of the world's most valuable listed companies, with market estimates putting its post-IPO valuation at around US$1.5 trillion, as the company pushes to secure a leading position in space-based artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

Elon Musk's SpaceX has confirmed plans to launch its initial public offering (IPO) in 2026. Abhi Tripathi, a longtime SpaceX veteran and current mission operations director at the University of California, Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, believes that once Musk realized Starlink satellites could be built as a distributed data center network, taking SpaceX public became inevitable.

Taiwan-based circuit protection component maker Polytronics said its business likely hit a trough in 2025 and is poised for recovery next year, as US defense-related demand for thermal management substrates begins to return after tariff-driven order volatility disrupted shipments.

E-band wireless communication, operating between 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz, offers extremely high data throughput and ultra-low latency. Beyond its current use in automotive radar, next-generation satellite communications are emerging as a key potential application for E-band technology.
Space-related business opportunities have returned to the spotlight, and SpaceX is expected to go public in bringing data centers to space. Within Taiwanese IC design companies, MediaTek is leading in involvement and business scale in the satellite sector. It currently focuses primarily on satellite communications, maintaining influence in the formation of satellite broadband network standards and promoting direct-to-cell smartphone applications. Additionally, its subsidiary Airoha offers GNSS positioning chips, and its newly developed Ethernet chips have teamed up with MediaTek's Wi-Fi chips for satellite communication ground transceivers.
Taiwan–US defense cooperation is taking a significant step forward as leading American defense technology firms move to establish local operations and supply chains in Taiwan. These developments could pave the way for additional global Tier-1 military contractors to set up a presence in the country.
Taiwan-based Singtex Industrial, a supplier of eco-friendly functional textiles, has begun mass production at its newly invested polyester dyeing and finishing facility in northern Taiwan, marking a major step in its vertical integration strategy even as near-term margins remain under pressure during the capacity ramp-up phase.