Ecosystems

welsh-startup-to-launch-semiconductor-manufacturing-satellite

Welsh startup to launch semiconductor manufacturing satellite

Corporates and innovation, Ecosystems, Startups and technology / /

Welsh startup Space Forge is preparing for a second shot at propelling its semiconductor manufacturing satellite into orbit. 

ForgeStar-1, as the new satellite is known, will be launched from the US either later this year or early next. The satellite contains an automated chemistry lab that allows the remote mixing of chemical compounds and the development of semiconducting alloys.  

Space offers a unique environment for research and development because its higher levels of radiation, microgravity, and near vacuumless state allow companies to come up with new manufacturing methods or materials that are not possible on our planet.

Space Forge recently signed a collaboration agreement with American aerospace giant Northrop Grumman to provide space-made semiconductor substrates that Northrop can then develop into computer chips at their factories back on Earth. 

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The Cardiff-based startup hopes to enable the fabrication of semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, composite materials, and more in the future.

“The next industrial revolution will be in space,” exclaimed Space Forge’s US managing director Andrew Parlock in an interview with CNBC in August.     

The company first attempted to launch its spacecraft — the first satellite ever made in Wales — on Virgin Orbit’s mission from Cornwall, UK, in January. That payload, and the other eight satellites on board, was lost when Virgin’s launcher experienced an anomaly and failed to reach orbit.

While a disappointing turn of events for the budding company, Space Forge, which has launched $10m to date, now has its sights firmly set on the second launch attempt. That mission, which is supported by the European Space Agency’s Boost! Innovation programme, aims to demonstrate Space Forge’s manufacturing technique and prove other key technologies, including safe reentry technology. 

But rather than sending the materials back to Earth, the microwave-sized ForgeStar-1 will beam the results of these experiments to scientists digitally as this satellite is not designed to return.

“The objective of ForgeStar-1 is to demonstrate that better semiconductors — the things that make your computer chips — can be made in a space environment and returned to earth safely,” the startup’s founder and CEO, John Western, told the BBC.  

But the company’s subsequent mission will be built to survive the fiery return through the atmosphere and bring its products back to Earth, thanks to two patented technologies that protect the payload from extreme temperatures. Western predicts that the first returnable satellite might be launched in two or three years’ time.

Welsh startup to launch semiconductor manufacturing satellite Read More »

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Poland wants EU to stop sleeping on digital IDs

Ecosystems, Europe, Future of Work, Government and policy, Next Featured / /

The European Commission has been too focused on tackling Big Tech and not enough on improving digital services for citizens.

That is according to Poland’s minister of digital affairs, Janusz Cieszyński. He believes the EU needs to shift its digital policy focus to helping Europeans interact with government services.

Speaking to TNW at the recent Tallinn Digital Summit in Estonia, Janusz Cieszyński said that digital ID services that are prevalent in Estonia and increasingly so in Poland under his remit, need to be a higher priority EU-wide.

“There’s a lot of focus on [tech businesses] and there’s not enough focus on legislation which will help citizens, which will help ordinary people for instance to travel around Europe with your ID in your phone,” he said.

“When there was the difficult time of the pandemic, we were able to roll out the Covid certificates very quickly and now we have fallen back asleep, and I don’t think that things are going fast enough.”

Cieszyński leads Poland’s digitisation ministry, including its mObywatel (mCitizen) initiative, which provides a mobile app for users to store their ID documents. The ministry has also updated the app to allow Ukrainian refugees in Poland to upload and store their documents.

He said that while there’s a slew of digitisation efforts across member states, there should be more cohesion on an EU level.

The European Commission has focused heavily on tackling Big Tech with several new regulations.

Citizens first

Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, who delivered a keynote speech at the summit in Tallinn, championed many of these efforts.

This includes the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, two of the European Commission’s flagship tech regulations that it believes will tackle misinformation on social media and create fairer competition in Europe.

“I’m not sure that as a consumer I have seen an improvement during Mr Breton’s tenure as Commissioner,” Cieszyński said. 

“It is obvious to me as a person who has supervised numerous rollouts of e-services, that if you would be committed to having an e-ID which would be universal for all European countries and spend five years on this, we would already have been using this for quite some time,” he said.

“I think it’s just [that] the Brussels bureaucracy is too detached from the citizens and their base. I think that’s the thing.”

A spokesperson for the European Commission declined to comment on the minister’s remarks.

Upcoming EU elections may hinder progress

The EU has debated and proposed a unified approach for digital IDs several times over the years.

The Commission proposed legislation for a secure digital ID system in 2021 that would be in effect by 2030.

In June this year, EU member states and the European Parliament reached an agreement on an EU-wide framework for a digital ID that would be interoperable around the bloc.

Now the proposal must weave its way through the usual EU law-making hurdles. With the European Parliament elections next year coinciding with the end of the current Commission’s mandate, it is difficult to affix a timeline for the intended legislation.

The Commission spokesperson did tell TNW that the framework would provide Europeans with “consumer control, security, convenience and privacy.” 

“These common European rules will ensure that solutions can be used seamlessly cross-border, also creating new business cases for companies,” they said. “The Commission already started the technical groundwork with Member States to ensure this interoperable, secure, and user-friendly digital personal wallet becomes a reality for citizens.”

The European Commission does have a series of projects involving member states, universities, and private sector companies underway to examine various digital ID use cases in travel, payments, healthcare, and education.

Examples include the European Wallet Consortium (EWC), which is testing interoperable IDs for travel, and Digital Credentials for Europe (DC4EU), which is working with several European universities and government departments to examine how a digital ID for the education sector could work. 

E-government services

Estonia is often held up as a bastion of how to implement digital services. 

Since the ‘90s, the Baltic state has developed a digital-first approach to government services with most functions now available online. Most notably, citizens can vote online in elections; in fact, in the 2023 parliamentary elections more than half of the votes were cast over the internet. A forthcoming change in Estonia’s digital policies will allow for the completion of divorce proceedings online.

But pushing that agenda can be challenging.

The government has contracted Estonian IT services firm Nortal to build several of its digital public services.

Chief growth officer Elizabeth Kiehner said that the company is trying to “export” its technology to other countries but there are numerous obstacles to overcome.

“The prerequisite to any of these things working is having a leader with the political will. There could be very little that’s currently digitised but there needs to be a leader with political will and commitment to do this,” she said.

Competing for tech talent

For governments with ambitions to expand digital services, one of the biggest challenges is finding the tech talent it needs.

Cieszyński told TNW that governments must compete for tech talent against the private sector without being able to offer the higher salaries typically expected at bigger tech companies. 

It is common for public bodies to outsource development to private companies. However, Cieszyński believes that it is imperative for governments to bring as much tech development in-house as possible. 

Government departments and bodies need to know what’s in the “black box” and understand what’s under the hood and how it works.

“You have to remember that this is software that will be used for the processing of government data, of citizen data, super sensitive stuff, and it is also, something which comes to mind very easily in these difficult times, a matter of security. If you don’t know what’s inside this black box, how can you be sure that your citizens, the ones that you’re supposed to protect, are actually protected?” Cieszyński explained.

“We work a lot with vendors. We use modern technology, we buy from the top brands from around the world but we want to have a good proportion of experts that are in-house on our payroll, so that we have the rights to whatever code they write, things like that.”

Currently, Cieszyński’s department has 1,400 people working on e-government services.

Will political mandate cycles shift priorities?

The minister stated that e-government and digital IDs should be front of mind for the next European Commission.

Cieszyński is from Poland’s ruling PiS party, which faces a general election this month where the complexion of the Polish government could change. With that, so could priorities when it comes to digital policies.

As for the European Commission, its mandate is up in less than a year. Rumours abound that Thierry Breton will be seeking the top job of Commission President.

But just what will the next Commission’s priorities be?

During his keynote speech in Tallinn, Breton dropped one or two hints when talking about supercomputers and quantum. 

“One of my favourite subjects, quantum. Of course, we are working very hard on quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing and cryptography,” he said. “This is something we will push hard and will be a very interesting subject for the next Commission.”

Poland wants EU to stop sleeping on digital IDs Read More »

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Spotify ‘unfairly held back’ by Google and Apple, CEO says

Ecosystems, Government and policy, UK / /

While on a tour to woo UK lawmakers ahead of the adoption of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, Daniel Ek has taken a swing at big tech’s dominance. 

The Spotify CEO urged the UK to “show leadership” as it prepared to regulate big tech according to its own agenda outside of the EU. However, it is unclear just exactly how much further he expects it to go compared to the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Of course, it is not just concern for the little guy/consumer and their right to access services without the say-so of big tech that has prompted Ek’s charm offensive. In an interview with the Financial Times, the music streaming giant’s boss said that Spotify was being unfairly held back by digital platforms such as Apple because of their position as internet gatekeepers.

“I find it insane that two companies [Apple and Google] essentially control how over 4bn consumers access the internet around the world,” Ek said. “Not only are they dictating the rules, they also compete directly downstream with those providers.”

After the DMA, the DMCC

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (DMCC) is currently at the report stage in the House of Commons. Sarah Cardell, CEO of the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has described it as a flagship bill which has the potential to be a “watershed moment.”

The bill has three areas of focus: consumer protection, digital markets, and competition. In regards to tech, it will empower the Digital Markets Unit (DMU) within the CMA to oversee and enforce the new digital competition regime. According to Cardell, it will “establish a tailored, evidenced-based and proportionate approach to regulating the largest and most powerful digital firms to ensure effective competition that benefits everyone.” 

Again, it will be interesting to see just how the DMCC will differ from the European Union’s DMA, under which regulators recently revealed a list of designated gatekeepers that would need to ‘open up’ their services to competitors.

Will not ban AI music from Spotify

In addition to his commentary on rules for big tech, Ek voiced concerns that any regulation of artificial intelligence made now would soon become obsolete due to the fast-paced development of the technology. Earlier in the week, he told the BBC that he would not ban AI generated music from his platform. Ek further added that there were valid uses of the tech in making music, but that it should not be used to impersonate human artists without their consent.

The UK government is reportedly pushing AI companies, including OpenAI and Google DeepMind, for greater access to their Large Language Models (LLMs), as it prepares to host the forthcoming global AI summit at Bletchley Park. This will be key to have a better understanding of how the technology works and judge the kinds of risks that will arise. Meanwhile, people on both sides of the negotiations have stated that companies, in turn, are concerned about risks to proprietary product information, as well as potential exposure to cyberattacks. 

The tech regulatory tug-of-war continues.

Spotify ‘unfairly held back’ by Google and Apple, CEO says Read More »

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European Space Agency opens proposal call for lunar mission tech

Deep tech, Ecosystems, Startups and technology / /

The European Space Agency (ESA) is enabling tech companies to take part in its Terrae Novae exploration programme, calling for proposals for small missions to the Moon.

Sending the first European astronaut to explore the Moon’s surface stands at the core of the Terrae Novae 2030+ strategy. It further aims to boost Europe’s presence in low-Earth orbit and participate in the first human mission to Mars.

Small lunar missions form a recent addition to the strategy, “focusing on closing technology gaps and expanding our scientific knowledge of both the Moon and Mars,” said Xavier Barbier, ESA engineer, leading the call for ideas.

The call is open to both private companies and consortia including research institutions. According to Barbier, this presents “an excellent opportunity for small and medium-sized companies to increase their role in the field of space exploration.”

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The scope of the proposed missions is broad, as long as they focus on exploration and scientific activities. This can range from fly-by satellites and rovers to resource-extraction processes and improved mapping of potential landing sites.

Applicants need to show that their project’s development from kickoff to launch won’t take longer than 4.5 years, with a total cost no higher than €50mn. Ideally, they should also be able to develop their idea from start to finish, and see it through implementation.

The ESA itself will offer access to resources such as the Ariane 6 launcher for piggyback rides, and the Moonlight programme for lunar communications and navigation services.

Artist's view of the Ariane 6 launcher
Artist’s view of Ariane 6’s configuration using four boosters. Credit: D. Ducros/ESA

The call is open until December 14, 2023, and the submitted proposals will be evaluated in early 2024. Potential candidates should be based in states that participate in Terrae Novae with a small to medium contribution. These are Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Meanwhile, UK-based companies can now apply to the National Space Innovation Programme’s (NSIP) £34mn kickstarter call, inviting proposals that can accelerate the development of new space technologies, satellite applications, and services.

The call is open until November 13, 2023, and the selected projects will receive a grant ranging between £150,000 and £1mn. They need to be completed within 18 months.

NSIP’s total funding — backed by the UK Space Agency — reaches £65mn and will be split across further calls in 2024 and 2025.

European Space Agency opens proposal call for lunar mission tech Read More »

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EU tells Apple to ‘open gates’ to competitors

Ecosystems, Government and policy / /

After lobbying against it for years, Apple was recently forced to make a change it didn’t want to make. To comply with the EU’s new rules on standardising mobile chargers, the tech giant has ditched its Lightning charging cable for a USB-C wire.

Now, Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market, is asking the company to take a step further. That is, “opening up gates to competitors,” he tweeted, following a meeting with Apple’s Tim Cook on Tuesday.

Together with Apple’s CEO @tim_cook 🍏

“Only one” — making cable clutter a thing of the past 🔌

Next: opening up gates to competitors #DMA

The EU is a major market for US companies and an opportunity to innovate & diversify their supply chains 🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/YX6qpVnfk1

— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) September 26, 2023

Apple has meticulously guarded a closed ecosystem for its hardware and software products, but Breton said that’s no longer possible under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) — the bloc’s newly-adopted pro-competition regulation.

Earlier this month, the company was designated as one of the (initially) six “gatekeepers” of the EU’s digital market, which will have to comply with a series of strict do’s and don’ts. For example, they’ll need to allow consumers to uninstall pre-installed apps and replace them with third-party equivalents.

“Be it the electronic wallet, browsers or app stores, consumers using an Apple iPhone should be able to benefit from competitive services by a range of providers,” the commissioner told Reuters after the meeting.

“EU regulation fosters innovation, without compromising on security and privacy,” he added, apparently dismissing’s Apple’s arguments in favour of maintaining a closed ecosystem

Meanwhile, the company’s hurdles in Europe don’t seem to end. Just two weeks ago, France suspended sales of the iPhone 12, following tests that showed exceeding radiation levels. Although Apple refuted the claims, it pledged to provide a fix, and it has now reportedly submitted a software update for review by the French authorities.

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With Spotify’s ‘Jam’ your whole squad becomes the DJ

Corporates and innovation, Ecosystems, Startups and technology / /

Spotify has launched a new feature today called “Jam,” which will give you and your buddies a way to curate a shared playlist and listen to it together in real-time.  

Unlike existing multi-playlist features Blend and Duo Mix, Jam will sync everyone’s playback so you’re all listening to the same songs simultaneously — whether you’re in the same room, or scattered across the world. 

Now, explains the hugely successful Swedish company, instead of having one person in control of the music at a social gathering, everyone can have their say.  

The feature is available to both free and Premium subscribers, but only the latter will be able to start a session and invite others to join as its host. 

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If you’re a Premium user, you can select any song or playlist, and then tap the speaker icon at the bottom of your screen or the three-dot menu at the top. From there, you can select the new option “Start a Jam”.

To invite friends, you can enable Bluetooth and tap your phones together, share the QR code on screen, or send the link over a messaging app. Anyone who’s on the same shared Wi-Fi network will be prompted to join the Jam when they open their Spotify app.

As people add tracks to the shared queue, you’ll see profiles the song in question so you’ll know who chose which tune. Up to 32 people can be in the Jam’s private session at the same time. 

Those who’d rather stream music alone but still be able to discover new songs and artists would probably enjoy Spotify’s “daylist” feature more. The new playlist, launched earlier this month, keeps changing throughout the day, based on the kind of music the user typically listens to.

Meanwhile, Spotify has increased its Premium membership price by €1, and the company is also rumoured to be launching its lossless Supremium service shortly. In a string of recent additions, the Swedish company announced a new artificial intelligence-powered feature this week that can translate podcasts into different languages using the host’s own voice.

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EU blocks Booking’s €1.6B takeover of online travel agency Etraveli

Ecosystems, Fintech and ecommerce, Government and policy / /

The EU Commission has blocked Booking’s €1.6bn takeover of Swedish online travel agency Etraveli, citing competition concerns.

“Booking’s acquisition of Etraveli would strengthen Booking’s dominant position in the online travel agencies market and likely lead to higher costs for hotels and, possibly, consumers,” said Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice.

According to the Commission, Booking is already the leading online hotel agency in the EEA, accounting for a 60% share of the total market. Meanwhile, Etraveli is the number two provider of flight services.

The merger would, therefore, enable the travel giant to broaden its travel services ecosystem, increase traffic on its platforms, and enhance its network effect. As a result, Booking could further boost its dominant position in the hotel industry and, ultimately, make market entry or expansion more challenging for competitors.

The EU regulator found Booking’s proposed remedy “not sufficiently comprehensive and effective,” failing to fully address the identified competition concerns. Specifically, the company suggested a choice screen on the flight check-out page, displaying hotel options from competing providers. The Commission claims that the solution would still favour Booking.

“Our decision to block the merger means that European hotels and travellers will not be further limited in the options available to offer their services and book their trips. This also means that the drive for competitive prices and innovation will be preserved in this important part of the travel industry,” Reynders added.

In response, the travel giant announced its intention to appeal. “The European Commission’s decision not only departs from settled law and precedent, but it deprives consumers of travel options that they are entitled to have,” said Glenn Fogel, Booking Holdings’ CEO.

The company noted that it will continue working together with Etraveli, extending their partnership through 2028.

The takeover’s veto comes less than a month after the EU announced the six tech giants that will face the strictest set of its new digital market rules, known as the DMA. While Booking was absent from the list, the Commission’s latest antitrust decision indicates that the bloc’s aim to ensure a fair digital economy will go beyond traditional big tech. 

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Bioniq taps big data algorithms to make supplements bespoke

Corporates and innovation, Ecosystems, Startups and technology / /

London-based startup Bioniq, which creates hyper-personalised supplements for its customers — who range from pro athletes to regular people on the quest for longer life — has gone global.

Founded in 2019, Bioniq leverages a patented algorithm based on blood test data from more than 40,000 people across 4 million biochemical data points to create a supplement regime tailor-made to your body and health goals. 

“STOP GUESSING which mass-made supplements to take. None are meant for you,” it exclaims on its website. 

The company was founded by former German national team basketball player Vadim Fedotov and Dr Konstantin Karuzin, a neurosurgeon who previously developed a system to improve the cognitive and physical functions of professional athletes in Switzerland.  

Bioniq taps big data to achieve hyper-personalisation, which it claims to be 200,000 times higher than similar products on the market. The whole idea is to customise healthcare to the greatest extent possible.  

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By helping to address underlying micronutrient imbalances, Bioniq’s personalised supplements enable clients to benefit from improved energy, better sleep quality, faster recovery and healthier ageing — at least that’s what it says on the bottle. 

“I couldn’t be more proud of the work we’ve done to bring this level of unprecedented precision to the supplements market,” said founder Fedotov. “Identifying real nutrient imbalances and taking a personalized supplement formula to address them can help individuals not only feel better but also perform better and stay healthier over time.”

Bioniq is one of many startups flooding into the new, but steadily growing, biohacking industry. Biohacking refers to a wide range of incremental changes a person can make to their bodies and lifestyles, from taking supplements and using wearable technology to monitor health, to using implanted devices.

Bioniq is backed by several European investment funds, including HV Capital, and Unbound, Rocket Internet, Porsche Ventures, and others. It has raised a total of $15mn to date.

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Microsoft’s $69B Activision merger on track for green light

Corporates and innovation, Ecosystems, Government and policy / /
Microsoft’s $69B Activision merger on track for green light

The UK’s antitrust watchdog announced today that it has provisionally accepted Microsoft’s new terms for its $69bn acquisition of Call of Duty developer Activision-Blizzard, renewing hopes that the biggest-ever gaming deal will go ahead.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the merger in April after fears that Microsoft — which already accounts for an estimated 60% to 70% of the global cloud gaming market — would further increase its advantage by making some of the world’s most popular games exclusively available on its own platforms.

The two firms submitted a revised merger agreement to the CMA last month, aimed at mitigating the watchdog’s concerns that the takeover would reduce innovation and choices for gamers. Under the restructured offer, Microsoft agreed to sell some of its gaming rights to French video game publisher Ubisoft — a move that the watchdog believes will keep competition in cloud gaming open for years to come.   

“This is a new and substantially different deal, which keeps the cloud distribution of these important games in the hands of a strong independent supplier, Ubisoft, rather than under the control of Microsoft,” said Colin Raftery of the CMA. 

Microsoft head Brad Smith said the firm will continue to work towards winning final approval to close the deal. “We are encouraged by this positive development in the CMA’s review process. We presented solutions that we believe fully address the CMA’s remaining concerns related to cloud game streaming,” he noted.  

While the watchdog is happy with the restructured deal, it nevertheless criticised Microsoft for not taking the necessary steps from the outset. 

“It would have been far better if Microsoft had put forward this restructure during our original investigation,” said CEO Sarah Cardell. “This case illustrates the costs, uncertainty, and delay that parties can incur if a credible and effective remedy option exists but is not put on the table at the right time.”

The CMA has now opened a consultation on the revisions, which closes on October 6.  It will make its final decision on the merger by October 18.

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EIF invests €40M in female-founded climate tech growth fund

Ecosystems, Europe, Investors and funding, Next Featured, Sustainability / /

The European Investment Fund (EIF) announced today it would invest €40mn with Blume Equity. Based out of London, the VC was founded by three women in 2020, and invests into European high-growth climate tech scaleups. 

Blume Equity backs companies focusing on decarbonisation as well as broader environmental sustainability. These include carbon accounting platform Normative, sustainable femtech startup Elvie, Matsmart Motatos that looks to combat food waste, and IoT industrial SME data support provider Sensorfact. 

The €40mn comes from the InvestEU program as part of the EIF’s mission to support high-growth and innovative SMEs across Europe, along with a regional mandate from the Dutch Future Fund. EIF joins other Blume Equity investors, including Swedish pension fund AP4 and Visa Foundation. 

“By supporting Blume with one of the largest investments EIF has made to a first time fund, the European Union highlights its commitment both to the environment and to supporting the growth-stage ecosystem in Europe,” said Clare Murray, one of Blume Equity’s co-founders and partners. “This partnership will help us continue our profit with purpose mission to support entrepreneurs tackling the climate emergency.”

Cutting-edge technology to play a major role in EU green transition

Climate tech investment pace has suffered along with other funding over the past year. However, there is reason for optimism for the sector — ironically, much due to the all-too immediate urgency of tangible climate events, such as the wildfires and floods of the summer. 

According to a report published by the Economist last week, VC investment in climate tech has surged over the past decade. Meanwhile, the recent slowing down highlights the need for a diversification of funding sources. This includes government agencies and alternative pools of capital, such as pension funds. 

“The green transition must be accelerated to meet our current climate and environmental challenges,” EIF Chief Executive Marjut Falkstedt commented. “Innovation in all sectors of our economy and cutting-edge technology will play a major role in achieving it. With the backing of the InvestEU programme and the Dutch Future Fund, we are very happy to invest in the female-led Blume Equity Fund to support disruptive businesses with a positive impact on people and planet.”

More money for climate tech to grow

Meanwhile, London-based HSBC also announced today it would make $1bn (€940mn) in funding available to climate tech startups globally. The banking and financial services company said it expected the funds to go toward EV charging, battery storage, carbon removal technologies, and sustainable food and agriculture. Indeed, the Economist study identified food and agriculture technology as a sector that is receiving disproportionately little funding compared to its contribution to global carbon dioxide emissions. 

Furthermore, HSBC also launched a new climate-tech venture capital strategy, and will invest $100mn (€94mn) in Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, a separate platform that supports cleaner energy source technologies.   

“Access to finance is critical for early-stage climate tech companies to create and scale real-world solutions,” said Barry O’Byrne, CEO of global commercial banking at HSBC. They also need ample support in making the jump from early to late stage — a funding gap that is gaining more and more attention. 

EIF invests €40M in female-founded climate tech growth fund Read More »

apple-store-workers-in-france-to-strike-during-iphone-15-launch

Apple store workers in France to strike during iPhone 15 launch

Apple, Corporates and innovation, Ecosystems, Future of Work / /

Apple is having a rough time of it in France as of late. As if mandated updates to the iPhone 12 due to radiation concerns weren’t enough, Apple customers in the country may now struggle to get their mitts on the latest model when it’s released. 

French Apple store workers have voted to strike at the end of the week — coinciding with the launch of the iPhone 15. Apple unions including CGT, Unsa, CFDT and Cidre-CFTC, are asking for better pay and working conditions, or their members will walk out this Friday and Saturday. 

Among the demands is a 7% increase in wages to make up for inflation (Apple is offering 4.5%). Furthermore, the negotiators are requesting that Apple put an end to a month-long hiring freeze.

“Since the management has decided to ignore our demands and concerns despite their perfect legitimacy, the 4 unions of Apple Retail France are calling for a strike on the 22nd and 23rd September,” the CGT Apple Retail said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. 

“We remind management that it is not these movements that harm the company, but rather its denial in the face of the discomfort of its employees,” it continued (translated from the French original text). 

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RDV les 22 et 23 septembre! 💪🏽@CFDTPOMMER @unsa_apple @AppleLaborers @cntapplepdg #cidre pic.twitter.com/J3gjiSxTli

— CGT Apple Retail (@CgtAppleRetail) September 19, 2023

For context, during the announcement of the company’s Q3 financial results last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he was happy to report an all-time revenue record in Services, driven by over one billion paid subscriptions, and “continued strength” in emerging markets thanks to robust sales of the iPhone. Last year, Apple reported a revenue of $394.33bn. 

According to a union spokesperson, workers can mobilise in three quarters of the country’s Apple stores. They will not prevent customers from shopping, however buyers will “need to be patient.” Union officials do not rule out more strike actions the following weekends if Apple’s management does not budge from its position.

The iPhone 15 will feature the EU mandated shift to USB-C charging — which some of our reporters are more than happy about. Other than that, it is far from revolutionary and more of a slightly updated phone — although it does feature the brand new A17 Pro chip. Among the more notable upgrades are a customisable action button, a titanium body for the pro range, and a next-generation automatic portrait mode for the camera. 

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Europe and US head-to-head in 3D printing innovation surge

Ecosystems, Startups and technology / /

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has seen exponential growth over the past decade, analysis by the European Patent Office (EPO) reveals.

In its latest study, the EPO found that international patent families (IPFs) in 3D printing tech increased at an average rate of 26.3% each year between 2013 and 2020. Notably, this growth rate is nearly eight times faster than the average of all other technology sectors combined (3.3%).

According to the findings, Europe and the US are leading the global race for 3D printing innovation, accounting for almost three-quarters of all IFPs filed between 2001 and 2020. Specifically, the US comes in first place with a 39.8% share and Europe comes in second at a slightly lower 32.9%. Then follows Japan (13.9%), China (3.7%), and South Korea (3.1%).

Within Europe, Germany has emerged as the “clear leader” making up 41% of the region’s total. It’s followed by France at 12% and the UK at 11.5%. Switzerland and the Netherlands come in fourth and first place, respectively.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Fraunhofer Gesellschaft is the first among the top 10 research institutions, with 221 IPFs. The top 10 also includes France’s CNRS and CEA and Dutch TNO.

“Europe secured four of the top ten spots for research institutions in additive manufacturing innovation. This bodes well for the future since technical progress in this field often stems from the cutting-edge research in these institutions,” said EPO President António Campinos.

The report also notes that the global 3D printing market is becoming more and more diverse — not only incorporating an increasing number of startups alongside established engineering companies, but spanning across more sectors as well.

While since 2010 the health, transportation, and medical sectors have attracted most of the 3D printing applications, the technology’s growth is expanding across more industries, including electronics, fashion, construction, and food.

3D printing’s potential is also backed by market projections. At an estimated CAGR of 22.66%, the market is expected to grow from $20.2bn (€18.8bn) in 2023 to $56.2bn (€52.5bn) in 2028.

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